Creating A Successful Fashion Brand

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design team, fabrics, fashion, fashion brands, Fashion Business, fashion illustrations, fashion labels, fashion sketches, freelance fashion designer, mood board, pre-production samples, Product design, product development, proto, selling price, Size sets, Supriya Ghurye, technical designer

Image courtesy : http://www.imodae.com

Today, several professionals from domains other than fashion choose to set up an apparel or accessories business when they look for a switch in careers.

However, starting and running a fashion label is no child’s play. For one, consistency is important as a certain form of apparel attracts and retains customers with specific preferences. Then, there is the actual design process itself. Moreover, you need to make careful choices about every aspect of business such as operations, production and sales.

Given all these elements, is there a way to streamline the process of creating and running a fashion label? We say yes! This article helps you understand some of the basics.

1. What Is Your Plan?

All those adages about failing to plan stand true in the context of fashion design. Plan out every single aspect of your label, including the ‘known unknowns’, or risks. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What is the niche I will be operating in?
• Who is my ideal target consumer?
• How can I stay consistent with design even as trends change?
• Will I launch the entire collection at one go?
• How do I reach my ideal consumer? Which platforms (online/ offline) are they currently present on?
• How is my production team and process going to work?
• How can I gauge interest for my product?
• What is my distribution plan? Which sales channels will I be selling through?

Asking questions and answering them in granular detail helps you plan your business’s finances, your own commitment and exit strategy if any, your pitch to future investors, and most importantly, your parameters for when your creative business is succeeding or failing.

2. Who Is Your Team?

No one can live as an island, and it holds true for creative services too. The business idea may be your vision, but you still need an execution team. Specifically, in the fashion domain, you have several steps to think of- design, production, marketing, sales and analytics.

This is where a team of experienced professionals can come in handy.

Today, it is more a norm than the exception to outsource design to a skilled team that understands your business considerations and your target audience very well. Such a team can help you plug gaps in your own creative process, work with you to design a saleable product and help you understand the nuances of what makes a readymade garment viable.

3. How Are You Making It Happen?

Now that you have a sound plan and an excellent team, you can shift gears up into execution. You can either choose to create and sell in small volumes or you can go big and outsource manufacturing.

In both cases, your design team can help brief the production team about the expected output, tweak the samples and smoothen out any kinks while manufacturing the products.

Every product requires a storage facility, and this is something you need to think of very carefully. Too much inventory can eat into your working capital, while too little can cause you to lose out on sales.

4. What Is Your Selling Price?

In the planning stage, you would already have considered the pricing aspect. It is always good practice to have an optimistic price point (the standard price a few days’ post launch), a moderate price point (your launch price- early bird offer) and a pessimistic price point (your product price during sales season). Ensure that all of these prices stay above your cost price.

Once the manufacturing process is complete, reconsider your price points and adjust for any incidental expenses you may have incurred.

5. Where Are You Selling?

There’s no doubt that your choice of sales channels establishes your label’s position in the market. A product sold at Harrods is expected to be higher in price and better in quality than one sold at Primark.

Sales channels also determine your operational model itself. Do you have stores of your own, or do you stock products in some other store’s aisles? Perhaps, you’d like to ignore the offline channels entirely and sell exclusively through certain marketplaces.

The choices you make determine not just how your fashion label is run, but also the means you employ to reach consumers and bring them to these channels.

Once all of these steps have been completed and your fashion label is a real, quantifiable business, do remember to review and course-correct. Understanding what your consumers want and tweaking your label to suit those needs is the best thing you can do to build a sustainable business model and a fashion label that everyone is waiting to wear.

Stay tuned as we go into detail about each of these business aspects in the coming months. Subscribe to our newsletter and we promise you’ll be the first one to know when we publish. Meanwhile, here’s something to get your brain cells working on the business aspects of fashion.

 

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram

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A new approach to sustainable fashion

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Adidas zero waste soccer cleat, eco fashion, endlessly recyclable, ethical fashion, fair trade fashion, freelance fashion designer, recycle clothes, sustainability, zero waste fashion

The impact of fashion industry processes on the environment is increasing at an alarming rate. The world’s natural resources are being depleted at a rapid rate and cannot keep up with the growing demand for fast fashion. Water resources are one of the most heavily affected, with global demand for water exceeding supply in 2030 by as much as 40%. Fabric scrap and waste left over from garment manufacturing factories constitute 30-40% of waste generated by the textile and apparel industry.

