Sixties Brit brand Biba was originally founded by Barbara Hulanicki in 1964. The store attracted many celebrity customers including Mick and Bianca Jagger, Twiggy, Yoko Ono, Bridgitte Bardot and Raquel Welch. The store were an amazing retail environment that combined Art Decco, Noveau, Victoriana and the golden age of Hollywood. Unfortunately in 1975, the store closed down.
In 2006, much to our delight, Biba relaunched at London Fashion Week. Biba is distinctly British and manages to combine the legendary rock and roll spirit of its heyday with present day style. For Spring Summer 08 Biba have surpassed themselves with a collection featuring rich prints and luxurious fabrics. The new fresh faced Biba has really topped off the Spring Summer collection with gorgeous accessories like the patent, canvas and kid leather pumps, brightly coloured shoes with striped stack heels and ethically inspired big gold buckles.
A. Fast Fashion Facts
Flashback! Nearly four decades back - lifestyle fashion stores were all the frenzy in the sixties where clothing retailers like Biba and Habitat offered great collection for the young consumers. Meanwhile, the major Italian player ‘Benetton’ marched on high street with, offering colorful designer clothing for the whole family. Their strategy resulted affirmative with noticeably contemporary window showcase in all stores with independent units.
The rise of these competitors on high street has been witness successful because of a higher demand for fast fashion. Top designers have created collection extensions, which cater people who can afford to spend their hard earned cash on triple figure. This resulted success to the affordable collection of European fashion brands A Swedish player, H&M offered readymade clothing stores – stocked with fashionable collection at reasonable costs.
Its successful strategy was its own slogan ‘fashion & quality at the best price’ innovative design, reasonably priced and competent logistics. Impressively, the designs reach retail shelves within 2-3 weeks. H&M’s high profile designer tie-ups with Karl Lagerfield and Stella McCartney have resulted entire collections available to the mass people at lower prices. This strategy is supported by huge advertising campaigns, which easily compete with the major brands.
In a world of advertisements and promotions, there is one store that has made strategy to not to spend penny on advertising, “Zara”, a wing of Europe's biggest, rapidly evolving and most triumphant fashion clothing retailers, Grupo Inditex. Other well popular stores in similar chain are Massimo Dutti, Bershka and Pull and Bear. The first Zara shop was launched in 1975 at La Coruna, Galicia and at present it operates more than four hundred owned stores globally. It is modern, offering up-to-date lifestyle yet standard clothing lines for men, women and children. Zara offers reasonably priced, radical clothing, however, not of the top quality, which will last only for some seasons.
As same as Zara, H&M can also put designs on retail shelves within three weeks. Its product assortment is cheap and small yet frequent, offering consumers huge selection that results repeated visits to their stores to find “What’s New”. No shopping malls resemble absolute with exclusive of these three brands. The pace of these companies in responding to changing consumer demands is an ideal proof to the retailing, producing and logistics skills needed in latest fashion industry. Well-organized communication between sales staff directly to the headquarters and producers lead them to match steps with high speed turnover.
Even though they always have their preferred designer, they are also acquainted that a throwaway piece of fast fashion from a retail chain store will complete their outfit choices.
B. Is Your Image Reflecting Your Business?
Are you one of those people who say that they don’t judge a book by it’s cover? How do you act when you meet somebody for the first time? Do you pay attention to his/her general look? How you dress influences what people think about you?
Working with small business owners for years in France and for the last four years in New York, and now specializing in networking, I have to say that I am always surprised to see how some people dress for networking events or business meetings.
Those who do not dress in suitable business attire are usually the ones who are surprised that their business doesn’t take off. How do you act when you buy a product in a store?
The product inside the boxes has the same exact characteristics. Do you choose the one with the less attractive package or with the most attractive package? Do you choose the one which highlights the characteristics and benefits of buying this product? Or the one which presents the product in a regular, white box without any information?
1- Create an image to impress!
Your image is what people see long before you even get the chance to speak. Choose a wardrobe that works for you and your business. Create an image that fits your business. Have the right attitude. Be consistent with your image. The image you reflect, good or bad, has a direct impact on how other perceive your business. Respect yourself and others will respect you.
2 - Dress with Confidence
Wear traditional colors like navy, grey and black. Pay attention to your shoes, sloppy shoes can completely damage your image. Choose shoes that improve your silhouette. Treat your hands like your best friend. When you meet somebody and hand out your business card, people will have a look at your hands. So have neat nails, well polished, if you are a woman and remember to change your nail polish on a regular basis, if you wear some. Never, never go out with your nail polish half effaced. So consider the same thing for business. You don’t need to spend lots of money to look great, business-like and confident.
I work with many start-up businesses and very often my clients tell me that since they have a limited budget for their business, how can they possibly have a budget for a new wardrobe.
One of my best clients, who lives in Paris, is an image consultant and a personal shopper and I partner with her to help some of my clients. So learn how to shop. Buy a few new tops, ties, or accessories that will make the difference. Sometimes just by changing one item from your outfit, you will look totally different. So you don’t need hundreds of clothes. As a small business owner, you spend a lot of time trying to perfect and improve your offering. How did you brand you product? How can your image make an impact compared to your competitors?
