Christmas at Harrods

This christmas I am working at the luxury department store Harrods, I have have previously worked in the store for the christmas period and absolutely love it! Harrods is a great place to be at Christmas time as there is always so much going on and of course the windows are always amazing!

Harrods Christmas windows this year have been taken over by a designer Disney Princess display and are truely amazing! The princess theme runs throughout the store with a massive 7,000 square-foot Disney Princess pop-up boutique for little girls to visit on the 4th floor in the childrens department. There have been exclusively made princess shoes, which are available in all sizes so girls of all ages can own their very own princess shoe!HARRODS' Christmas windows this year have been taken over by a designer Disney Princess display and are truely amazing! The princess theme runs throughout the store with a massive 7,000 square-foot Disney Princess pop-up boutique for little girls to visit on the 4th floor in the childrens department. There have been exclusively made princess shoes, which are available in all sizes so girls of all ages can own their very own princess shoe!

The windows display beautiful gowns designed by the biggest names in fashion, who have created their imaginings of the iconic fairy tale dresses. These designer include Oscar de la renta, Valentino, Marchesa and Elie Saab.

(Photos courtesy of Vogue.co.uk)

Online Vintage Trend

It is a well-known fact that eBay has almost 20 years experience marketing fashion for vintage clothing and accessories. Now it seems eBay has competition on their plates now that various start-up companies are breaking a piece of the ‘fortune pie’ for themselves in the business of fashion resale. 

At the end of last year, no less than 5 notable online vintage fashion sites were launched creating a surge in online resale fashion sales. One of the most popular fashion resale sites Covetique (launched over a year ago) is one of those sites cutting off a big slice of the pie. The company, what has been described as “eBay meets Net-a-Porter”, has hundreds of sellers online. They also market to shoppers previously-owned designer brands like Azzedine Alaia and Proenza Schouler which gives them an upper-hand when it comes to resale.

Proenza Schouler  SS 2010 line
(Courtesy of fabsugar.com)

Azzedine Alaia Fall 2011/2012 Collection
(Courtesy of: fabsugar.com)

The CEO and co-founder of Covetique Nicola McClafferty, (who takes 37.5 percent commission on sales), has said “We take the pieces in, photograph them and manually check quality and authenticity.” McClafferty also says of the site, “We want the overall buying experience to be as close to a luxury retailenvironment as possible.” 

eBay taking the backseat to vintage fashion sales could be due to their broad range of targets. For eBay’s marketplace in business, vintage fashion falls less and less specialised in its large spectrum. Some of these start-up sites even create personal profiles (not unlike eBay) detailing their sizes, styles and preferred designers. 

Though eBay might provide the same fashion elements as the newer resale sites, perhaps the online shopper is looking for that specific environment to get what they want quicker and more easily. These consumers may want the work done for them like some of the newer sites offer.

So i believe the challenge for these new start-ups will be focusing on the target consumers’ needs. What they market should be even more exclusive and appealing than eBay’s in order to draw more people to their site instead. They should also make sure the quality and authenticity matches what is promised, as well as making the purchasing process as hassle free and simple as possible to gain their buyers’ support. 

The marketing pitch for this new trend is about ‘keeping your wardrobe moving’, even if it’s something pretty and fashionable, it doesn't need to be kept around long. Online shopping consumers are used to fast fashionand flash sales nowadays, buying even more items then they did a decade ago. And with our post-recession economy at hand, many are turning to pre-worn goods to satisfy their fashion appetite. 

Zeynep SS 2013 line
(Courtesy of: kadinvekadin.net)

Music in Marketing

There are various strategies involved in marketing and advertising and different ways for businesses to succeed when it comes to business retail sales and distribution, ESPECIALLY when practicing the right marketing skills.

One of the most popular trends for company brands, luxury brands and in fashion is using music and content marketing to generate more outreach and boostbusiness sales. Even fashion retail stores have focused on using music on their websites and even in their stores/boutiques to make the shopping experience more enjoyable for their customers.

(Courtesy of soundslikebranding.com)

Even newer, up-coming bands and musicians are benefiting from the use of their music being used in a brands' advertising/marketing campaigns. This shares their music with the public and gets them recognised quicker and more frequently.  

When it comes to the younger generations these days, they listen to music regularly, and usually feel a concrete loyalty towards their favorite bands, but recent studies have shown that they are not especially BRAND loyal. Those ranging at about 18-34 years old tend to brand hop more than their parents did before them. For them in many cases finding the right “bang for your buck” outweighs sticking to just a brand name.

