Native Nomads: A Retail Analysis

As you know by now I was given a task to research the trend Native Nomads, before getting the trend I didn't really notice the trend in any of the shops I shopped in. Still I thought it would be worthwhile taking a trip into town to have a look to see what I can find. 

Surprisingly I actually found quite a few shops which had the trend in, particularly stores such as Mango & Zara which personally was where I expected the trend to be. When I went New York I made a point of checking stores out there for the trend too, & Other Stories was a good one for the trend and Forever 21 has things that could be borderline classed as Native nomads.
Forever 21 is one of my favourite US stores so it wasn't hard to spend a long time in there...

It was interesting to see how the trend had been taken from the catwalk to the highstreet, as designers tend to show off trends in amazing ways but more often then not the outfits are too 'out there' to wear on a daily basis for the majority of consumers.

This top below was found in Mango, to be honest I was a little unsure whether I'd class it as Native Nomads, to me it feels a bit too summery for Autumn/Winter. Would I say it was more boho then nomadic? Yes I think I would. Although having said that the prints on the top could easily be categorised under this trend. It's looks like it's from a native origin.

Suede is the easiest way to translate this trend I think.
These boots also from Mango, to me they seem to have been inspired by the traditional cowboys boots but they have been giving a more modern, stylish update. The added tassel detail at the side makes it more relatable to the trend. It appears that the combination of suede and leather are fabrics widely used within this trend.



I added these scarves in here as they have been printed in a variety of patterns, and blankets are a huge part of the Native Nomads trend thanks to the company Pendleton. These blankets are not really like the Pendleton ones but I thought the checked one was relevant, particularly with the the mustard, brown & dark tones which is similar to that of my chosen concept colour palette.



Late one Tuesday night I was speed walking back to the car and saw this in a shop window, I can't for the life of me remember which shop it was but I took a photo anyway. This checked shirt stood out to me as part of the trend, likewise the muted tonal colours are symbolic. The highstreet appears to have taken the trend Native Nomads and translated it into brown/ beige tones possibly because they aren't as bold and are easier to wear than bold, extravagant colours.
Designers tend to use bolder, statement colours. 



The classic black & red shirt- need I say anymore?



Zara took the classic checked shirt one step further and chose to put lettering onto the back, this is more of a designer touch & makes it more of a statement. Which personally I love! Fashion should be about making statements and expressing yourself through clothes although saying that I currently sat in loungewear which says a lot about my life right now.



In the editorials I have looked at the majority of them included a cape which wasn't something I would have initially associated with the trend. I saw this one in the Next and I just knew I had to take a picture of it. Again it uses predominantly brown colours but there is a pattern there, from a distance it would be harder to spot but close up it's instantly recognisable.
My only regret is not taking a close up photo- lesson learnt for next time.




Interiors wasn't something I was going to explore for this trend other than looking into Ralph Lauren, but I was rushing through M&S during the holidays and this immediately caught my eye. Although the print isn't something I would class as nomadic, the fact it's a animal head is hugely symbolic and massively reminds of the Ralph Lauren home collection.
Everywhere I go I'm noticing the trend more & more, probably means it's on my mind 24/7.




This was a gem of a find in NYC, & Other Stories was a store that cropped up whilst I was researching but truth to be told I actually forgot all about it. I walked into the store to do some shopping (which I did a lot of in NYC) and I just couldn't believe my luck!
Just looking at the shirt, you can instantly see the links to Native Nomads; the yoke around the neck, collar and cuff details are all heavily influenced by nomadic origin.
This really is a western shirt!




I wasn't sure if I should be looking into jewellery but I saw this dreamcatcher necklace and personally I would say it links. It's just so pretty! I think it's great that the trend has been adopted into accessories because it means even someone who is scared to venture out into new trends can have a bit of the trend within their wardrobe.
Layering over a plain top would really make this necklace a statement piece.



