Bibliography

Evaluation

I have enjoyed my major project preparation unit, as I feel that for the first time I have really created a project which I have interest in taking forward as a future career. I have become even more passionate and determined about becoming a buyer throughout this process, as first hand insights into the role from my industry mentor and guest lectures have made me confirm that this is what I want to pursue further.
I feel I have gained a much greater insight and knowledge into what it takes to become a buyer, and I have been able to work on my decision making and communicative skills and also my weaknesses.
I have enjoyed taking on the processes and role of a buyer, although it makes me realise how much they have to juggle with at any one time, which has taken me a while to get used to.
Although I was very unsure what my final outcome would be at the start of this project, I am pleased with the end result. I would still say it is in working progress as it is just a prototype, however I am pleased that I managed to get my magazine printed in time for the deadline, as it gives the overall outcome a more professional complete finish.
To become a buyer, I have learnt that I will need to work on my fabric knowledge, as I admit to it being very basic at the moment and that could be something I might struggle with in industry.
Overall, I think this project has given me valuable experience of the buying industry, and I have really enjoyed making industry contacts and hearing their feedback and opinions of the job. I definitely want to continue the buying element for my final major project, however I am not yet sure of what direction to take it.

Final Outcome!

This is my finished prototype and final outcome for this project. I am happy with the outcome of my In store guide, although there are things I would definitely improve, if I had more time.
I am also going to upload this pdf onto the website MagCloud, so I can have a physical copy of the in store guide sent to me. With this hard copy, I will be able to show how the mix and match section will work and can put it into practice, once I have sliced the pages in half to create this interactive feature.
MagCloud is an excellent service where you can order and print copies of you magazines and get them delivered at very reasonable prices. Unfortunately, as my deadline is so close I don't want to risk not receiving my magazine back in time for deadline, so I have ordered my magazine on express delivery, which cost me $47.88 in total. Fingers crossed it comes in time!

Unfortunately, you can't view my magazine digitally on my blog as the file size is too large and doesn't load up properly. However, I have received the hard copy of my magazine from MagCloud, so please view this copy to see the complete guide.

Title Page layouts

I have included these various title pages to show the experimentation and development process I have gone through to achieve my final front cover. Like any layouts, I have tried a variety of font sizes, text placements, image sizes, colour way. Overall, I think the pages that are most effective are the ones where the image is bigger and the text is smaller, so that the image isn't crowded with text.

Live Element: Industry Mentor

I have been trying to find someone with buying experience who would be willing to be my industry mentor, as part of the live element of this project. For weeks now I have been contacting buyers in the industry, but unfortunately with no success.
However, as luck would have it I have just been given a contact for a buyer who works on the Kate Moss collection at Topshop, and she has agreed to be my mentor!
Although Amy and I haven't been able to meet in person, as we are both tight on time, we have been in correspondence over email. Amy has agreed to give me any feedback and advice on my progress, so I have emailed her copies of my final outcome (my range plan and in store guide) so she can take a look and give me her opinion.
Here are the emails containing the feedback I have received.

Hello Beth,
I am so sorry for the delay.

So I have had a look over your Range Plan and it looks great, I have just a few comments below:

- Think about the weighting of the departments, the category mixes ie how many bottoms you have compared to tops and then compared to dresses
- Is this going to All of the stores or just one store or selected stores? If only 1 store then think about the volumes on each line, if it is going to more than 1 store think about if each store will receive the same package? or will they look slightly different?
- Always think about the margin overall, if some styles are making a much lower margin then you will not be able to place as much volume on them and this could then affect the look of the package.

Does this help?
Pls let me know if you need more feedback?

Ax


Hello Beth,
Hope the feedback so far was useful and relevant!?

I have looked over the in store guide too (don't know why I didn't include this on the initial email!?) - pls see my comments:

- again looks fab - professional, clear, concise. Well throughout and thorough - its good to give stores as much information as possible so they can get excited about new things and also interpret it how you have envisaged it too.
- could the outfit build pages be condensed slightly, maybe 2 on a page as that section feels quite lengthy and you do loose interest.
- again if this is going to more than 1 store and stores are receiving different packages that are more town specific maybe mark on which items are going/not going to the relevant stores?
- other information that is good to include is if/when they will be receiving new options/styles or if this is a one hit thing?