Landfill of fabric scrap and waste left over

Sustainable fashion is the only way to overcome this crisis. Zero waste fashion, eco fashion, recyclable fashion, fair trade and ethical fashion are various forms of the sustainable fashion movement. Currently zero waste fashion is rapidly gaining traction amongst the fashion designer community.

Zero-waste fashion refers to items of clothing that generate little or no textile waste in their production. There are generally two strategies for zero-waste fashion:
1) Creative pattern making that uses 100% of a given material, and
2) Generating garments from remnant materials.

A recent example of sustainable fashion has been an initiative by Adidas the sportswear brand. With the “Endlessly Recyclable “Zero-Waste Soccer Cleat” , the company envisions a system where worn-out sportswear isn’t thrown away. Instead, it is broken down and remoulded with scrap material from other sources to create new products. The result is a product that can be recycled endlessly and prevent damage to the environment. Read complete article here.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience. Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest

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How to select the perfect fashion brand name in 7 easy steps.

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fashion blog, fashion brand, fashion design, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, fashion label, fashion world, fashionbrands, freelance fashion designer, logo, prints, proto, target audience

As you prepare to launch your own fashion label, you face the challenge of deciding on a brand name. While the fashion world is full of names that are easily recognizable, finding one that fits you and the particular segment of customers you are targeting can be a challenge that many first time fashion entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed with.

Coming up with a name for a fashion brand involves a lengthy process, and is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Here are a few steps that will help you structure that process and hopefully make it easier.

Selecting the perfect brand name and logo for your fashion start-up

Focus on your target audience

A brand should appeal to its target audience. What segment are you looking to appeal to – youthful, sophisticated, urban, and edgy? Your brand name needs to be a reflection of this key trait. This is why sports brands are usually short – Nike, Reebok, Fila, Puma – and so on. Torrid, a brand that focuses on large sizes for teenage girls and younger women, appeals to the romantic predispositions of this audience.

Determine your brand personality

Fashion brands tend to represent the personality of the designer, and it’s not surprising that many brands are the names of their owners themselves – Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan – but if your name is not as easy to roll off the tongue, you’re better off creating one that is a reflection of the personality – like Forever21 appealing to young women. A combination can also work if paired well, either individually or as a mash-up of the two words.

Be Innovative and edgy, but don’t go over the top

Many fashion entrepreneurs are disposed towards creating a brand name that a reflection of current trends or fads by being sharp and memorable, but this can backfire over time if the trends change. Being too edgy can also hurt, as the name loses its shock value over time – FCUK being a prime example, says Steve Manning of branding and naming consultancy Igor.

Watch out for Copyrights

While many find it tempting to use permutations and misspellings of common names, it might misfire if your audience doesn’t know how to spell your name correctly. If people can’t read, pronounce or remember a name it’s definitely the wrong one, so avoid names like Wynd, Phyre, etc. even though they might be tempting. And do check copyright and trademark registries to avoid taking one that already owned by someone else. Using a foreign word might be an interesting way to project your brand, but be sure there’s no one using that brand in the markets you are looking to target.

Simple Tests to Determine the Success of Your Brand Name

Alexandra Watkins, CIO of Eat My Words, a brand creation agency advocates two tests to determine if the brand name will be likely to succeed, which she calls the SMILE and SCRATCH tests. The test to check what qualities your brand name should have is the SMILE Test. Essentially it stands for

Simple – easy to understand

Meaningful – one which your customers easily relate

Imagery – creates a strong visual association

Legs – it should have the ability to stay relevant for a long time

Emotional – builds a bond, entertains, evoke a strong feeling.

The SCRATCH test is one to determine the qualities a brand name should not have. It stands for

Spelling – it should not be complicated to write or remember

Copycat – should not sound like or remind one of a similar brand

Random – one which has no association with the product

Annoying – evoking negativity

Tame – has very feeble associations

Curse of Knowledge – is understood only by insiders

Hard to Pronounce – If they can’t say it, they can’t remember it.

A good brand should be able to pass each of these tests, for it to be memorable.

