CONCEPT PUBLICATION REVIEW

I sent my publication to be printed and bound at PRESSISION  printers in Leeds. When i got my publication back the front cover is not how I asked it to be. When I went to discuss the book with the team i chose a specific stock for the cover to be. but this is not what I received, so this is the only issue with the book. I am really happy with the inside pages, they turned out exactly how I wanted them to be. I asked the company to leave my cover blank as i planned to laser cut ( engrave) 'The Lost' onto the front of it myself.  This worked well, as before hand I did multiple tests to make sure it was perfect.

BRANDING - MINI LOOKBOOKS

I created two mini look book,  to simply show off the photo shoots and how the garments work in the environments. I wanted these to be very small and minimal, with images only. If the brand were to have a retail space, these zines would be printed in a batch as handouts for customers to take away from the store.

MODELS

For my photoshoots I intend to use two very different diverse looking models, to portray the brands message. I also want to use different races within my photographs and branding to make sure that the brand appeals to a wide audience. I have realised that most of the brands on the same market level, and where I would place The Lost have a large Asian following. The likes of Maharishi and Rick Owens have a really big Japanese following, therefore I feel as though they would appreciate the aesthetic of The Lost as a clothing and lifestyle brand.

Model 1 : Jasper Lee - Fair skin, hair, slim figure and structural face.

Model 2 : Marcus Leyshon - Half Thai, Half British. Dark hair, olive skin, slim figure.

The two models are very opposite looking but both with a slim figure and structural face shape.

VISUALISING THE BRAND IN A RETAIL SPACE

Hypothetically, if the brand was had a retail space, I imagine it would be in a very organic, raw environment. Surrounded by concrete, bare walls with elements of the outdoors inside. Lots of natural wood furnishings would be the displays for the collection, as well as accessories, and other lifestyle elements. 

I like the use of a branch for displaying garments on, I think it would work really well for The Lost in terms of the organic and outdoors aesthetic.  With all of this in mind, I would also choose to keep the space very minimal and clean, something that is easy on the eye and not too much going on. 

The retail space would have different areas for different elements such as; jewellery, accessories, third party brands that will enhance the aesthetic of The Lost and possibly a coffee bar. I want the brand to be much more than its clothes, I would want customers to come into the store and feel as though they are investing into a lifestyle rather than buying one piece and never returning. I want them to be involved in every aspect of the brand. This includes walking into the space and embracing the rawness and organic nature, sipping on complimentary coffee and getting a feel for the clothes and accessories. 

As part of the lifestyle brand, there would be a stack of concept publications for each customer to read and take home. This would mean that the customer would take something away from the store to read and immerse themselves into, if they don't purchase anything from the store. 

below are images that represent the visualisation of the retail space, and elements that would be included such as materials, textures, furnishings and displays. 

BRANDING - LABELS AND SWING TAG DESIGNS

Below are the labels I have designed for the brand. I wanted them to be very unique and layered. I chose to incorporate leftover fabrics from my garments as an element of the tags, as well as thick card as a stable structure, then overlaid with jersey and a canvas cotton. The brands logo is engraved onto the labels. I decided to use the engraving as opposed to fully cutting through as it gave a better effect on the fabrics and portrays the brands image much better. The labels represent the organic and raw edge of the brands overall image and ethos. For The Lost, it is important that each little detail is carefully considered. 

Overall I am happy with the labels and and tags, and I am confident that they show off the aesthetic of the brand well. 

BRAND GUIDELINES

I created a brand manual as part of the overall brand package. I wanted to make sure that all the elements of the branding were considered carefully and done for a purpose. It outlines the brand overview, colour palettes, typography, label design and website design. 

MARKET RESEARCH AND COSTINGS

For a brand, it is important to understand your competitors as well as your customer. I have created a publication that demonstrates how I have thought about my target audience and market competitors. This was a great learning experience for me, and I now understand the importance of knowing where you sit in the market as a brand. 

PHOTOSHOOT 3 - ACCESSORY/COMPANION (HAT)

I did a third shoot as a feature in the publication. Taking the nomads companion, The hat and photographing it in different environments, urban and natural to see the contrasting details it holds.

images of how the feature looks in the publication 

INFLUENTIAL BRANDS

There are many brand/designers that have been big influencers to this collection. some are mid market level and some are big name designers.

Damir doma 

I love everything about Damir Doma as a designer, from the silhouettes of the garments to the use of minimal colour and earth tones.

I took inspiration from this to create one of my pieces.

At a mid to high end market level, I would say that I would place 'The Lost' somewhere near Damir Doma.
















Rick Owens 

I have always had a keen interest in Rick Owens as a designer. I love the risks he takes with his collections and the conceptual thinking behind the curation of every detail. Rick Owens isn't just a clothing brand,  Rick Owens also have a furniture collection which adds to the whole brand lifestyle and aesthetic.

 

John Elliot

I have looked to John Elliot as a brand more for the aesthetic for the photo shoots and publication side to the brand. Like Rick Owens, John Elliot tries to communicate a whole lifestyle brand rather than just a clothing line. 

The photo shoots really inspired my though process in how i wanted my shoots to look and how the message would come across. 

Similar to The Lost, John Elliot portrays a sense of adventure and wandering. He names all of his cookbooks after where they were shot. for example; 'Running through Vietnam' which i found really inspiring. Therefore for The Lost i decided to make this a little bit more subtle, by using co-odinates from the locations of the photo shoots as titles. I felt doing this was really fitting to the concept of the brand, Nomadic, wandering, adventurous. 

Greg Lauren 

Greg lauren has been a big influence on The Losts garment side of the brand. From the pieced together garments to the overall aesthetic of the looks. They truly reflect that of a wandering man, someone who is adventurous, and loves being outdoors, but also someone who lives a city lifestyle.