a taste for ornamentation

May 10, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
Anna Dello Russo at H&M Photographer: Magnus Magnusson
Anna Dello Russo H&M accessories
{Anna Dello Russo at H&M. Photo: Magnus Magnusson}
 
"Accessories for me is the focus in my life."
Anna Dello Russo, Fashion Director at Large and Creative Consultant at Vogue Japan
and self-proclaimed guardian of fashion
 
 
We are loving the video campaign for the October 2012 H&M collaboration with Anna Dello Russo. It offers a sneak peek into the closet of the fashion icon with authentic and unabashed storytelling in Dello Russo's own words. She's beyond magnetic.
 
Tags: fashion, accessories, collaborations, inspiration, new media

the debonair digital dude

May 7, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
affluent men shopping online more
luxury menswear
 
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.

 
Affluent shopping
{image: 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.
 
{source: iProspect}
 
Tags: fashion, apparel, menswear, trends, shopping, eCommerce, luxury

news bites 5.4.12

May 4, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
social mobile gifting
May the fourth be with you...
 
CULTURE
 
 
  • Wrapp brings social mobile gifting service to the U.S. via Tech Crunch.
  • The iPad revolutionizes iconic Hotel Bel-Air's room service via USA Today.
  • Hue-tastic: Big Apple's new taxis are 'apple green' via New York Post.
 
FASHION
 
FOOD
  • Feast your eyes on the Pretzelnator, the first crowdsourced burger at McDonald's via Ad Week.
  • What's hot on food trucks: Portable, customizable, and innovative dishes via Nation's Restaurant News.
  • Email rules social media, even for fans via Restaurant Hospitality.
 
 
Tags: food, fashion, popup food, new media, crowdsourcing, SmartCommerce, luxury, color trends, apparel, customizable

top 5 reasons to follow our read

May 3, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
trendscaping
 
Why Our 2013 Annual Trendscaping Report is Required Reading.
 
1. Trends matter.
Now more than ever, culture is fueling the engine of commerce. Consumer behavior, preferences, and expectations determine our culture. And it’s constantly changing. Keeping up with these cultural changes – or trends – gives you the power to advance your brand. To be in the right place, with the right message, at the right time. To leave the competition eating your dust.
 
2.  We’ve spent our time and money so you don’t have to.
We’ve done all the legwork, scoping out brands, products, and cultural phenomena that are inside and outside your category. Our annual report gives you a concise and stylish account of the latest consumer trends. What’s more, it tells you what they mean for your business. Doing your homework has never been so easy. Or affordable.
 
3.  With insight comes innovation.
It’s not enough to just spot a trend. Great ideas come from understanding what it means and where it’s headed. Think remote retail. Personalized window shopping. Or mini pastries. The more insights you have about your customers’ behavior, interests, and expectations, the easier it is to tailor your business or service to meet their needs.
 
4.  Turn a pitch into a home run.
Whether you’re a manager pitching a new idea to your boss, or a CEO trying to persuade the board, the job of selling never stops. We make it easier by providing additional research, facts, visual aids, and insider knowledge to strengthen your presentation. In other words, the extra muscle you need to knock your next pitch out of the park.
 
5.  It Pays to be Proactive.
The world is changing even as we speak. And that affects business. Exploring big-picture consumer themes and what they mean is crucial to staying one step ahead of your competition – and your customers. Because once you know where people are headed, you can be there to meet them.
 
Get out front and stay there.
Pre-order your 2013 Annual Trendscaping Report here.
 
Tags: trends, color trends, trendscaping, visual merchandising trends, trend projections, food, fashion, Culture

Prada X Vahram Muratyan

April 25, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
Vahram Muratyan for Prada
Italian luxury brand Prada has teamed up with Paris-based Iranian illustrator Vahram Muratyan for its "Parallel Universe" project which launched today on Prada.com.
 