Make Stakeholders part of the process

Once you’ve drawn up a short list of the brand names you’d like, share them with a small circle of influential people. These include investors, suppliers, your designer, employees and consider their opinion, although you should be the one to make the final decision. This helps you get an outside feel for the brand as well, and makes decision making easier.

Build a suitable image or logo to go with the brand name

The name is one part of the branding process. The logo and color palette that make up the logo are also part of the branding process. A suitable color palette and image will support and enhance the name, make it more memorable and easy to recall.

When we launched our business, the name came out of a simple understanding that we were here to help a fashion brand achieve its goals – hence the fuel that drives fashion brands, or simply put, Fuel4Fashion. The alliteration also helps us in building recall, and it simplifies what we do for our target audience, namely fashion entrepreneurs and growing fashion labels.

Building a brand takes time, and fashion brands require more due to the crowded nature of the market. But with a good brand name that represents the style of the clothes themselves, you are likely to build a stronger brand following and better recall as the years go by.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Art Prints Every Fashion Lover Needs

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apparels, colors, concepts, fabric, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, pattern, prints, trends

When you scan the runways this season you may notice something bold standing out from every designer. Prints have made a big splash this season, but how do you mix and match patterns like a pro? There are a few go-to art prints that every fashion lover needs in their wardrobe. By curating just the right prints in your closet, you’ll be able to take any outfit from ordinary to runway ready.

1. Florals

As with most prints, there is a right and wrong way to wear floral. There isn’t much middle ground when it comes to styling this pattern. With florals you need to go either extremely bright or completely subdued. A bright neon floral should always be paired with a neutral to avoid looking too gaudy. You can follow Peter Som’s lead by matching a bright floral blouse with a black skirt as shown in his 2012 runway show. On the other end of the spectrum, a subtle, pale floral dress may look too boring alone. Use accessories to spice things up. Metallic shoes or a bright red lip can pull it all together. Try to view the print as your focal piece and build the rest of your outfit to highlight the pattern.

Peter Som’s Floral Blouse

Image courtesy : ManRepeller.com

2. Stripes

Stripes is a tried and true print for many of the fashion elite. Nothing is more flattering than vertical stripes and it’s hard to find something which can be styled in such a wide range of ways than a striped blouse. Stripes are one of fashion’s most versatile looks. From punk rock to prep, you can tweak this print in so many ways. Another benefit of stripes is it’s ability to play well with others. You can mix this pattern with another bold prints and look chic and discerning. Look to Juan Vidal’s Spring 2015 runway show for inspiration and you’ll be effortlessly stylish.

Striped Casual Suit by Juan Vidal

Image courtesy : Thebestfashionblog

3. Tribal

A newcomer to the print party, tribal print has been making a big statement all over the runways. With a huge rise in popularity in the last few years, tribal prints are everywhere. You’ll want to be sure you don’t look too trivial when wearing tribal, so choose a print that is bold and unique. Choose a well made fabric so the print doesn’t stretch and distort on the body. Mara Hoffman creates stunning tribal printed garments and is well known for her body-conscious swimwear, kaftans and bodycon dresses. It’s an excellent choice for someone looking to incorporate more tribal print into their wardrobe and are especially perfect for summer.

Tribal print dress by Mara Hoffman

Image courtesy : Huffpost

4. Vintage

Whether it’s truly vintage or a contemporary reproduction of a vintage fabric, incorporating a reminiscent print into your wardrobe will make you instantly stylish. With the popularity of Mad Men, designer have incorporated vintage fabrics across the runways. Let everyone know you’re in touch with the trends by wearing a jewel toned jacket or retro patterned skinny pant. Pair it will a modern clutch and you’re sure to get jealous glances and compliments all day.

Vintage print jacket

Image courtesy : thebestfashionblog

Every fashion lover has a favorite print, but by adding these artsy favorites, your ensemble will look contemporary and noteworthy. Experiment with combining these prints with your wardrobe staples and mix them with each other to freshen up your look and make this your most fashionable year yet.

Author: Jane Blanchard is a blogger, home design geek, and graphic designer from Savannah, GA.  She currently writes for Modernize.com, the place where you go to get inspired, see what’s possible, and connect with a professional who will make your dream home a reality.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Challenges of Creating a Pre-Set Offering for Fashion Design Projects

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apparels, blog, business offerings, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, freelance fashion designer, garments, pricing, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

The freelancing space has been getting a lot of attention, and freelancing platforms offer freelancers and buyers the opportunity to get together for projects ranging from a simple logo to creating content and even mobile apps. Freelance fashion designing too has been growing with small and upcoming fashion labels able to connect to hundreds of freelance fashion designers across the globe through platforms like Elance-Odesk, PPH and Guru.