Hope that helps.
Let me know how you get on and if you need more help?

Ax


Amy has been a fantastic help to me and I have found her advice really useful and relevant. However, as I have received this feedback at such a late stage in my project, I will unfortunately not be able to act on all of her advice, as I have already had my magazine printed and delivered due to time constraints.
Although I am definitely going to take her advice on board and consider these issues in any future buying projects and later in my career.

Finished Illustration

Since Rachel has agreed to collaborate with me for this project, I have meet up with her several times to discuss and review the progress of the illustrations she is working on for me.
In my opinion, we have worked very well together, as throughout this process we have communicated well and she has taken my feedback on board as to the style I want to achieve, and anything that may of needed changing along the way. Rachel also helped me with my design selection and gave me her opinion of what she thought would work in the collection and which garments would work well as illustrations.
I am really impressed and pleased with the final illustrations, as she has done a much better job than I could of ever done, in less than two weeks as well! Rachel has really brought the clothes to life and effectively shown how the collection is intended to look together.
These are the final eight illustrations:

In store Guide: What to include?

I am familiar with these types of guides, as pretty much every retailer issues them for their sales team. I have seen a variety of guides, from boring print outs to more sophisticated magazine styles.
With Oasis, I definitely want to show off my range in the best light and therefore I am aiming to create a sophisticated and professional guide which has a feel of a magazine, but still maintains all the important information in a clear and concise way.
I wanted to get hold of an in store guide to see what I need to include. However they are very hard to get hold of, as it is their nature to contain exclusive information on products which are classified to customers at the time of issue.
So I have checked with Caroline to see what types of features I need to include within my in store guide:

• Trend Overview - collection name, collection description, inspirational images, colour palette,
• Key Looks - key garments, detailed close ups, fabric swatches, description, prices, style tips
• Floor Plan - where to display range in store layout
• Wall Plan - How to visually merchandise range, VM tips
• Window Display - How to style and display garments in window

Outfit Building

A key aspects of developing a range is to make sure the garments work together. I have designed my range so that all my garments are transitional and can be co-ordinated and styled together. I want to try and highlight the mix and match element of my range, and this can be done through outfit building.
However, I do not simply want to create an average style guide which tells the audience what they should wear together. I want to be able to communicate outfit building in an interactive way, so the audience (in my case, Oasis sales team) can experiment and decided for themselves what garments can be styled together.
I have shown some experiments in my sketchbook of how this can be achieved.

Ideas for final outcome

Up until now I have been struggling to come up with a concept for the final outcome of this project. The reason being because, if I was trying to recreate the buying process exactly my final outcome would be the actual physical garments for the collection.
However, I had ruled this out from the start due to time, man-power, skills and money, therefore I have been slightly lost on what I should do for my outcome. The range plan I have created contributes towards my final outcome, however I needed to find a way of visually communicating my range plan in a more exciting and creative format.
After discussing possible outcomes with Caroline today, I have decided to create some presentation boards that would be used by a buyer to visually communicate the range to colleges, and sales team when doing store visits.
I have also decided to create an 'in store guide' for the sales team, which will explain everything about the range, from the inspiration behind the designs through to how to style and visually merchandise the range together. Now I need to think of how I can bring my originality and creativity to this type of industry document.

Name for my collection

Each collection/ story/ trend that a retailer brings out is normally given a name to describe the chosen theme. The name is an important way of communicating the style, look and spirit of a collection, and now is the time to give my collection a name. Here is a list of possible names:

• Rural Chic
• Rural Roots
• Country Born
• Country Roots
• Rural Revival
• Country Spirit
• Rural Spirit
• Country Chic
• The Great Outdoors
• Country Heritage
• Back to Roots
• Back to Nature

Although I am conscious that some of the names might sound abit cheesy, I really want to get across my inspiration that is all about the country way of life. I have chosen to go with 'Country Born' as the name for my collection, as this sums up my inspiration and design philosophy.

My Final Range Plan

These are my final range plans for Outerwear, Tops and Bottoms for autumn/winter 2011 Country Born collection for Oasis. I have tired to include a balanced range, with as many transitional pieces as possible. I also wanted to have a balance of smart and casual pieces and basic core items and pricier statement fashion pieces such as the Leather Aviator Gilet and Leather laser cut detail skirt.

