EOC Week 3: Exercise

Most designers and merchandisers that have an established name have been working for a while in the retailing, manufacturing, or design industry.  Identify someone who you feel reflects the type of fashion brand you would develop and write a 750 word essay on his career.  How has each of that person’s experiences helped them develop a successful brand?  What do you think the future of their brand will be?  Fashion Designer Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, about 50 miles south of Milan, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. He attended medical school for two years, dabbled in photography, fulfilled his military obligations in 1957, and then worked in a prestigious department store, as a window dresser. He joined Nino Cerruti as a designer from 1961 to 1970. Armani began a free-lance design business in 1970 with the encouragement of his close friend Sergio Galeotti, and established his own men's wear label in 1974. He gradually adapted his designs for women and added a women's wear line in 1975, in partnership with Galeotti who passed away in 1985. His sister Rosanna Armani teamed up with Armani as head of communication activities of the company.  The main reason that I chose do this on Armani was because when I was a little kid I was walking by his store in San Francisco, and my mom told me that he is best known for his blacks and whites.  Even still to this day I still think that Armani makes the best Black things for men and for women.  The colors that he uses I think are just amazing and he is wonderful with what he does with every aspect of this designing.  There are really three levels of Armani there is Armani Exchange, Emporio Armani and just Giorgio Armani.  That is the order it goes form cheapest to most expensive.  The second two are just really great things that he does and are true runway things that he will sell to the public.  I know that Armani is getting up there in age, but I really cant see his brand going anywhere in the near future it is just way to strong of a name to just fade away.  I see this brand going far into the future even after his death.

EOC Week 3: Discussion Questions

1.       Is Ralph Lauren a designer?  Why or why not?  Well this makes me feel really bad about this question.  Because I think that he is one of the best designers in the world.  I feel that he has changed the way that Americans wear clothes and how the word preppy really is and what it means. 

2.      Where did Ralph Lauren work prior to working for himself?  Why do you think this experience was beneficial to his career?  He is from the Bronx in New York and his family worked in the fashion district, so he has been around it all from a little kid.  I think that this was very beneficial to his career because it made him who he is today. 

3.      Currently, how many divisions does Ralph Lauren operate under his name?  Can you identify the target market of each division?  Are they homogenous or diverse?  When I worked for Ralph Lauren I could not believe how many things that they make.  They make everything from candles to bedding and a lot more. 

4.      What is your favorite division of Ralph Lauren?  How does that division emulate your personal lifestyle?  My favorite division of Ralph Lauren is his purple label.  Not only because it is expensive but it is made so good and it really shows what Ralph Lauren is.  Someday I hope to own a lot of purple label clothes only because of what Ralph Lauren is to American and what he is to me.

5.      How has Ralph Lauren built on his original brand to create an empire and an almost unparalleled career in fashion?  Can you think of someone else who compares to him?  Ralph Laruen is the best American designer because he changed how people look at clothing.  The only person that I can compare to him would have to be Tom Ford who is another amazing designer and is American as well.  I can totally see him becoming the next Ralph Laruen. 

EOC Week 3: Apple Juice Scandal

I have never heard of an apple juice scandal before but I guess it is really true.  When we first started to talk about it I thought that he was lying.  I cannot believe that a company that makes juice for children would make apple juice that has no juice in it just to save money.  All that it had in it been water sugar and artificial flavors that make it taste like apple juice. “In August 1982 the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets came to the same conclusions as the FDA. Fearing that their product was about to be seized by authorities, the executives at the Canajoharie plant moved the entire inventory (26,000 cases) of tainted juice to a warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey, which fell outside the state of New York’s jurisdiction.”http://socyberty.com/crime/the-beech-nut-apple-juice-scandal/#ixzz1TFDpmZQc.  This is just really sad.  This just shows that there are companies out there that just want to make a dollar no matter how they can make it.  It does not matter if it hurts someone as long as they are making money. “Top executive knew
about the fraudalance for four years and did not respond. They were too focused on profit margin and market gain to think about how they
were deceiving the public.”http://www.shannonwiki.net/index.php?title=Apple_Juice_Scandal_1986.  Just like this last quote said.  That the companies top people did not even say anything about it.  I bet they loved driving the new cars they were buying because of it though.  After all of this happening I am really surprised that Beach Nut ever got back on their feet.  This is something that never should of happen but it did.  I hope this was an eye opener for many other companies out there.