Freelancing platforms have been the intermediaries of such discussions and help create clarity between both sides. However, what happens when a client directly interacts with a freelancer? How does a freelancer determine what is the right price for a project and how do clients ensure they have a clear understanding of what will be delivered, when and in what format? There are numerous variables and any one of them can be misinterpreted, leading to dissatisfaction on one side or the other. Freelancers also face a challenge in trying to regularize the flow of work to ensure they’re not overburdened with multiple deadlines too close to one another.

To some extent, content creators and marketers have found ways to resolve this issue. Many offer standard packages for creating blogs, tweets, FB posts and the like, and a number of agencies offer packages for white papers, website content updates, product descriptions, etc. (E.g. This and this) Others bill clients on the hours of work that would be put in; giving an approximation of the content that would be created in that time. But applying this for freelance fashion design can be tricky. The scope of work varies widely, depending on the kind of garment designs required, the level of detail, the number of garments, and other elements that might be needed such as measurement charts, tech packs and the like. On the whole, it seems impossible.

At Fuel4Fashion, we were determined to give it a try. The result is our new Pricing page that gives clients the opportunity to choose between two models – project and subscription – for their fashion design requirements. With a project based model, you get your work in the best time possible, and different pricing levels give you the various added features that make up the design package. With a subscription based model, you get a few designs every month, based on the fashion design trends for your segment, at a more reasonable cost than getting them all at one go in project form. The latter is a definite advantage if you are a fast fashion (think Zara, H&M) or boutique label that needs new designs at regular intervals to keep the store inventory fresh.

At the start of our engagement, all the relevant details will be taken, before creating the concepts and designs specific to your needs. The designs chosen by you will not be offered to anyone else, and each client will get a set of unique designs that combines current fashion trends with the individual DNA of their fashion label. In return, you are assured of timely delivery, clear deliverables and the best work, at economical rates that make sense for your growing fashion business.

As a fashion business, does this kind of pricing model work for you? Do let us know through your comments below. If you’d like to share any personal insights, write to me here.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015

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apparels, blog, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, fashionalert, freelance fashion designer, garments, men's wear, pattern, Trend forecasting 2015, trends, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

Fashion for men has always been about basics and trying to interpret ideas along the current trends. For those who love fashion in its contemporary form, spring trends are easily intended for them. The runway shows and designer collections have a lot to tell on what we would be wearing in days to come, especially about the freshest season of the year. Here are the top spring 2015 trends in menswear!

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – Get sporty

Get sporty: In the last few seasons, the athletic look seems to come straight out of the sports court to the ramp, and the trend has been rampant in both men and women collections. If you love being sporty and look more like a man with a cool quotient, the good news is the new element is everywhere in spring 2015. As for the cues, you can check Carven that has managed to make the baseball tee look more authentic than ever. When buying clothes online, you also need to own one of the caps, which have been used in some collections like that of Umit Benan.

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – Unusual colours

Unusual colours: Pink for a suit? Well, this seems like someone mistook the women trends for spring in menswear! However, you will change the idea once you see the soft pink shade of suit used by Dolce & Gabbana for their spring 2015 collection. That is more like a bold statement that needs a lot of understanding and daring attitude on how to carry off the look without making it look funny.

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 -Welcome the spring sandals

Welcome the spring sandals: Most men will agree that spring sandals are comfortable and genuinely easy to carry off, and the look came to the runway at the Fendi collection. It doesn’t get better than wearing a pair of casual tees, shorts and a pair of casual sandals. Black and leather should be the ideal combination, but if you like experimenting, a few of the bold colours in sandals can certainly replace the crocs. Another strong contender is a pair of sneakers, which works effectively a stylish cool statement. Click here to check some fresh sneakers!

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – Get the trench coat

Get the trench coat: For those, who checked the collection of Dries Van Noten for spring 2015, they have one thing to admit- the trench looks perfect for the spring! Yes, you can now wear the spring trench coat like a pro without having worried on the statement. In the sudden spring rain, getting casual and effective with regular dressing ideas doesn’t get bigger and better than this!