Exclusively for this collaboration, Muratyan created a number of animated graphics featuring many of the sixties-inspired summer accessories. The illustrations can seen on a capsule T-shirt collection which will soon be available in Prada flagships worldwide, according to WWD. Personally, we are loving the visuals accompanying the Rocket shoes and Pyramide bag.
 
Muratyan X Prada
{Image via Prada.com}
 
Parallel Universes
{Image via Prada.com}
 
The collaboration between fashion and art has become a mainstay at retail as brands seek new ways integrating collections with new media. Last summer we were fortunate enough to view Muratyan's work, a friendly visual match between Paris and New York also featured in the book "Paris vs. New York", at Colette.
 
Tags: design, paris, nyc, fashion, accessories, italy, luxury, limited time offer

news bites 4.4.12

April 4, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
Bouchon
 
FOOD
 
 
FASHION
 
CULTURE
 
Tags: food, fashion, Culture, beauty, new media, Eco-friendly

industry wisdom & fashionable content

March 24, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
trends
We spoke to the team at Atelier 36 about scouting, documenting, and editing trends — stressing the importance of differentiation.
 
To read more about our catalog of over 12,000 photos or why we won’t be giving away a list of NYC pastry shops anytime soon, click here.
 
Tags: food, fashion, trends, trendscaping, sweets, new media, promotion

news bites 3.16.12

March 16, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
Interesting, meaningful, and relevant stories amidst a labyrinth of information...
 
FOOD
{Photo: griottes.fr}
 
 
+
FASHION
 
+
CULTURE
  • Emerging trends: "gym-as-nightclub" {NYTimes}
  • Sad Statistics: 82% of Facebook brand pages updated less than five times per month. {Econsultancy}
  • Story of the Titanic is being live-tweeted in build up to its 100-year anniversary. {The Next Web}
 
Tags: food, fashion, design, Culture, new media, bespoke, luxury

is this the next Downton Abbey?

March 5, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
Mr Selfridge

Selfridges
{Photo: Architecture.com - by Sydney W. Newbery, 1929}
 
Set in London in 1909, can a new series about the American founder of the Selfridge department store lure viewers with retailing hijinks?
 
ITV promises to “make shopping as thrilling as sex” following the success of Downton Abbey.
 
Based upon the book Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead, the ten-part series with the working title Mr Selfridge centers around Harry Gordon Selfridge, the “showman of shopping” who opened the Oxford Street store but was undone by addictions to gambling, mansions, and mistresses.
 
“I read Harry Selfridge’s biography a few years ago, and remember thinking ‘we’ll never be able to do this on TV as it would be far too expensive’,” recalls Kate Lewis, executive producer at ITV Studios. But the series got the go-ahead, joining a recent raft of period dramas exploring British social history, including the BBC’s "Call the Midwife" and "Upstairs Downstairs."
 
Mr Selfridge
Mr. Selfridge with his daughter, Rosalie {photo: News World Digest}
 
Focusing on the spicier side of Edwardian culture, the drama will switch between the private poker games of the wealthy and the daily struggles of working men and women. Part family saga and part workplace drama, Ms Lewis promises “a fresh spin” on the genre. She says the series will be “heavy on the glamour” and “a little bit sexier than Downton."
 
According to the ITV press release, ‘Mile a Minute Harry’ was on a mission to create a theater of retail that was open to everyone – regardless of their social class. At this time, London stores including Fenwicks and Liberty employed “walkers” whose job was to eject customers who were merely browsing.
 
Clearly ITV has a lot riding on the series, which is expected to go into production this year for airing in England in 2013. Until then, we will be reading Ms. Woodhead's novel to gain understanding how this eccentric American transformed the world of London retail into fantastically rich territory.
 
The nostalgia and escapism of the period drama genre has us hooked.
Tags: fashion, Culture, retail, london, TV, trends, trendscaping

deciphering the lingo

February 29, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly
Trends vs. Fads
{upscale burgers: fad or trend?}
 
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.
 
Tags: food, fashion, apparel, trend projections, trends, visual merchandising trends