These last two images aren't ones I took myself as unless I ordered from them, it wasn't physically possible. By chance I got sent a email from Boohoo.com telling me what they had got in the new in section, and me being me thought I always need new clothes so I'll check it out. Scrolling through I came across this white shirt with black outlines. It's simple but it really does demonstrate the trend, yet again the collar and arrows across the chest are something that are evident within this nomadic trend.




Hope you all enjoyed this post. 
Would you invest into the Native Nomads trend?
Let me know in the comments below.

Take Care & I'll see you very soon.

X

Photos are my own & taken from Boohoo.com

Native Nomads Campaign #showyourroots

Welcome Back!

As part of my summative assignment for uni we were expected to carry out our execution idea in the form of a photoshoot if we were able to. Initially I wasn't sure I wanted to do my own photoshoot purely because I didn't think I'd have the time but in hindsight it was great to do something creative for a few hours...

You know when you have an idea in your head of how you want something to look but then when it comes to actually doing it, it doesn't work out how you imagined... well for the first time in as long as I can remember my idea actually worked as well as or if not better than I'd pictured it would. 

Yes it was a simple idea of just using polaroids, wooden pegs and string but it's not always about the budget you have for the shoot. Personally when it comes to photoshoots I think simplicity is always a winner. It was nice to just let my creative juices flow for a while. as I've said before I enjoy the creative parts of my course so much more than the marketing side.

My idea was to create a flatlay inspired photoshoot that is symbolic of the kind of thing you'd see on Instagram but as a twist it would be shared on Facebook. Instagram is my favourite social media app but sometimes when it comes to projects you've got to put your own personal preferences to one side and think about the consumer. My consumer is roughly a 40 year old male, who has an interest in adventures but equally spends time on various social sites. I asked around with friends & family and came to the conclusion that this age group aren't that of the social media age therefore they wouldn't necessarily be influenced by something on Twitter or Snapchat hence why I didn't choose them as my platforms. My Dad is roughly in this age group and he would be a thousand times more likely to use Facebook than anything else.

Instead of just doing one image to represent the campaign, I wanted to do a series of four that way whenever anyone saw one of the images they will hopefully be able to acknowledge the reference to the others. Personally I  become much more aware of a campaign if there are several poster campaigns designed for it, after all it's always interesting to see how they link but equally how they tell different messages. 

I chose to put black & white and brown toned images into polaroids because I felt it give them a vintage vibe, although my campaign isn't vintage, it is heritage so it needs to have that old feeling to it. Originally I'd planned to put the hashtag into a polaroid but I tried it and I didn't like it, it felt as if the focus was all on the polaroids and not what it was trying to promote. Cutting out the hashtag and scattering it across the table helped to balance out the image. It kept the focus on the tagline but equally so on the photographs of Native American tribes & the first kind of head torch. 

For me the main focus of this campaign is to make it personal to the consumer, to make them feel like they could somehow relate to the product. I did that by setting up the photoshoot as if someone had scattered their adventures and history out on the table in front of them. Photographs are the one object we can all relate too as no matter who you are we all have that one photo that holds a special memory in our hearts. As part of the Trespass X head torch collaboration I wanted to keep to head torch simple, like one small aspect of a bigger picture. Appreciating the adventures our ancestors took & showing off our roots enables us to go further in our adventures. Without the places they explored and the adventures they had we wouldn't be where we are today, this collaboration acknowledges and represents that. 

I chose to do a hashtag campaign because I felt it would be the easiest to reach a vast number of people across a variety of platforms in a short space of time. In addition to the campaign images there will be an interactive element, allowing the target market to interact with the campaign therefore having spent time looking at it,  they'd become more likely to invest into it. The interactive element is fairly small and just involves having the chance to add your own image to the campaign by inserting it into the blank polaroid. 