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – The statement blazer is back

The statement blazer is back: If you love statement blazer, you should check the Gucci collection for the season. Unabashed and truly macho with a school boy touch, the blazer went for a complete makeover. That’s something we would like to own for the days when there is nothing new to wear, and you can trust this blazer to transport you to style zone.
Start your fashion collection now!

[Images Credit: www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion]

Author: Suzy Walsh is the Editor for The House of Elegance Fashion- a popular and growing fashion blog. She writes for a number of websites and magazines as their chief contributor and guest writer

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Picking Your Valentine’s Day Outfit

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apparels, blog, colors, Dailylook, fashion designers, fashion history, freelance fashion designer, garments, LBD, little black dress, outfit, Valentine's day

I had done a post on the Little Black Dress a while back, and I thought this would be just the right time to take a look at it again. February is here, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, all the ladies are just waiting to get jazzed up for that special night with their loved ones. This is one evening that you want to look PERFECT, and since it’s a Saturday night this time round, get ready for some serious competition from all the other pretty women around. All the popular hotspots are going to be brimming with beautiful ladies, and if you want to stand out, it’s going to take some preparation!

To help you choose what to wear, Daily Look has put together their best choices for the Little Black Dress The LBD forms the base of your look for the evening, and I’ve put together a couple of outfits – accessories and all – that I think will make your beau have eyes only for you the entire evening! Depending on your taste, pick which one of the two best suits you, and have a wonderful time with your special someone.THE LOOK: The classy stylish you wants to be sure of creating an impression, and this outfit is designed to do just that. This pleated LBD with lace all over, extending to the sleeves and a high neckline highlights your face and arms to their best. The gold Arab style necklace, ring and bracelet, complemented with gold rod earrings and a vintage gold hair comb proclaim you the Queen of your beloved’s heart. Paired with a brown leather purse and high heeled animal print slippers, this look is definitely a winner!

THE WISHLIST: Those of you aiming for a younger, flirtier and more daring look can opt for this second outfit, especially if you want to attract some jealous attention! A bare shoulders sleeveless spaghetti straps LBD with a pleated fringe creates a layered classy look that will have your loved one looking at you in a new light. Pair this with black stone-studded platinum/white gold based jewelry, like this choker necklace, bracelet and danglers. A studded watch and black and white chain purse, paired with sparkling stiletto sandals completes the ensemble and will definitely classify you as a head-turner.

I loved both these looks, and if the evening program calls for a romantic, intimate candlelight dinner, I would go for the former. But if it’s a night out on the town, the second look is definitely what I would opt for. So have fun, and enjoy your special evening!

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Its all about the Plaids – Trend Alert 2015

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Buffalo plaid, Checkered pattern, fabric, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, Fuel4Fashion, Gingum Checks, pattern, Plaids, Scotland tartan, tiretain, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

Plaids have a perennial charm in keeping men and women interested for years to have it as an essential part of their wardrobe. Plaid is a tartan pattern consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical bands in two or more colours in a woven cloth. The plaid design originated in woven wool clothes but now is made into all forms of materials.

Plaids have always been associated with Scotland because of the Scottish kilts worn by men in the 19th century and even now, during Scotland’s national festivals. The word ‘Tartan’ is derived from the French word tiretain which refers to a woven cloth. Tartan is often called as Plaid in North America; however, in Scotland plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder as a kilt accessory, or a plain ordinary blanket.   (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/LBTJ4l ,http://goo.gl/o0sse1 ,http://goo.gl/3LgEgM )

Until the middle of the 19^th century, highland tartans were only associated with regional places as the tartan designs were produced by the local weavers using natural dyes mainly for the local people.

As the tartan pattern entered the American market, it became to be known as ‘plaid’, which originated as the Buffalo plaid. The Buffalo plaid was the red and black checkered pattern that was notably seen as an outfit for lumber jacks.

Princes Diana was one of the style icons in the 1980s and her sense of style and elegance also included some of the plaid patterns that became a part of every women’s dream. Michelle Dockery and Gwen Stefani also flaunted their versions of plaid that made less seem more.  (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/qUb9nV, http://goo.gl/H3TqUf, http://goo.gl/HhVQnq )

Modern iterations on plaid.