With this factor challenging brands, many top luxury brands have sought out music to connect with young consumers in a way that proves to be effective. Brands have been incorporating music into their traditional advertising campaigns for decades. Like the Rolling Stones singing about Rice Krispies, and endorsements from superstars for Pepsi and Coca-Cola, etc.

So now thanks to the trend of social music marketing, both brands and bands together can easily seek out and find connections to their consumers in compelling new ways! It may not be easy for consumers to stay loyal to a brand's clothing line or a particular brand of tissues, but loyalty to bands and music can be a powerful tool in marketing when done right. 

According to a recent studies’ data, corporate sponsorship by consumer brands incorporating music into marketing programs was expected to exceed $1.17 billion last year, nearly double what it was six years earlier.

However i have noticed now often times brands aren't investing their business in big-named stars like Jay-Z and Beyonce, it’s the emerging artists that brands are turning towards to represent their brands' labels and businesses.

Mulberry used music in their brands' marketing for the popular brands' 40th Anniversary celebration. They had a number of events throughout the year planned for fashion media to celebrate their anniversary. Each event planned included many artists selected to fit with the brand and attract consumers and media. The artists preformed at each of the planned events but also high-quality music content was generated and housed it’s very own “Mulberry Music” destination and was shared throughout many fashion, lifestyle and music media streams. Lana Del Rey’s first association with the fashion brand was when she performed by the pool at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood for one of Mulberry’s intimate parties.  At the end of the year, Mulberry even issued a “Del Rey bag” inspired by their collaboration with the talented singer.

Mulberry Del Rey
(Courtesy of: shefinds.com)

Bottom line, music is emotional, artistic and inspiring, so it’s use in marketing can draw consumers in and connect them with a brand in a deep way and is important in a brand’s overall success.

Many of the fashion runway shows seen throughout the year have involved luxury brands and top-named fashion designers selecting specific artists and bands to set the tone for their fashion runway showcasing.

At Fashion Week last year many songs were used along with the Spring/Summer 2013 collections. Check some of these out! (videos courtesy of YouTube.com) SS 2013 collection by Marchesaplayed M.I.A.'s "Bad Girls" and SS 2013 collection by Rebecca Minkoff played "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Ray.

Best Brand Tips From Quotes

I had a very interesting lecture on branding and what it means to be a brand. It is clear that the ever-changing sales and marketing techniques are adapting through magazine pages, website ads, on social media. Many brands have to adapt all the time to keep up to date with customer demand and future technologies. 

These are several quotes from business professionals and other respected influences that can be useful for brands and companies and give good advice on what makes a good brand. I found this very helpful when trying to start and build a brand for my own business idea for University.

“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet profitable for others.”

- Orson Welles

“The stronger the dialog, the stronger the brand; the weaker the dialog, the weaker the brand.” 

- Larry Webber

Part of the right marketing approach (and aiming for the right target) is sending the right message.

“A product can be quickly outdated, but a successful brand is timeless.” 


- Stephen King



Part of marketing to a target, and drawing that target towards a brand’s line is finding something special that separates them from other brands.


“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.” 

- Thomas J. Watson Jr.

This highlights the importance of having a good relationship with clients and customers and making the relationship as personal and appealing as possible will always contribute to the success of a brand (or company).  Particularly for retail customers (and evenretail stores), the right marketing, product quality (distribution, etc. with stores/buyers) as well as brand involvement can make a big difference for business success and business sales.

“Don’t think about consumer needs in terms of product categories, but rather in terms of consumer experiences.” 

- James Thompson 

This quote goes along the same lines; creating the best connections with consumers as well as using the right creative marketing tools can be very beneficial for a brand’s success, and again in business sales.

“The golden rule for every businessman is to put yourself in your customer’s place.” 

- Orison Swett Marden 

The use of "knowing what sells" when it comes to brand and fashion business sales.

“Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.” 

- Walter Landor 

“Marketing is the art of meaningful differentiation.” 

- John Lederer 

And finally!

“Brand value is very much like an onion. It has layers and a core. The core is the user who will stick with you until the very end.” 

- Edwin Artzt 

Style Birmingham

On 29th September I worked at Style Birmingham as a Dresser. The event was held in the Mailbox and presented by Martine McCutcheon, the catwalk was showcasing all the latest designer collections available to buy in the Mailbox and Bullring. Below are the photos from back-stage. 

Our job was to make sure the models were in the correct outfits for each show and on the catwalk in time! I was dressing a model called Andy, it was my first time being involved in an event like this but I had so much fun! The models were all so friendly and although I worked 9 til 9 in the evening the day flew by! I would defiantly love to work at another event similar to this!