At the beginning of this project I didn't know where on earth I was going to take it, I thought it would be so hard to collaborate a brand and a product that I personally don't have an interest in. Surprisingly I have grown to love it, I don't yet know if I have done it right or covered everything the brief entailed but I do know that going through the process step by step has been a very hard process, but at the same time very enjoyable one. I am happy with my execution idea as I felt it's something I could actually see working, it's hard to believe Trespass and head torch won't be collaborating now whereas at the beginning of this project I didn't know how a collaboration would even be possible.

How things change...

I'd love to hear what you thought to my photoshoot & idea in the comments below. 

Could you see it working?

Take Care & I'll see you all very soon. 

X

Photos are all my own. 

Losing My heart to NYC

I've often wondered how people can say somewhere feels like home after barely being there for a few hours but for me that was exactly how NYC felt....

As part of my course we were offered the opportunity to spend 5 days in NYC & obviously I couldn't say no. New York has been a dream destination of mine for many years so it was pretty ineivitable that I'd say yes to going on the trip of a lifetime.
I mean I always knew I'd love NY but I didn't think I'd love it as much as I did, honestly if someone offered me the chance of living there tomorrow then I would take it in a heartbeat.

Obviously the trip was for educational purposes although I did do quite a few standard tourist things whilst there too,  because let's be honest who wouldn't explore everything NY had to offer?



Day 1 pretty much just consisted of flying out, eating my body weight in free food on the plane (Virgin airlines are actually amazing) & crying with laughter at Bridget Jones Baby. Touch down at JFK airport felt like an unreal dream, very surreal. Not going to lie when we first arrived there I did feel extremely far away from home but obviously I couldn't wait to explore too. Our first night involved getting settled into Hotel Wolcott, where we found out we had a room that had the Empire State directly outside the window- absolutely unreal! The hotel was everything you needed, it was clean, comfortable & location was perfect.



Other than grabbing food (yes more food) & looking for free wifi, we didn't really explore much the first night because we were all shattered from a long day of travelling. Still I will never forget the feeling I had walking down the streets of Manhattan for the first time, I know I keep saying this but it just felt like a "pinch me" moment.



Day 2 we all felt perfectly refreshed and ready to explore....
After starting out our day in Starbucks (what can I say the than I just love it), we caught a subway down to the World Trade centre. I thought the subways would be extremely stressful but they were so simple & easy to get around on.
The World Trade centre was just wow! It sounds so stupid but I didn't actually realise the buildings would be that tall- I remember looking up at one building and it just kept going as far as you could see. Obviously it was deeply saddening seeing the 9/11 memorial, it was a truly heartfelt sight to see and really felt like a poignant moment on the trip. The size of the buildings around there really put into context what a massive impact the twin towers collapsing must have had.




After there we visited the Brooklyn Bridge which again felt unreal (lets just be honest the whole trip was unreal to me), I can't believe I actually walked on the Brooklyn Bridge, like it's something I've wanted to do for years & years and now it's actually happened! We didn't actually walk the entire way across the bridge because we were like it's too far & we were too hungry and tired already. If I were to go NY again I would definitely explore Brooklyn (I say 'if' but lets be honest 'when').
As a typical tourist I had my picture taken on the bridge too...




We then headed back to the hotel to chill for a bit before visiting Times Square!
Times Square was the first moment I felt l understood what people meant when they said 'oh New York the city that never sleeps', the lights were just so bright! I can't remember what time we went but it was dark, yet the amount of lights made it feel like daytime.
Weirdly Times Square didn't feel as big as I thought it would have been, on the TV it looks huge but really it wasn't that big at all maybe it was all those other gigantic buildings that put it into perspective.  Still it was an incredible sight to see!

Day 3 was jam packed! Again we started our morning in Starbucks, before heading to a 'Garment Tour' which I'm actually going to do a separate post on as that was a required activity as part of the trip. After the tour we finished up in Chelsea and ended up finding this very yummy place for lunch giving us chance to refuel after a busy morning. We then visited the FIT museum as they had a Black designers exhibition on we all wanted to see- which was truly stunning!  This is another thing I'll do a post on.