In 2006, much to our delight, Biba relaunched at London Fashion Week. Biba is distinctly British and manages to combine the legendary rock and roll spirit of its heyday with present day style. For Spring Summer 08 Biba have surpassed themselves with a collection featuring rich prints and luxurious fabrics. The new fresh faced Biba has really topped off the Spring Summer collection with gorgeous accessories like the patent, canvas and kid leather pumps, brightly coloured shoes with striped stack heels and ethically inspired big gold buckles.
A. Fast Fashion Facts
Flashback! Nearly four decades back - lifestyle fashion stores were all the frenzy in the sixties where clothing retailers like Biba and Habitat offered great collection for the young consumers. Meanwhile, the major Italian player ‘Benetton’ marched on high street with, offering colorful designer clothing for the whole family. Their strategy resulted affirmative with noticeably contemporary window showcase in all stores with independent units.
The rise of these competitors on high street has been witness successful because of a higher demand for fast fashion. Top designers have created collection extensions, which cater people who can afford to spend their hard earned cash on triple figure. This resulted success to the affordable collection of European fashion brands A Swedish player, H&M offered readymade clothing stores – stocked with fashionable collection at reasonable costs.
Its successful strategy was its own slogan ‘fashion & quality at the best price’ innovative design, reasonably priced and competent logistics. Impressively, the designs reach retail shelves within 2-3 weeks. H&M’s high profile designer tie-ups with Karl Lagerfield and Stella McCartney have resulted entire collections available to the mass people at lower prices. This strategy is supported by huge advertising campaigns, which easily compete with the major brands.
In a world of advertisements and promotions, there is one store that has made strategy to not to spend penny on advertising, “Zara”, a wing of Europe's biggest, rapidly evolving and most triumphant fashion clothing retailers, Grupo Inditex. Other well popular stores in similar chain are Massimo Dutti, Bershka and Pull and Bear. The first Zara shop was launched in 1975 at La Coruna, Galicia and at present it operates more than four hundred owned stores globally. It is modern, offering up-to-date lifestyle yet standard clothing lines for men, women and children. Zara offers reasonably priced, radical clothing, however, not of the top quality, which will last only for some seasons.
As same as Zara, H&M can also put designs on retail shelves within three weeks. Its product assortment is cheap and small yet frequent, offering consumers huge selection that results repeated visits to their stores to find “What’s New”. No shopping malls resemble absolute with exclusive of these three brands. The pace of these companies in responding to changing consumer demands is an ideal proof to the retailing, producing and logistics skills needed in latest fashion industry. Well-organized communication between sales staff directly to the headquarters and producers lead them to match steps with high speed turnover.
Even though they always have their preferred designer, they are also acquainted that a throwaway piece of fast fashion from a retail chain store will complete their outfit choices.
B. Is Your Image Reflecting Your Business?
Are you one of those people who say that they don’t judge a book by it’s cover? How do you act when you meet somebody for the first time? Do you pay attention to his/her general look? How you dress influences what people think about you?
Working with small business owners for years in France and for the last four years in New York, and now specializing in networking, I have to say that I am always surprised to see how some people dress for networking events or business meetings.
Those who do not dress in suitable business attire are usually the ones who are surprised that their business doesn’t take off. How do you act when you buy a product in a store?
The product inside the boxes has the same exact characteristics. Do you choose the one with the less attractive package or with the most attractive package? Do you choose the one which highlights the characteristics and benefits of buying this product? Or the one which presents the product in a regular, white box without any information?
1- Create an image to impress!
Your image is what people see long before you even get the chance to speak. Choose a wardrobe that works for you and your business. Create an image that fits your business. Have the right attitude. Be consistent with your image. The image you reflect, good or bad, has a direct impact on how other perceive your business. Respect yourself and others will respect you.
2 - Dress with Confidence
Wear traditional colors like navy, grey and black. Pay attention to your shoes, sloppy shoes can completely damage your image. Choose shoes that improve your silhouette. Treat your hands like your best friend. When you meet somebody and hand out your business card, people will have a look at your hands. So have neat nails, well polished, if you are a woman and remember to change your nail polish on a regular basis, if you wear some. Never, never go out with your nail polish half effaced. So consider the same thing for business. You don’t need to spend lots of money to look great, business-like and confident.
I work with many start-up businesses and very often my clients tell me that since they have a limited budget for their business, how can they possibly have a budget for a new wardrobe.
One of my best clients, who lives in Paris, is an image consultant and a personal shopper and I partner with her to help some of my clients. So learn how to shop. Buy a few new tops, ties, or accessories that will make the difference. Sometimes just by changing one item from your outfit, you will look totally different. So you don’t need hundreds of clothes. As a small business owner, you spend a lot of time trying to perfect and improve your offering. How did you brand you product? How can your image make an impact compared to your competitors?
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