BOC Week 3: Midterm Oakley

History about Oakley is it started in 1974 by Jim Janard.  He started out by making bike grips in the back of his car.  The special things about the grips is that they sucked up all the sweat from your hands so that you have better grip on the bike.  It was a huge success.  After doing that for two years he started to make goggles for people that rode dirt bikes.  He called them eye shades it was the second Oakley product of all time.  After a few years in the late 80’s he was driving in his convertible to San Diego and had on a pair of Rey Bans Wafares and realized that there is no protection on the side of your face from the sun.  The only protection that there was if you were looking right at the sun.  He wanted to come up with something that gave you protection all the way around your eyes so you can look out the side if you have too.  He came out with something called the blade.  It was a pair of glasses that wrapped all the way around your face so that you had amazing protection and the sun could not come in from any direction.  

The name Oakley comes from his dog.  Right when he stated to make the Blades people started to really like the concept of what his glasses were and that they actually protected your eyes from the sun all around your face not just from the front.  Sports people from all over the world stated to wear his glasses for baseball, biking and many other sports.  This is how he really got his name out there.  Going into the mid to late 80’s this is what everyone used and became the leader in sunglasses not only in the United States, but many countries all over the world.  Oakley makes all of their glasses by the edge of their seats and still do it today.  

Oakley has made many glasses that have changed the industry to day and they still continue to do so.  They have contracts the US government and the police force.  Because all of Oakley are safety glasses and not only do they not distorted your vision they are the safest things to put on your face.  Oakley's number one compeditor is Maui Jim.  Just a funny story about Oakley is their headquaters is in Orange County California.  Oakley flies a skull and crossbone flag at headquaters to say that they are differnt from everyone else.  They were told by the county to take it down, because it is not something that you should fly.  They were charged $10,000 to take it down and they continue to pay $10,000 a month just so they can be differnet and still fly it!

Week Two EOC: Exercise

Trace the history of the fashion brand Burberry.  Examine its ads today and those from past campaigns.  What are the differences?  Has the target market changed?  Did this fashion company follow its target market clients as they aged? Back up you research with clear examples.  When Burberry first opened it was in the late 1800’s.  They started out as an outdoor clothing company.  They really stated when they were contracted for the WW1.  They made all the attire for the war and all the fighters from the UK.  Their concepts today are completely different.  They are one of the world’s biggest fashion leaders.  Yes they still make out door good, but they are huge into bags, shoes and suits for men.  They are known as making amazing leather goods.  They still sell outdoor clothing, but nowhere near as much as they used to.  The target market has changed a lot.  From older men to wearing rain coats to young women now wearing their bathing suits.  Burberry has gone to a market where they think they can make more money and they are doing a great job with it. 

Week Two EOC: Discussion Questions

1.       How has fashion advertising changed since the mid-twentieth century?  What are some of the differences between ads that appeared before the 1950’s 1960’s, and today?  The first thing that comes to mind is I think that there is a lot more sex in ads today.  I think that there is a lot more skin that we put in ads today to sell the product.   The main examples that I can always think about is when you have an amazing gouges women almost naked and selling men’s cologne.  Us as humans today know what we like and we know what it will take for use to buy it.   

2.       What are some of the theories related to fashion branding?  What do they say about fashion barding as a means of communicating with consumers?  How do the contemporary ide4as of Hamilton, DeBord, Agins, Gobe, and McCraken relate to those of Barthes and Baudrillared?  Like I said in the answer before the main ideas that I can see related to fashion branding as to be about sex.  McCracken’s says “the need for brands to be studied from a meaning based model instead of the traditional information based model because of theoretical insufficiencies.”  I think they all know what works for consumers they just look at is differently.

3.       What types of meaning does Grant McCrachen associate with fashion products?  Do you agree or disagree?  If you disagree, what would you add to or delete from his list?  Give an example of one of the meanings.  McCrachen says, “That through social interaction, individuals assign status to fashion branded garments as well as types of consumer goods.” I think that he is spot on with this.  I totally think that you have to have social interaction to sell anything.  This is the best way to sell things because everyone will see it and everyone will want to buy what they see.

