Paul Smith SS14 Zigzagging Between the 60’s and 70’s.

A first look at Paul Smith SS14 – With US Menswear Buyer for Paul Smith

Paul Smith has done it again, delivering another optimistic collection to the fashion world, carrying the power of cuts through from seasons past and moving ahead with optimism, colour and nostalgic prints. The collection contemporises flash colours proudly, paired with a classic Paul Smith English rock feel. The colour on colour blocking seen in previous seasons has evolved to geometric subtlety, with small, loud accents contrasted against black and unique hues. Paul creates a heightened proportion by elongating jackets and coats with leather extensions to the sleeve.

Although parallels can be drawn to the previous spring summer collection, which offered a nostalgic, kodachromatic excellence, Smith’s current master piece adds and extends, with greater lengths to exude English spring cheerfulness. This cheerfulness ties in a whimsical mushroom motif, with beautiful miniature pop colours, with each piece taking you on a trip through the 60’s.

True to inspiration, Smith also delivered key trends with models sporting the subtle ‘murse’ (man purse), geometric prints and an almost ‘teddy boy’ feel to the collection. Smith married sharp tailoring with a move to a more sports aesthetic.  

Paul Smith Menswear Buyer for the USA, Tyler Ruzicka gives exclusive key notes on the collection. 

The collection for SS14 was a story of rock and roll, the Rolling Stones, bordering on a psychedelic throwback, with an emphasis on contemporary sportswear meets vintage tailoring and new shapes for a modern Paul Smith man.

The themes followed an emphasis on dusty pastels with pops of damson and turquoise as well as electric pink, alluding to the psychedelic reference. Mushroom prints and prismatic colours further aided to the retro feel established.

I personally believe the contemporary sportswear will carry this collection. Key pieces are the vibrant mushroom, hand painted shirt as well as the mushroom print sweat top, eluding to a youthful, playful market. New formal-meets-playful trousers are also a strong feature. Mixed leather and engineered fabrics are classic in shape but modern in execution. Appealing to a the fresh, hip client.

A subtle colour pallet with pops of vibrant hues makes this collection eye catching and exciting. Texture is key in continuing to carry on this excitement. 

Images taken from style.com

Paul Smith Marrying History, Business Savvy Strategy and Design

With Sir Paul Smith growing his business against a struggling economy, his menswear collection for Spring/Summer 2013 reflects an industry champion status.

Menswear is headed for brighter pastures, literally and Paul Smith’s coming collection captures spring in a bottle. With a nostalgic color pallet throwing minds back to the cinematic feats of Grey Gardens and Edward Scissor Hands, kodachromatic color was key. Weaving this with whimsical holidays with the Kennedys in muted pastels, Smith creates an escape from the cold before it has even begun.

While the collection has been praised as wonderful and wonderful as it may be, the overall color pallet is nothing entirely new to the market. We have seen bright pops of color and toned down pastels for many seasons. Fueled by the brand’s signature tailoring, the collection is a market pleaser and will surely sell itself. I personally found the fall/winter collection much more original and inspiring, despite average reviews. The collection was based on the world of The Deep Blue, with pops of neon to reflect bio-luminescence and coats inspired by sailors of the turn of the century. The concept was beautifully executed and evident through all product categories in the collection and in store. Although not to everyone’s liking and an underwhelming market response, it had character.

With spring/summer pre-collection hitting stores already, the response has been overwhelming and a welcomed changed from the bleakness of winter fashion. Consumers are enjoying bright pops and pastels and once again hailing the color block. The decision to compromise clear inspiration for people pleasing pastels isn't extremely apparent to the market, but most definitely seems like a tactical to draw in sales during economic downtime and a strategic linchpin for business expansion measures. The spring/summer season is aligned to the brand’s design DNA, but by no means is it a measure of innovation and market leadership. The collection coming stands to represent market demands instead. Furthermore it represents business tact and success.

In closing, I think Paul Smith is more than just a designer; he’s a strategist and understands the weigh off between design, inspiration and business. 

Product Sub-Branding - Fad, Trend or Strategic Betterment?

Creating sub branded products to reflect personality, people and places reduces costs and lets the clothes do the CRM, to a degree. But how viable is this practice in such an uncertain, growing market?