After that we headed towards 5th avenue because as fashion students we like to shop, not that we could afford anything there. Still a girl loves to dream in Tiffany's & Co, got to dream it to believe it!
We then explored Grand Central Station, where all I could think about was when the animals escaped from the zoo in the film Madagascar and ended up at Grand Central. Still can't believe I actually went to where they filmed it!




Like many other curious people we visited Trump Tower, which was an experience to say the least, people were chanting outside, holding up signs, you even had the whole families posing for photos like it would be the image for their Christmas card next year.
Next on our agenda was the Rockafeller centre, which felt like a magical wonderland even without the Christmas tree. Watching the ice skaters on the rink was the most relaxed I've felt in a long time. We didn't go up Rockafeller because well you can't do everything in one trip, got to leave some things for another time. We instead visited NBC studios where I got to sit in an actual Voice chair *let's take a moment to appreciate that* before heading for food at an amazing place called the Stardust Diner. Which was a really cool American diner where you had hopeful Broadway stars singing to you whilst you ate, it's sounds a bit odd but it was the BEST thing! Like a Broadway show but cheaper.






Day 4 was still a busy one but not quite as busy as day 3. We visited Central Park which was beautiful, so photogenic and peaceful, if I'm ever lucky enough to live in NYC then I want one of those apartments that overlooks Central Park. We also went to the zoo which was well cute and we saw the Natural History Museum. Which looks exactly like it does in the movies!
THEN WE WENT UP THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
Being on that 86th floor felt like being on top of the world, not that I know what that feels like but it's what I'd imagine it'd feel like. So crazy & surreal, a memory I will never ever forget!







On the 5th day (our last full day) myself & one of my friends felt a bit ill so we kinda chilled for a bit and visited Staten Island & the Statue of Liberty. It was nice to have more of a chilled day after a hectic week. It was such a beautiful day, Staten Island looked absolutely gorgeous in the sun.




The 6th day was the day we flew home, luckily it was an evening flight so we had the morning to continue exploring Manhattan. We just did some last minute shopping, including myself splurging on an Urban Decay palette in Sephora- yes my bank now hates me. I could have done a lot more damage in there if I'm entirely honest...

So that's the end of my NYC post.
I know it's been a very, VERY long one, I was tempted to break it up into a couple of separate posts but I just wanted it to be all together. As you've already seen in the title of this post I have currently lost my heart to NYC, life feels so empty without being there. I have no plans to go back to NYC in the next few years which makes me feel very sad but I'm more determined than ever now to achieve my dream of living there. One day that Central Park apartment will be mine!

Hope you've all enjoyed this post, 
Have you ever been to NYC? If so where did you love visiting?
If you haven't been then where would you love to go?
I'd love to hear in the comments below.

Take Care & have a great day!

X

All photos are my own. 

I shouldn't post this

Okay so while I'm in the blogging mood I felt the need to write my feelings out to help me make sense of them. Lately I've just haven't felt myself, I've made rash decisions which I'm kinda of loving but at the same time I've just seemed to be distancing myself from everyone.

University is great but it feels so bloody lonely at times. Like I miss being able to be myself 24/7, I know people who can be like that at uni and I'm so jealous of them, it's not even real. For me I'll start opening up to others but then when I feel like I'm getting too involved I press self destruct and I get out of there as quickly as possible. I want people to know the real me but it scares me when people get too close. I like my own company, my own space, not to offend anyone but sometimes I'd happily stay in on my own over going on a night out. But at uni it's like having this consistent pressure to be sociable/ outgoing 24/7 but that's just not me- I've never been and never will be like that. No matter how much I wish that would change it just is never going to.