Week One EOC: Exercise

Find a fashion advertisement.  Identify any historical, social, or cultural icons in the ad and share the story the ad is trying to tell the viewers.  How does this ad make the consumer want to purchase the product?  The first ad that came to mind was a Tiger Woods Nike AD.  The reason that I thought of that first was because he is one of the biggest icons in the world today.  Almost no matter where you are in the world you totally know who he is and what he can do.  The ad that I found is just a shadow of him and all if says is Just Do It.  Nike three letter word that is gold!  You take the highest paid and probably best athlete of all times and all you have to say is Just Do It.  Everyone will know exactly what the ad is about.  There is nothing to this ad you really can’t even see who it is, but you know its Tiger.  Just by the way his nose is and the way he wears his hat it has to be him. 

Week One EOC: Discussion Questions

1.        What is fashion branding?  How does barding establish a product’s identity?  Fashion branding is when you have a company or a product from a company that everyone knows what it is.  A perfect example is Coco Chanel and what she has done for her brand.  Like we talked in class today even though she has been gone the brand is very still alive with us today.  Branding like Chanel makes their own identity because there is nothing else like this brand.   

2.        How are companies able to sell item like T-shirts, jeans, and sunglasses at high prices?  Can you give an example of another item sold in the luxury market that might not have been traditionally perceived as a luxury good?  The reason that companies are able to sell some of these things at such a high price is because there are people that love the product that they are buying.  The first example that I can think of a luxury market is graphic T-Shirts.  I have seen them go for over $100 and that is absolute crazy.

3.        Race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation play a part in purchasing decision.  Identify three consumer groups that are different from you.  In your opinion, do they differ from each other with regard to fashions and the types of brand they purchase?  Why or why not?  I think that these things are all very different.  I think that all these things can have a huge impact on the selling and what someone is going to buy.  It all depends on how you are raised and how you grew up.  I think that sexual orientation is one of the biggest things that makes a decision on buying.    

Week One BOC: My Voice

I am in the field of fashion retail management. The reason that I have chose this field is because, if you think about it this is a field that is always going to be around. We are always going to need cloths. From when I was a little kid I have always liked to go to church because I knew that I was able to wear my suit that day. I was never a kid that did not like to dress up or did not like to go shopping. There is just something about putting on great clothing and the way that it makes you feel. Some of the best artist of my time are people that design cloths today for example Valetino, Karla Lagerfeld, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. The one main reason that I love working in the retail industry is because it is never the same. You always run into something different everyday because every person’s style is different, I am her to help them find it. I currently work in my industry, at Oakley. I go from selling shirts and pants to selling sunglasses. After working for Oakley for a year I have totally come to realize that it does not matter where I work at or what I sell, I just love selling a product and making the customer happy when they leave my store.

Week One BOC: Slip,Slap,Slop





  Slip, slap slop is a campaign that takes place in Australia against skin cancer.  Australia is Leading County of deaths in skin cancer.  The way that they want people to use sun screen is a much different way than the rest of the world.  They go about it in a very fun way, like us her in America just kind of say use it or die.  “Ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels in Australia are higher than in Europe, even during summer. Being located close to the ozone hole over the Antarctic means much higher, more severe levels of UV radiation get through to ground level.”  http://www.theozonehole.com/australianskincancer.htm.  Since they are so close to the sun the summer months are absolute crazy.  There are laws in Australia that make you use only certain kinds of sun glasses too.  You can’t just buy anything of the self you have to use UVA and UVB protection at all times. “As summer approaches in Australia and the Victorian SunSmart media campaign kicks into gear to celebrate 30 years of SunSmart, there are many who are yet to heed the warning messages.”  http://www.clinuvel.com/en/blog/lightandhealth/three-decades-of-slip-slop-slap-but-teens-still-want-tans/.  Sun Smart just re did the messege to make it look more now a day’s hoping that more people see it and like it and start to understand it.  “The American Cancer Society suggests following a simple slogan of Slip, Slop, Slap when spending time in the sun. First, slip on a shirt. Wearing a long sleeve shirt is best, but a short sleeve shirt will also assist in protection. Remember to apply sunscreen under the shirt because rays can still penetrate.” http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhrota/InTheNews/Pages/Slip,Slop,Slap,ForSunSafety.aspx.  After reading this last bit I really hope that the rest of the world can get on board cause this is no reason to die if there are ways to prevent it.