If there was any doubt Sarah Burton could successfully takeover the Alexander McQueen brand after his untimely death in February of 2010, it is now put to rest after the unveiling of the Catherine Elizabeth Middleton wedding dress. Even though Burton has had two extremely well received fashion shows since McQueen's death, this royally commissioned dress will surely elevate this brand to even greater heights. What a perfect audience and event for a relatively new head of a fashion house. Approximately 2 billion people worldwide glued to their televisions wanting the same thing - the answer to the long awaited question of who's the designer.
It was a union made in heaven. The McQueen brand needed legitimacy after appointing a new creative head with arguably limited experience. Kate needed a dose of modern style after being criticized for her overly conservative fashion sense. Who better to turn to than Burton, the head of one of Britain's edgier brands? Kate is now a step closer to identifying her own unique style and Burton has delivered a brand building standing ovation in the world of fashion. Both parties in this branding partnership walked away with a whole bag of marbles.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Inspired to Document
I recently viewed the documentary on The New York Times photographer and On the Street columnist, Bill Cunningham. Bill talked about how he wasn't really a great photographer, but merely an observer of fashion who liked to document his observations with a camera. My friend JoAnn, an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, invited me to the film along with a group of her students. She wanted me to join them for the movie and then grab a bite to eat afterwards to discuss the documentary along with other hot topics on the students' minds. JoAnn and I have had conversations in the past around the students' reluctance to start blogs to share their personal design perspectives online. JoAnn was trying to explain to them that it's never too early to start building an audience even before their brands are developed and launched. I knew there was a chance I'd be asked a question on this subject and I was dreading the moment. How could I lecture them on the importance of brand awareness when here I was a brand developer and I too didn't have a blog?
I think part of my reason for not having a blog, besides lack of time and the fear of my writing skills, was the concern I'd come across as being overly critical of someone else's work. It's a tough business and I know what it's like to have to raise the bar every time with less time and resources to create. What makes Bill Cunningham so special is he doesn't bring judgment into his observations of street fashion. He only documents things he finds interesting and leaves the judgment up to his readers. Though I do know I will be making judgments based on what I observe and document, I hope Brand Marbles will maintain a level of objectivity that would make Bill proud.
I think part of my reason for not having a blog, besides lack of time and the fear of my writing skills, was the concern I'd come across as being overly critical of someone else's work. It's a tough business and I know what it's like to have to raise the bar every time with less time and resources to create. What makes Bill Cunningham so special is he doesn't bring judgment into his observations of street fashion. He only documents things he finds interesting and leaves the judgment up to his readers. Though I do know I will be making judgments based on what I observe and document, I hope Brand Marbles will maintain a level of objectivity that would make Bill proud.
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