I am my own worst enemy, once I get it into my head that people are better off without me, I just don't try anymore because what if I continue trying & get hurt?
I've been hurt before I just know I couldn't go through that again. So I lose friends and like I always do, I end up on my own, it feels like I'm looking inside from the outside, because I've distanced myself so much that people just don't want to be around me anymore.
I'm not fun when I'm like this, I just feel fed up with life, I give up with everything, I'm tired of trying and getting nowhere. 
Why try when you're getting nothing back? 

Please say I'm not the only one who's ever felt like this.
Can you relate?

Take Care & speak soon 

X

Native Nomads: Story so far

As I'm past the half way point of my summative project (scary or what?) I thought it would be good to do a reflection type post on what I've discovered so far. 

I know I've said this before already but honestly I have grown to love this project more than I ever thought I would, I love researching the trend, designing mood boards and creating exciting collaborations.

Initially I just thought Native Nomads was about Western Americana and thats it, but this project has taught me that it's about so much more than that. Before this project I would never have guessed that the Wild West & American Pioneers were interlinked. Yes they are two completely separate parts of American history but like all history their paths crossed. I've explored tribes such as Navajo, seen the beautiful landscapes places such as colorado have to offers, I even managed to include my passion for makeup in this project in the form of tribal facepaint.

I have begun noticing this trend in shops, and even on the street when I'm out and about, it's crazy how this trend is so apparent in fashion right now, and I didn't even realise up until recently.
I was scrolling through the 'What's new' section on Boohoo's website a few days ago, and I noticed that quite a few new things that are coming into store have some kind of reference to Western heritage. 

At the beginning of this project I would have said, you would never catch me wearing this trend but the way "Native Nomads" has been modernised here by Boohoo has made even myself want to invest into the trend. Particularly the white shirt is a simple twist on the trend, yet you can still clearly see the nomadic reference.

I've looked into the history of the 'Wild West', it was interesting to find out that it only happened over a period of 30 years. I was expecting the era of cowboys to have been a lot longer than that. When I did my primary research survey it was no surprise that it revealed people think of the 'Wild West' when they thought of the trend Native Nomads, that led me to look into it further in the first place.



When I saw the word Pendleton, I thought 'oh what's a bike got to do with the trend'  turns out it's actually an American textile company based in Oregon, USA, they're famous for their native inspired blankets. The role of the blanket is woven deep into the history of Native Americans. For centuries they have been used for warmth & comfort, for artistic expression, as an important part of tribal communities.



Although it wasn't required, I did a bit of research into SS17, to get more background on the Native Nomads trend. Personally I don't regret looking at SS17 because I felt it helped me to identify what is classed as part of the Native Nomads trend for AW16.



A key aspect of research, was looking into the various print designs and colours used.
I ws surprised and very interested to find that within tribal communities different colours signify different strengths/ weaknesses. Particularly useful when in wars between tribes.



Previous projects inspired to look into editorials, I wasn't expecting to find anything at all to match my trend but I actually found quite a few. This Harper's Bazaar one really stood out to me from the off set, I just love how the pictures have been taken, the mountainous elements really brought the Native clothing back to life.



In my sketchbook I did a quick moodpboard to have me identify where the retail market was taking the trend, brands such as Zara & Mango are whom I expected to invest into this trend because it's along similar lines to what is already in store. I also found the American brand Macy's to have some good takes on the trend, this is something I will investigate further in New York.



Moving on from the research/ context stage onto the big idea was a bit of a struggle at first.
But researching into my given brand, Trespass and my given product, head torch helped me to generate some ideas that i'm pretty happy with.




Currently I have come up with my collaboration idea between Trespass & head torch, and I'm moving them on further in the creative concept stage. Initially I think I will draw out a mind map for each of the 3 mood boards required as this will help me to zone in on each visual interpretation.
I'm excited to see how they'll look! I already have some good colour palettes ideas that I've taken from the context stage.



I'll be sure to keep you all updated with how I get on!
Let me know what you think of what I've found out in the comments below. 
Did any of it surprise you?

Take Care & See You All Very Soon.

X

With the exception of the Boohoo mages, images are all my own.