NOSHOW: Graduate fashion show & exhibiton

Yesterday was our graduate fashion show in Bournemouth, NOSHOW which was hosted by the events management course. As well as the catwalk, there was an exhibition space where I got to display my tops on their hangers for the first time. I think the hangers displayed my tops really well and they were in a great position in the room so everyone got a good look at them.

Press Pack

This is the creative press pack I have designed for my B Boutique brand. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I have decided to go with a postcard aesthetic for my press pack, as it adds an extra dimension and the postcard look ties in well with my seaside/ underwater concept.
Each postcard has a different image from my photo shoot on the front, as well as the B Boutique logo running through the colours in my colour palette. Then on the back of the postcards I have included the general information expected in a press pack such as, the brand's mission statement, a customer profile, illustrations and design images, as well as a CV and business card.
I have bought a small clear plastic photo album which holds all the postcards in so it becomes more of a flick book. I am pleased with the overall appeal of my postcard press pack, and it is also relatively cheap to produce costing under £5. However if I had more time, I would try and source a more professional quality card and print so they looked like real postcards.

Sample Book

I have created a sample book of my printed fabrics, showing the final range of prints in fabric form. I have also created a digital copy of all my prints and experiments on a disk. My sample book will be used as a promotional tool, to help enhance the identity of the B Boutique brand and also my ability as a print designer. I feel the use of a sample book really brings the prints to life from the computer screen, as it has such a tactile quality that helps add another dimension to the print designs.

Photoshoot: Final Images

So the day of the photo shoot was yesterday and luckily everything went to plan and the weather stayed sunny and dry. As with most photo shoots it was such a busy and fast paced day, but working with Min and Olivia made it run very smoothly, as they were both really professional. I think we worked really well as a team, and they completely understood the direction and look I wanted to achieve, so I was confident that we had achieved some great photographs.

Olivia fitted the tops perfectly, so they looked lovely on her. I am really pleased with the styling and overall look of the images, as I think they portray the young, fun, fresh and fashion forward identity of B Boutique, whilst still looking very wearable and accessible to the high street consumer. On the day, we decided to try and create four strong images of each outfit, which we managed to achieve so overall I am extremely pleased with the outcome. As time is fast running out, I was really eager to see the images and I have already selected my favourite images from each outfit, although they are not yet edited.

Outfit 1

Outfit 2

 

Outfit 3

Outfit 4



Website Pages

Promoting fashion brands and products through the use of websites has become big business. Literally every brand has their own website, so I gathered that this would be the best and most powerful promotional tool I could create for my brand, as websites can generate great exposure and are wide-reaching to all corners of my target market. I am a complete novice when it comes to website design, therefore my aim was to create an easy to navigate site, with a simple layout that would be used to promote, inform and strengthen the B Boutique brand identity.
These are the pages I drafted out using InDesign and then I used the Apple application iWeb to build the website and get it online. Again, I have used to same colour palette throughout, with the main aim of the website to show the range of prints, products and images from my promotional photo shoot.
The website is now live at the address: http://www.b-boutique.com/ so pleased do take a look!

http://www.b-boutique.com/

Photoshoot: Styling

My tops are finally finished, so now I have started to style the tops into wearable outfits. I have chosen these garments to compliment the tops and create an overall young, fashion forward look. I have also sourced a range of accessories, including a wide brimmed floppy sunhat, a range of coloured bangles and also three scarves I decided to make using my leftover printed fabric.

Business Cards

Another important promotional tool I've created is a business card, which I will use to promote both my individual and brand identity. I have used some of my current imagery and colour palette to create this clean yet creative design, which will hopefully catch peoples attention enough to pick one up to take away with them.

Promotional Postcards

We've had a request to submitt a promotional postcard which defines our brand/product. I'm not yet sure what these will be used for, but I like the postcard idea as a promotional tool. I am now considering whether to continue the postcard theme in my other promotional materail such as my press pack, but that will have to wait until my tops are made. This is the postcard I created using my top line up and logo, simple yet effective I think.

Packaging Ideas

This week I am going to be kept very busy making my tops, as I received my final printed fabric back from Fabpad and so far I am very pleased with the results.

As a break from sewing, I have decided to look at packaging ideas which will be used to promote and display my tops and also strengthen B Boutique's brand identity. I have designed these simple yet effective paper carrier bags and swing tags, using the same colour palette from the current collection to create cohesion and impact.

I have also decided to create my own bespoke B Boutique coat hangers, after being inspired by the fantastic Emma Cook hangers from my previous blog post. I wanted the design of my coat hangers to be clean and simplistic as to not distract attention from the tops, however I added design details such as the cut out B in order to personalise them to the B Boutique brand. I got my Dad to make them out of clear acrylic, which I think adds a modern and stylish touch. I am looking forward to trying them out on my finished tops.

Photoshoot Location: Hengistbury Head

I have been on the hunt for the perfect location for my photo shoot, and today I found it. I decided I wanted to use a beach location for the photo shoot as it reflects my concept, but also I have always secretly wanted to take advantage of the beautiful scenery around Bournemouth, as it has always inspired me and this is probably the last opportunity I will get to take advantage of these surroundings.

Hengistbury Head is an unspoilt nature reserve, with a variety of natural scenery. I chose this location in particular as I really like the neutral colours of the sand dunes, grasses and stone cliffs, as I feel this will create a simple and effective backdrop to my bold and vibrant tops. I think the stone jettys against the bright blue sky and water could also create some really nice images, and overall there is lots of variation in scenery to choose from.

Model & Photographer

After weeks of searching and sending out emails, I have finally got a model and photographer confirmed for my photo shoot! I found both my model and photographer by sending out an email across the uni to see if anyone was interested in collaborating with me. Both go to the AUCB and have had previous experience in both fashion photography and modelling. It is always unpredictable working with new people who you haven't meet before, but on first contact they both seem really lovely and really up for the job!

Olivia Huntingford: Model

Min Seok Kim: Photographer

Photo Shoot: Hair & Make Up Ideas

I have created these mood boards to show my vision for the the hair and make up for the photo shoot. I am currently in the process of finding a hair and make up artist and I feel these boards will help convey the exact look I hope to achieve for my model. To achieve quite a dramatic, strong and fashion forward image, I want to create a look which features strong brows, vibrant, bold lips and statement hair. This will hopefully compliment and stand up to the young, fun and funky aesthetics of my designs.