East meets West at Totokaelo's latest Seattle boutique in Capitol Hill.
The cult concept, created by Jill Wenger, captures a casual, calculated refinement with exceptional merchandising. The architectural space is the perfect canvas for an expanded product assortment, which now includes the sister concept ‘Totokaelo Art—Object’.
Totokaelo (pronounced TOH-toh-KYE-oh) peeked the interest of many LA boutique owners during out market visit last year and we're delighted that this new move is not only an expansion but an evolution.
Luxury menswear is leading the trend and growing at a rate of about 14% per year, according to a new study.
"The Affluent Male: What His Online Behavior Can Teach Luxury Brand Marketers," released last week by iProspect, shows the online preferences and behaviors of affluent males – including device, advertising, research, shopping and brand preferences.
According to the study, there are 19 million affluent males (age 18 and older) with a household income of at least $100,000 on the Internet and 40% of the respondents to the study indicated that they are shopping online at least twice a week. And those who are shopping multiple times are spending more than $30,000 annually.
"The old adage that men hate to shop is being upended by the digital experience. Not only are affluent men shopping online more, but this demographic is doing extensive research, shopping and then purchasing online, which provides advertisers with multiple touch points to reach him. Understanding the habits of the high-end consumer allows iProspect to help our clients develop well-integrated digital campaigns that connect with this audience and deliver results," said Robert Murray, Global CEO, iProspect.
According to the study, 70% of affluent males prefer to research and buy online rather than researching online and purchasing in store. And they are adopting a multi-channel approach to accessing the internet.
The vast majority (91%) access a PC at least once daily, while seventy-seven percent have a mobile smartphone and 50 percent own a tablet.
Engagement with these devices is high across the board - almost 100 percent of survey respondents report using their PCs and mobile smartphones at least daily and 85% reporting daily use of tablets.
When an affluent male has daily access to tablet, he is 32 percent more likely to have made a purchase via the device.
In terms of visibility, 71 percent have seen ads on a PC while one in three have seen ads on a mobile phone or tablet.
"By all indications, this segment has untapped purchasing power which can and will trickle down to non-luxury brands," said Murray. "The best digital marketing strategies integrate practices across all channels. For brand managers, knowing how to effectively communicate to affluent men will a key factor to success in an increasingly digital world."
The research also showed that 84% of those surveyed make purchases for themselves, with the most-searched categories including travel, accessories, apparel and automobiles. Within the affluent demographic, this study contradicts the cornerstone of She-conomics – which advocates that women account for 85% of all consumer purchases and represent the majority of the online market.
As we track the growth opportunities within the menswear category, alongside purchasing trends, it’s apparent that these new findings represent an alteration to the online fabric. More and more, it's the visual storytelling and consistent holistic messaging that attract appeal.
A couple weeks back we were approached about the subject of trends versus fads. Some say that the difference between a fad and a trend is the number of industries it affects. A fad often appears in a single industry and rarely crosses over into others.
This definition works well for the fashion industry, but things become a bit gray when you adopt the same metrics for food, lifestyle, and new media. In a culture that vastly slices and dices industries into unique categories, it is becoming more difficult to define using the appropriate measurement. For example, you could segment the food industry into location based on the customer's experience: QSR, restaurants, fast food, etc. or alternately by channel: manufacturing, wholesale, retail, etc.
At In Your Head, we view a fad as a fleeting behavior, whereas a trend is considered to be a behavior that evolves into a relatively permanent change. We decipher themes, sentiments, and activities shaping the consumer landscape across multiple industries. Our long-term micro and mega trend tracking often identifies blips on the radar well before reaching mass adoption.
Fads are often important tools in understanding and identifying the root of a trend. In addition to influencing thinking, fads provide a real-time glimpse into adoption across a variety of demographics. Within the confines of our Annual Trendscaping Report for 2013, to be released in May of this year, we provide our readers with a more expansive view of full trend cycles, from fad to trend.
To learn more about upgrading and expanding your knowledge of global trends affecting consumers in different verticals, demographics, and age groups for 2013, click here.
Do you or someone you know suffer from size-a-phobia? Or worse — is your online brand imprint muddled with sizing complaints resulting in negative customer reviews.
It's time to stop focusing on the size and pick up your mobile phone. There's an app for that.
U.K. computer programmer Anna Powell-Smith has collected the official apparel size data and built a data visualisation to assist the women of Britain and the US navigate the sea of sizing options sold at various shops. The end result is a web app called What Size Am I?.
The application, inspired by The New York Times article: One Size Fits Nobody: Seeking a Steady 4 or a 10, lets you put in your measurements (bust, waist and hips) in inches and cm and recommends brands and sizes that would fit the best. Due to the three unique datapoints, the results favor different body shapes flattered by different stores.
"I tested the app with friends, and while some felt that fit also depends on fabric and cut, we were all interested to see the variation between shops... I also adapted it to display nicely on mobile phones, so you can use it on the move," said Ms. Powell-Smith within a datablog post on The Guardian website. "I'm surprised no-one has explored the data or built a similar site before, but then being a computer programmer and a fashion fan is… unusual. Coders get an unfair press in some ways (I find most are articulate and charming) but when it comes to fashion, the clichés are largely true. Tech conferences are a sad sea of baggy black T-shirts," she continued.
In an industry where virtual fitting rooms are the latest lure to dress the average woman, What Size Am I? provides a simple non-augmented solution based on official measurements published online by each shop: closest sizes estimated with least squares.
We love the motto: "Finding clothes that fit shouldn't be so hard. Add your measurements here to find out which high-street sizes are best for you," and hope manufacturers and retailers take note.
