Posts from the “luxury.” Category

city lookbook : a progressive night downtown.

Posted on November 19th, 2011

Having the freedom to do anything and everything at anytime made a week in Paris feel more like a month. Do you ever get that feeling when you’re traveling? Even after returning to New York, I could not stop looking through pictures and reminiscing about the trip.. but of course I had to snap back to reality for my own sake. There were a few things that made the transition easier, one of them being the launch event for the new American Express/Mercedes-Benz card. I don’t own a Benz [yet] but it sure is an item on my ‘to buy’ checklist, although probably a few many years further down the road. The cultural & culinary tour that AMEX/Benz threw to celebrate the launch of…

Categories: branding., city lookbook., food., luxury.

fashion branding : mulberry.

Posted on August 8th, 2011

Mulberry, the English leatherware and lifestyle brand, has stepped up its game since 2007. I was flipping through the famous/infamous September issue and came across these ads: I’ve written about how advertising campaigns and brand videos can change the perception of a company, sometimes almost instantly [if successful]. In Mulberry’s case, its took a few seasons before it really took off. Compare the mediocre ads above in 2007 with the whimsical campaign below for aw2011: [[ via fashion gone rogue ]] The ‘Alexa‘ and the ‘Bayswater‘ bags have been ‘it’ bags for quite a few years now, thanks to celebrity association and adoption by influencers. Season after season, Mulberry presents improved designs and updates its most popular bags in fun prints like this Alexa.…

Categories: accessories., branding., fashion editorial., fashion., luxury.

the power of brand ambassadors.

Posted on July 15th, 2011

[[ photo: louis vuitton/annie leibovitz via WWD ]] Its fascinating what an ambassador can do for a brand. I’m all about analyzing how a highly strategic annual plan, successful ad/PR campaigns.. how one video can shed new light on a brand. WWD announced a few months ago that Jolie would pose for Louis Vuitton’s “Core Values” ad campaign. The video below was released not too long ago and sheds much more light on why Jolie was chosen to represent the brand in this way. She opened up about her personal experience: her visits to Cambodia, the story of finding her son and why she is drawn to the simple life, a life of appreciation. Its interesting that Louis Vuitton is the backer of the campaign…

Categories: branding., fashion editorial., fashion., luxury., the future.

label love : reed krakoff.

Posted on March 7th, 2011

Accessories design is fascinating, especially when it comes to bags. The rise of the “it bag” in the late 90s/early 2000s has fueled the profits of luxury companies everywhere, especially the big Hermès/Goyard/LV/Dior/Gucci/Balenciaga/Prada/Fendi/Bottega Veneta/Yves Saint Laurent/Givenchy/Miu Miu pack. And how can you forget Céline? American designers are also well recognized in the bag arena, including the obvious Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang. Hot on the heels of the most popular are expanding businesses like Derek Lam, Jason Wu/The W Studio and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Coach, the leading American brand of luxury leather goods, is also a force to be reckoned with. Reed Krakoff, Coach’s executive creative director, has helped change the perception of the company in the time that he’s been there. Successfully (from…

Categories: branding., fashion., luxury., obsessions.

fashion branding : jcrew goes to italy.

Posted on March 3rd, 2011

J.Crew takes fans and consumers on a journey to Italy where Executive Creative Director, Jenna Lyons, menswear designer Frank Muytjens and the J.Crew design team go to work. The first video of the J.Crew Goes To Italy series was About A Shoe. J.Crew just released a second clip titled About A Thread. The content is not insanely captivating to the average person, but I found both of these creations to be absolutely fascinating. I think these videos are a great way to educate the J.Crew customer, especially aspirational ones, on the design and manufacturing process. Prices of J.Crew goods, and limited edition/collaboration items, have gone up in the past few years, and many of my friends wonder why J.Crew has become rather expensive. Popularity, name recognition, trendier…

Categories: luxury., menswear.