In the mid-1990s, well before the internet had tangled us all in its worldwide web, Michael Porter set the benchmarks for marketing strategy which still resonate today. To sum up some quite complex theory, he argued that brands either had to achieve cost leadership or they had to differentiate. In a nutshell, differentiation is what allows luxury and fashion brands to charge so much more…
In November, we launched a Fashion Marketing Consultancy Live Project, a collaboration between Grain and the Fashion Marketing team of the Fashion & Textiles Department, University of East London. The project, led by second-year UEL Fashion Marketing students, aims to help students understand what it’s like working in an agency environment and to further develop creative and strategic thinking in fashion business. The project is jointly developed…
A £600m name that no-one will ever know. DAMAC, the Dubai-based property company, has been in the news lately as it has appointed Australia’s Lendlease to build the high rise property, now known as Aykon London One, on the site in Nine Elms Battersea London. The interiors of the 50-storey building have been designed by Versace and the offices and residential apartments facing the…
If you are a hardcore high street fashion brand follower, you must have heard the news earlier this month that Banana Republic is about to close eight of its UK stores by the end of this financial year. A spokesperson told the London Evening Standard: “The company anticipates that the majority of the stores will close by the end of fiscal year 2016.” It’s not…
Autumn is on its way and we’ve been harvesting a few of our recent news updates to share with you. We have the launch of a new group of colleges, a new fashion brand, a brochure for an international school and lots more to share from Grain HQ. In case you already have next year’s paper diary to hand, or more likely in your Apple…
We’re back at the Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) again this year with an invitation from University of East London for their final year fashion show. The collections presented throughout the show consisted of edgy and urban military reworked utility styled garments, with a clear influence from digital print. Antonia Nae’s collection stole my heart. It’s edgy and dark and yet it’s sexy and feminine. Going through…
I was recently interviewed by Managing Intellectual Property magazine, one of the leading sources worldwide of news and analysis of all things relating to IP. The interview covered many of the specialist areas where the expertise of branding agencies are important in helping clients avoid the pitfalls they might experience if they try naming and branding development in-house. It was a good interview and I was…
Spring has sprung and summer is well on its way. A lot has happened since February 29th, when we were in touch last, and we’re itching to tell you all about what we’ve been up to. This time we also have a free giveaway that’s just perfect to get you in the summer mindset! Win two tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show! We love growing brands and we…
UEL recently hosted a Roundtable on Fashion Entrepreneurship as part of their Fashion & Textile Symposium 2016. I was honoured to be invited as a member of the roundtable and pleased to see a healthy attendance of about a hundred students and lecturers, including the Dean of the School of Arts & Digital Industries, Professor Simon Robertshaw. The link between the four of us on the roundtable is…
After attending the Westminster Media Forum seminar “The UK fashion industry – digital strategies, IP, international competitiveness and policy priorities,” I had the opportunity to contribute an article for the delegates and policymakers in Westminster, Whitehall and Brussels. “Brand is the number one driver (or barrier) to purchase in the fashion industry.” – Richard Danks, Head of Strategy, Portas Agency, at the seminar. The golden thread…
Two beloved fashion clients of ours had their exhibitions at the Pure trade show this year at Kensington Olympia. We thought it’d be a great chance to catch up with them and say hello. Turned out they were extremely busy answering lots of queries and we were also pleased to hear that everyone was very impressed with our clients’ branding. It’s always exciting and refreshing when…
Happy February 29th – you don’t get to say that very often! And oooh it’s chilly outside. The great news is that spring is on its way and we have quite a few exciting updates from Grain HQ. This season includes news from Milan, two new gorgeous fashion brands, a redesigned website for Newland College, branding for a new school and lots more! Petit Tribe in Milan: An…
We are over the moon that Petit Tribe, the new childrenswear label with branding, packaging and ecommerce website by Grain, was showcased in the prestigious Next Talents 2016 scout initiative of Vogue Italia & Yoox.com (owner of NET-A-PORTER) this week in Milan. Adding to the kudos is the fact that Petit Tribe is the very first childrenswear brand to be featured in ‘The Next Talents’, and…
Have you ever wondered why clothes are now a lot more affordable than before? Why more collections are constantly introduced to the market, breaking the previous two season per year pace? We all want nicer clothes for less, but how cheap can it get and who really pays the price for our clothing? Andrew Morgan’s new documentary The True Cost explores the devastating environmental and social effects of the…
Madelyn Postman leading the talk. It has been a great year for Grain from being invited to guest lecture at several universities to leading industry talks. Most recently, our Creative Director Madelyn Postman was invited to join local industrial design and ecommerce professionals to speak at the Industrial Innovation Seminar in Zhongshan, China. With more than 200 business leaders from the region attending, the seminar focused…