Is it possible to trim the apparel cost structure and funnel profits into philanthropy? The team behind Monolith, a New York-based social shopping website, aims to do just that.
{photo: crowdventurefund.com}
Currently in development, the subscription-based online start-up plans to deliver designer-quality clothing to customers for $111 or less. Subscribers will have a chance to browse men’s and women’s apparel and accessories collections online and decide which pieces they want to buy, reported The Wall Street Journal.
Monolith will then produce the items every five weeks in factories scattered around the globe (U.S., Mexico, India and Asia). “Well-known luxury brands like Gucci, Fendi, Prada—they all use the same factories,” said Nick Ralph, 29, the company’s Chief Executive Officer and founder. “They’re making hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars in profits on a single item. To us, it’s kind of ridiculous," he continued.
In addition to low priced designer goods from top-notch factories, the company will tap into conscientious consumerism with a “Buy One, Give One Program” — similar to the model employed by Toms Shoes. According to the Monolith website, the company will donate the same item purchased on the subscriber's behalf to children and adults in need so that they can secure better job opportunities, increase wages, and build confidence.
As a crowd-funded initiative, Monolith won’t launch until it raises $3.2m in pledges, according to Mr. Ralph. After three months of fund raising, the company has raised roughly $788,000, including pledges from past investors, family and friends.
The company decided to forgo the traditional venture-capital route to maintain the company’s philanthropic edge. “I’ve raised money for four companies through venture capital,” he said. “Most of the time, you end up going for the cheapest bulk and the cheapest return. The VC takes most of the equity and often shifts the company focus from creating something magical to creating a lean money-making machine in hopes of a highly profitable exit. I thought: There’s got to be a different way.”
We love Monolith's approach to Smart Commerce and Life Story Labeling. It's refreshing to see new concepts private label quality garments with cause-related initiatives instead of targeting mass production manufacturing aimed at the lowest common denominator: every-day fair-and-square pricing.
The digital exhibit is a desktop application that will be available for download on December 5th and will showcase 50 years of archives through 5,000 images — including illustrations, photographs, runway pieces, and 95 fashion show videos. The exhibit will, according to WWD, use 3D technology to fully render the exhibit as an immersive digital experience.
“It is an idea that I had many years ago,” Mr. Giammetti told WWD, “after going through a great museum site and being able to navigate through these rooms full of paintings…I asked myself if it would be possible to recreate a vast computer-generated museum. We started designing and nothing really appealed to me. I wanted to have the light of Rome without looking old. I wanted to show not only the dresses but the history behind them, from the drawing to the women who wore them.”
I see it as part of my legacy,” Mr. Valentino continued. “I am happy that thousands of students, young designers and fashion people will be able to see and study my work in every aspect of it, and in a manner easy and accessible for the younger generations. But it is also important to remember things of the past, to review the fashion that has shaped our lives. I would call it ‘Future Memory.” Among the memories included in the vast archives will be the 1961 haute couture dress Elizabeth Taylor wore to the Roman premiere of Spartacus; Jacqueline Kennedy‘s 1968 couture wedding dress for her marriage to Aristotle Onassis; and the 1992 haute couture gown Julia Roberts wore to accept her Oscar in 2001.
It's easy to see why Garavani and Giammetti chose to make the experience virtual given the breadth of memories created during Valentino's expansive career. If the exhibit existed in an actual museum, it would need a venue with more than 107,500 square feet.
Boxpark, a temporary use installation created out of 60 shipping containers will open August 2011 in Shoreditch, east London. Marketed as a "pop-up", the mini-mall will be open for a minimum of five years and use 60 300sq ft freight containers to house brand shops.
The concept aims to offer brands retail rents significantly lower than traditional store rents in what is an up-and-coming area for fashion brands andis almost 90% rented with nearly 40 brands including Superdry, Calvin Klein and Diesel. The full list of tenants has not been released but potential targets include streetwear labels Carhartt and Stussy, premium casualwear brands Fred Perry, APC, Nigel Cabourn and Heritage Research, and young fashion brands Nudie and Religion.
Once an afterthought in retailing, male customers now make up a $51 billion shopping industry. According to market research firm NPD Group, 75% of men shop for their own clothing compared with just 52% in 1995.
The influx of blogs and magazines delivering styling expertise expand brand awareness and aesthetic detail. Taking a note from the Sartorialist, J.Crew’s Jack Knows Best offers advice on dry cleaning, three piece suits, and how to wear pants properly. Net-A-Porter’s Menswear site Mr. Porter, set to launch in 2011, will carry over 60 brands with editorial content, advice and same-day deliveries in London and New York City.
The new male consumer responds to many of the same emotional triggers, such as heritage and authenticity, as their female counterparts. And retail shops with rotating miscellanea, art and differentiated offerings provide a place for discovery.
Successful retailers are building constructed masculine experiences in multi-purpose environments. Examples include:
J.Crew's first ever men’s store took over an old neighborhood watering hole in 2009, and the brand as since opened three additional dedicated men shops in New York and Boston.
Jack Spade offers an interior that mimics a gentleman’s study with copies of vintage books next to finely woven shirts and an old library card catalog containing always changing bric-a-brac.
Niche menswear boutiques like Tres Bien Shop in Sweden, Scotch & Soda in Amsterdam, BlackBlue in Minneapolis, Jackstraw in Seattle, and Duncan Quinn (with locations in NYC, LA and Miami) provide not only for clothes, but for objects to connect to such as rugged collectibles, antique shaving kits and sturdy furniture.
Men connect on a narrative level and want to know how a garment came to be and where it came from. In an ever more unsettling world, men respond to clothes that articulate meaning and stand for something.
Bottom line, male consumers want items that tell a story.