As the fashion market continues to expand and chain stores seek to close the gap between themselves and the luxury market, what are the current key points of differentiation used by big dollar brands to keep themselves a mark above the rest?

Many key retailers in today's market have turned to better consolidating core ROI products to reflect resonating names and personalities. These products are often cash cows and have remained so for consecutive seasons earning themselves a place on the brand's trophy shelf. To keep the large volumes moving and to help brand building, retailers invest and integrate the products into marketing strategy, weighting each spend on prior and foretasted success. B2BInternational.com describes this simply as an ‘Identification Label’. Fashion retailers have however evolved this notion to what we know better as sub-branding, as loyal followers grow and emotional connections develop with the product.

The move to personal product resonance (as I like to call it) is nothing new and is often key to strategy used by FMCG businesses to a different degree. It could almost be viewed (by competitors) as a sign of brand maturity and integrity. Investing in personality creation reflects a loyal following and a top seller, to be sure. The execution and appropriateness on the other hand, is where the real elbow grease is required and many brands lack the lacklustre delivery to see it through long term. The contribution of the sub branded products long term, will also serve as a cost reduction method, with little design work required from season to season, bulk buys and recycled marketing materials.

Australian high street chain store Marcs has been a successful market leader with humble beginnings. For many years the company has kept a core product offering that has remained consistent from season to season and has over many years gained propulsion and a loyal following. The two core products are the Brando and the Arnie.

Both are two basic tees that gents come back for after many years of successful association and conditioning of the customer. The ability to guarantee consistent sell through is a core strength and a developed competitive advantage. It suggests great consumer insight and an understanding of the brand. Costs are kept to a minimum with large buys and a shelf premium that ensures these core items never hit sale, ensuring maximum GP. The marketing material remains in store each season with small appropriations made in seasonal campaigns. Following the success of the Arnie and Brando portfolio, Marcs has since aimed to adopt the strategy across the board, mostly until something resonates with consumers and an investment decision can be made to move forward with repeating and to further develop the strategic role. 

The brand now names 70% of all products after places or people, for quick association and as mentioned above, for market testing for potential long term champions. As Derrick Daye writes on brandingstrategyinsider.com humans and brands alike are emotional and an ‘emotional wrapper’ is needed to drive sales. With such a large stretch of products now being named, not overcrowding the consumer’s mind must be a tentative initiative, as to not remove the initial purpose, which was resonance.

Banana Republic, chain store wonder is adopting a similar strategy naming their cash cow ballet flat ‘Ashley’, giving her flair with more than 15 colors, patterns and textures. The sell through will be undoubtedly astronomical, they are also graced with the benefit of being cheap market substitutes to competing chain store and luxury labels. Banana Republic seems quite confident to invest in order to sell, increase ROI and also to brand build through their trending product popularity.

Luxury retailer Coach has taken this approach to strengthen their sales but more importantly, to strengthen their brand heritage. Their handbags have remained a core product and competency to the business and by moving back to classic, named and established styles, the brand aims to consolidate clients, past and future. The Penny, a style from the 70’s Coach Era has been reborn with new features and benefits, just to name one in their portfolio. Coach gives us insight into one of the many ways sub branding can help a brand financially and emotionally. 

 A broad adoption of names and personalities to fish in the market for winning cash cows seems to be a trending strategy in a highly competitive and expanding market. A brand with maturity and a level of market dominance will be fit to roll out such strategies, however basic marketing can provide as a checklist to prevent derailment.

• Always check project performance against objectives. Be consistently aware of the strategic purpose of sub branding initiatives.
• Premium pricing strategies. If branding is as much a priority as ROI, these core products should be held at a premium without compromising with end of season sales, retaining the customer and the brand integrity.
• Imitation may be the best form of flattery, but it will not allow you to copy a core competency and something that has become inherent to the brand essence. Many retailers will seek to execute similar strategies within the same product category. To be sure, core branded products must be aligned with the brand and make emotional sense to the consumer.

Personal sub-branding is growing in popularity and diversity, but by ensuring self-awareness and knowing a brand's capabilities, brands may move this strategy from short term fad status to a strategic mold of the business.