My Designs using Illustrator

Since completing my design development and design selection, I have been working on translating my hand drawn designs into digital designs, using the computer program Adobe Illustrator.
This will give my designs a sharp, professional look and is a technical skill which is used in industry.
Using Illustrator is a technical skill which can take years to master, however I have only ever had one experience using this software before.
From my experience, I do enjoy using Illustrator and learning new skills, however it is very time consuming!
My seventeen different designs each took me 1 hour to 2 hours to complete, so I bascially spent a week of my time on this, which I was not expecting and has put me behind in my schedule.
However, I do think it has been worth the effort as it will give my overall presentation a sharp, professional quality.

Fashion Illustrator

I have decided that I am going to need to collaborate with an illustrator in order to bring the collection to life and show how the garments can be worn and styled together. Seeing as I am not going to be producing the finish garments, this is an alternative to seeing how the clothes will look in real life, kind of like a photo shoot but illustrative and not photographic.
I don't think my strength is in fashion illustration, therefore I decided to advertise the help of an expert by sending an email to the Illustration course at uni to see if anyone was interested in collaborating with me.
I was quite surprised by the number of replies I received, however it meant that I could choose an illustrator whose style really suited the look I wanted to achieve.
The illustrator I am now working with is called Rachel Elsome and she is in the second year of Illustration at AUCB. She sent me the link to take a look at some of her work on her website and I really like her style, plus she seems very open to taking on new ideas and understands the style of illustration I want to achieve.
Here is the link to her website, plus some of the images of her work which show her style of illustration.
http://illustrateharveylane.wordpress.com/

Range Plans - What to include

The purpose of a range plan is to compile a commercially acceptable collection of garments within financial and design parameters, prior to production.
These are a number of criteria that need to be included in a range plan in order for the buyer to get a clear view of the planned collection.

• Number of garments to be included in the range
• Proportion of different types of garments to be included (tops to bottoms, fashion to classic styles)
• Specific garment styles to be included
• Fabrics and colourways added for each garment
• Cost price for each garment
• Selling price for each garment
• Order quantities per style
• Sizes to be ordered
• Manufacturer used

Here is an example of a range plan which has been used in industry. However, there is no set way of presenting a range plan, but I prefer ones that are more visual with garment images and fabric swatches.

Balanced Range

In order to create a successful range of garments that sells well and meets the consumers needs, there is a number of requirements buyers have to take into account in order to create a balanced range.
Here is a list of the criteria a buyer needs to consider:

• Have a balance of entry/ mid/ exit level price points
• Variety of sizes/ colour combinations/ colour ways
• Balanced ratio of tops to bottoms (2:1)
• Season appropriate items
• Range of fabric types (jersey, wovens, core fabrics)
• Include updated Best Sellers
• Include statement pieces/ risk items
• Garments have to be age appropriate
• Make sure the range co-ordinates together (outfiitting)
• Balance of new fashions vs. core continuity
• Range of silhouettes/styles (offer choice)
• Needs to reflect brand and consumer profile
• Use a balance of supplies
• Buy the right quantity of stock of each product
• Consider previous sales (best sellers and worst sellers)
• Hit the target margin across the collection

I will also try to consider as many of these criteria as possible when developing my collection and building the range plan.

Trend Forecasting

As I am creating a collection for Oasis that is designed to be in stores for autumn/ winter 2011, I need to research what is going to be on trend and in stores in a years time. To help me predict these future trends, I have looked at several trend forecasting companies, which provide specific information on the key garments, silhouettes, fabrics, colours and trends of the future.
At the start of the buying process, buyers and designers will consult with companies such as Mudpie, Peclers Paris, WGSN and Trend Union to take advice about what is going to be the next big trend, or the colour for the future seasons. Unfortunately, to gain access to many of these services you have to pay an expensive subscription therefore my research has been limited.
However, the library does have access to the Peclers Paris A/W 2011 publication, which has been extremely useful in confirming to me that my inspiration of English countryside heritage is going to be one of the key trends next A/W.

To take inspiration for my collection, I have looked into the story called, 'Where are you from?' which focuses on a rural, uniformal spirit. The traditional outdoors lifestyle gives the story a feeling of heritage, with vintage styles and the equestrian look.

