summative project SWETTY BETTY !

After pretty hectic Christmas not knowing what my summative brief was I finally got an answer. I was assigned a trend story of crafted and embellished with the brand Sweaty Betty and the concept of space .

when I first heard this I was a bit confused as I never heard of the brand sweaty betty before and trying to entail crafts and embellishments into this through the idea of space was very tricky and didn't know where to start or how to even approach this . I firstly started with the trend story as for me this was the most important feature of the final idea researching through years of how crafts and embellishments have been entailed from the 1900s all the way up to today digging and researching runway shows , magazines , brands there was endless research to be done but loved discovering all the history in fashion of how these crafts were revolutionised and recycled through out so many years !. The main idea which I was shifted towards was eco friendly garments and the recycle of fabrics today, how people are become more and more concerned about the environment and the effect fast fashion can have on it so I tried my best to engrave this idea of how embellishments can be seen as good in the world by the use of certain fabrics.

CRAFTS AND EMBELLISHMENTS

We see recurring themes of materials , textures and techniques used to assemble and craft garments from runway to street to the recycling of materials used today .I noticed lace collars and broad ribbon ties used were very popular in the early 1900s which also intertwined with how men wore collars ‘ stretched and upstanding’ another trend which caught my attention was the recurring use of metallic fabrics used in runway through fabrics such as PVC and how popular it has become in the recent years creating a modern clean cut story symbolizing cleanliness and sophistication .

On this topic the vision for new textiles economy is that clothes will be designed differently , worn longer and rented , reused much more often . This report has endorsed by some big fashion including the Nike , C&A and H&M. In relations to materials we will therefore see eco friendly trends aspire throughout the next few years currently brands such as ASOS , Marks and Spencers and Burberry are using organic cotton and recycled materials in their clothing .

SPACE

Space is where retail ideas are tested or promoted for the first time in a specific location. 85% of American consumers say they like to touch and feel products before making a decision signifying the impact of how the spatial interior of a store can have such an impact on the costumers overall store experience and will more than likely return if they enjoyed the atmosphere and experience over the products. Having the opportunity to create a space idea in store you want to focus on what the consumer will enjoy and what will boost the marketing and visibility for the company itself . “Brands are increasing stores as one part of a multifaceted retail ecosystem, rather than centrepiece of their retailing”.

We are seeing more and more steel interiors used in stores due to the rise in concern of the environment as I previously mentioned which is evident through runways as it is a trending trend story in recent years, an example of a store that is effectively using this trend is ACNE studios . Balenciaga has now taken this special idea and incorporated it into their new store in MILAN . The store contrasts bare industrial interiors with a widely coloured carpet featuring vintage casino prints .

BRAND

Sweaty betty is a powerful sustainable active brand founded in 1998 by Tamara Hill Norton who always led a healthy active lifestyle which was the era of trends such as yoga pants and a rise in fast fashion it . Celebrities at this time became a growing influence through technologies so there was an extremely great target market for developing a brand such as sweaty betty which was a growing vibrant brand full of potential and opportunity . Luxurious activewear at this time was possible as ‘the sports department at the time did not serve women ‘ therefore progressed to become one of the biggest names for active wear today . She wanted to create a line of clothing which integrated both as ‘normal’ clothes and ‘gym’ clothes as it was becoming collar to wear your sports wear as part of your daily life .

Sweaty betty stores have drastically developed with installations of mini gym sessions and healthy snack cafes throughout creating a more exciting effective experience for the customers and a productive feel good atmosphere to be in . One of Sweaty betty’s distinct characteristics form other brands is its vibrant colours and pastel tones used throughout their range which liquifies into the colours used in store

FINAL IDEA !!

From all my research and analysis I came to a final idea of how crafted and embellished can be incorporated into space with the brand Sweaty Betty . Due to Sweaty Betty’s main market being more or less active wear I decided to use certain textiles , materials and crafts in the space of the store which resembled the word active and also linked into a story or narrative which is trending today . Evidently I focused on materials and organic garments used today . We are seeing a rise in concern for global warming and the effect certain materials and textiles have on it . More and more consumers are retaliating towards purchasing certain materials used due to the effect it has on the environment .

When I was influenced by Acne studios indoor steel layout across the shop . Silver is a colour of pureness , wealth , elegance and luxury which I felt tied in perfectly with Sweaty Betty’s main consumers . My idea is to create an overall in store steel gym layout containing several gym related furniture pieces such as ropes , bars , a track and areas where they may be pop up events. When I thought of the colour silver I imagined a modern gym like atmosphere created in store . I was inspired by the installation of artificial grass in the adidas store which I have placed at Sweaty betty’s counter and back wall generating an overall luxury active shopping experience for the customer.