Directional shopping

I have also undertaken an exercise in directional shopping to help me gain inspiration from a more influential, higher end, design lead brand. This will enable me to gain an insight into a more fashion forward brand and reflect some of their key trends in my own collection for Oasis.
I have chosen to look at French Connection for this task, as they share many of the same customers as Oasis as they also offer very feminine womenswear. However, French Connection are able to sell their products at higher prices and have a slightly more fashion forward look than Oasis' more conservative style.

This winter coat from French Connection is priced at £160 and is made from 70% Wool 20% Pa 10% cashmere. This coat makes an eye catching statement in bright red with the over-sized ruffle.

This is the closest Oasis version which is priced at £100 and is made from 2% Other Fibres,28% Polyester,70% Wool. It is £60 cheaper than the French Connection Coat because there is no cashmere in the fabric and therefore is not of the same superior quality. As you can see the ruffles on the Oasis coat are noticeably smaller, creating a safer, more understated style.

This is just one example, but from my overall evidence I can assertain that direction can be taken from French Connection by keeping in mind the use of higher quality fabrics and adding more attention grabbing details to my designs.

Comparative Shopping

This is an exercise most buyers undertake at the beginning of the buying process when they look and analyse the current merchandise of competitor brands, which have comparable ranges such as product styles and prices.
From my survey and market research, I have decided to look at Warehouse as Oasis' main competition on the high street. Both these brands are owned by Aurora fashions and so are very similar in alot of respects. However, while Warehouse lacks a strong identity like Oasis, it does compensate for using more fashion forward styles.
In order to compare and familiarise myself with the competition, I have undertaken a comparative shopping  trip to Warehouse where I was able to establish and compare their key trends/ styles, fabrics, prices, colours. I will then use this information to strenghten and build my range plan to make sure that is in line with the competition.

The Buying Cycle

This is what buyers in the fashion industry use to track the events and processes that need to take place in order to buy a garment range within the time limits of the fashion seasons. I intend to follow the same key processes that a buyer in the industry would, however I will not be actually getting any of the garments made, so will not be including any of the manufacturing stages.

• Review of current seasons sales
• Budget planning
• Comparative shopping
• Directional shopping
• Fabric sourcing
• Range planning
• Garment sourcing
• Pre-selection
• Price negotiation with suppliers
• Final range selection
• Placing orders with suppliers
• Product development (sample fittings, fabric testing)
• Bulk garment manufacture
• Delivery of products to retailer
• Purchase by customer

Consumer Profile

I've created this profile of Oasis' core customer, to give me a clearer idea of the type of customers that are loyal to Oasis and ultimately who I am creating a collection for.

Gender: Female

Age: late 20's

Location: Live in urban areas and enjoys the cosmopolitain lifestyle

Lifestyle: Career focused woman which a passion for high street fashion. Loves socialising and entertaing with friends. Enjoys nights out sipping cocktails. No family commitments and reseasonable disposable income to spend on holidays abroad and all the latest fashions.

SWOT Analysis: Oasis

Now that I have gathered my market research on Oasis, I have created this SWOT analysis to clearly show Oasis' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats taken from the results I have obtained.

STRENGTHS ·         High quality ·         Consistent fit ·         Fashionable, unique designs ·         Wearable, feminine clothes ·         Aspirational high street brand ·         Website, blog & in store magazine ·         International franchises	WEAKNESSES ·         Only cater for sizes 8 – 16 ·         Not much advertising coverage ·         Don’t have stores in every town/city ·         Not a household name fashion brand ·         Doesn’t cater for petites/tall/ maternity
OPPORTUNITIES ·         Raise brand profile/ customer awareness ·         Increase sizing range ·         Launch petite/tall/maternity range ·         Increase advertising coverage in fashion publications ·         Open more stores nationally	THREATS ·         Competition from other fashion forward brands. ·         Market saturation ·         Economic recession ·         Prices are quite high compared to other high street brands – cheaper alternatives available

Focus Group

I have also decided to hold a focus group as part of my primary research into my target market and the Oasis brand. By holding a focus group, I have been able to collect qualitative data which gives me greater depth and understanding of the target markets opinion of Oasis.
I asked four of my friends who I know shop at Oasis to give me their opinions and discuss the questions I asked them. I made sure not to ask suggestive questions or influence their opinion.
Here are some of the main points I gathered from the focus group.

• Why do you like shopping at Oasis?

Enjoyable shopping experience, good sales discounts, quite a sophisticated aspirational brand, offer student discount all year round, great for occasion wear.

• What do you think is Oasis' unique selling point?

Oasis have a specific/loyal customer base (they know their customer well), offer all the latest trends but in a safe way, very feminine image and offer classic/ sophisticated styles.

• From my survey most people shop at Topshop but fewer at Oasis. As Topshop is the main competition, what do you think makes people want to shop at Topshop rather than Oasis?

Topshop offers more variety in styles and trends, spoilt for choice and caters for every personality/style. Whereas, Oasis is very specific in their one style and offer much more streamlined/ conservative ranges.

• Do you tend to go into Oasis if you are having a general browse, or are you more likely to go in Oasis if you have something particular in mind that you want to buy?

Tend to pop into Oasis as part of the general run on the high street. Definitely go to Oasis for a specific item as they usually have a good range of everything. Wont go in more than once in a week as they wont have received any newer styles in.

This exercise has been very helpful in building up a greater knowledge and understanding of the Oasis customer and the reasons why they shop there.

Primary research: Survey & results

I have decided to issue a survey as part of my market research, to find out what Oasis' demographic market actually think of the Oasis brand. I created this survey using the website http://www.surveymonkey.com/ and then sent it to the majority of my female friends in my facebook contacts that fit the official Oasis customer profile. I wanted this survey to be quite general and not too specific at this stage, as I want to firstly gauge my friends opinions and perceptions of Oasis, whether they shop there or not. I received 33 responses in a week and these are the results:

1.    Do you shop at the high street store Oasis?

·         Yes - 14

·         No - 18

2.    Where would you view Oasis as a brand within the High street, rated 1-5? For example, Karen Millen is a high end brand and would be rated 1. Primark is low end and would be rated 5.

·         1- 2

·         2 - 13

·         3 - 14

·         4 - 5

·         5 - 0

3.    If you do shop at Oasis, why do you shop there?

·         Fashionable styles - 8

·         Good quality products - 9   

·         Reasonable price - 1

·         Consistent fit - 0

·         Aspirational high street brand - 0

4.    If you don't shop at Oasis, why not?

·         Too expensive - 15

·         Too conservative in style - 10

·         Doesn’t reflect your age group - 11

·         Only caters for sizes 8 – 16 - 1

·         Doesn’t offer a petite/ tall/ maternity range - 0

5.    Which other high street brand do you view as Oasis's main competition?

·         Warehouse - 24

·         Zara - 11

·         French Connection - 5

·         Karen Milen - 4                                  

·         Topshop - 6

6.    In your opinion, what would you improve about the brand Oasis to make you want to shop there?

·         More accessible prices - 16

·         More fashion forward styles - 10

·         Younger, less conservative styles - 6

·         Celebrity/ designer collection - 0

7.    Which is your favourite high street store to shop at?

·         Topshop - 19

·         Warehouse - 2

·         Zara - 9

·         French Connection - 0

·         Miss Selfridges - 1

·         New Look - 1

8.    If you were to go to Oasis to buy a specific item of clothing, what would it be?

·         Occasion wear - 15

·         Jeans - 2

·         Outerwear - 3

·         Work wear - 3

·         Basic pieces - 6

·         Underwear - 0

·         Other - 3

9.    How would you label the type of fashion available at Oasis?

·         Fashion forward - 1

·         Luxury designer - 1

·         Latest trends - 11

·         Classic styles - 15

·         Conservative - 8

·         Not fashion - 1


From this data I have collected, I have gained some valuable information on my target markets
perception of Oasis. Firstly, only half of the people who completed my survey actually shop at Oasis.
The main reason why they don't shop there is because it is too expensive compared to other fashion
retailers. This is also due to the fact that Oasis is seen as too conservative in style and doesn't reflect
people's age group, which I guess is coming from the younger end of Oasis' target market of 18 -30 year
old women. However, if people were to shop at Oasis it would be for occasion wear, as it seems they
are a popular retailer for this particular type of clothing.
Overall, I will keep in mind the fact that Oasis needs to keep their styles looking young and fresh in order
to keep their younger customers satisfied and also promote their more fashion forward side, as they are
pretty similar in style to places such as Zara and Topshop, but Oasis is just lacking that cool edge that
entices a younger customer.