Various interpretations of the regular plaid patterns were recently being used by fashion designers for the spring/summer ready to wear 2015 collection. While Creatures of the Wind and Emanuel Ungaro decided to go simple combining the plaid pattern with trousers and flowy skirts and crop tops, Bottega Veneta, on the other hand, gave plaid an unfinished and worn-in look.  (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/KY1lxT, http://goo.gl/Af6Pkh, http://goo.gl/Y7c027 )

Diane von Furstenberg’s interpretation of the plaids had a charm that comprised of a woman’s appeal combined with her beauty whereas Tsumori Chisato presented an extraordinaire mishmash of colour and checks in varied forms that make us stop, stare and wonder. A more sophisticated and formal way was procured by Altuzarra in his checkered patterns, making it a new office wear trend.  (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/pfrE83, http://goo.gl/Ek1jR3, http://goo.gl/Jk19ZF )

The origin of the plaid pattern is unknown even now, but its influence is visible all over even in today’s fashion world. Fashion designers keep finding different ways to combine a simple pattern with their flair and inspiration in every show and keep us intrigued and eager about what will be seen next.

Don’t forget to get inspired from our other blogs on Trend alert 2015 – Pocket dresses , High Slit Skirts and Classic polo look .

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the virtual design studio for apparels and surface patterns that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Classic polo look inspired from sportswear – Trend Alert 2015

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apparels, fabric, fashion, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, freelance fashion designer, garments, polo collar, polo neck, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

In the 19th and early 20th century, tennis players ordinarily wore long sleeved white buttoned up shirt with flannel trousers and ties. This attire presented problems for the ease of movement during the play and created discomfort to the players. As tennis boomed, so did the demand for appropriate clothing increased. Then came into existence what were known as the polo shirts and thereafter they were being used in all forms of sports soon after their invention.

From being solely used in sportswear, later on the polo look also became an integral part of the classic casual attire for men and women both. They not only provided comfort but were also considered to be stylish amongst the working professionals.

Polo shirts have now become an essential part of the wardrobe of almost every woman as they are comfortable equally trendy. The polo look can be seen to be combined with various forms of clothing that interprets the style of every individual in a unique way.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/EvzIrP, http://goo.gl/XaLr3J , http://goo.gl/0moc2y)

Many celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kate Middleton also used this upcoming trend in their attire and looked fabulous in this simple form of clothing. Kate Middleton on one hand, came up with a professional look in a polo neck while, Lauren Conrad William combined it with a skirt and presented a casual approach.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/1xOofB , http://goo.gl/b8LwSI , http://goo.gl/fFkVVF)

Many designers were seen using the classic polo with various themes and styles in the Spring ready to wear RTW-2015 collection. As Ralph Lauren presented the open collar with a net skirt, making the outfit look elegant, Valentino chose a more textured fabric with a vibrant print for his theme.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/eot5Uo , http://goo.gl/PMrJZa , http://goo.gl/4Zo4F5)

Some designers presented their polo look in various fabrics, sporting a relaxed casual look while others created semi formal silhouettes with the same polo neck.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/uj5cui , http://goo.gl/WrWXNv , http://goo.gl/zofpw1)

This trend though simple, has been influencing and inspiring established as well as budding designers to come up with new and exciting ways to play around with this look. This look has become a classic and classics never change, they just evolve with time. This trend will keep on evolving and will become a part of every woman’s comfort zone.

Don’t forget to get inspired from our other blogs on Trend alert 2015 – Plaids, High Slit Skirts and Pocket dresses .

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the virtual design studio for apparels and surface patterns that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Influence of African tribal fashion on the main stream fashion

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African tribal fashion, African tribes, apparels, Burundi tribe, colors, Donna Karen, fabric, fashion blog, fashion history, freelance fashion designer, garments, Indian Tribes, Masai tribe, Stell Jean, Teke tribe, trends, Venda tribe, Wadaabe tribe, Zulu tribe

Africa is one of those places that are still well known for their various tribes that are present in the continent. Just like India, Africa has also become an inspiration for designers to come up with new designs, styles and prints that symbolize these tribes.

According to history, the early African clothing was pieced together from art, oral histories and traditions that are still practiced by the present day tribal members. Men usually didn’t wear any clothing and instead chose to decorate their bodies with paints or scars. When they did wear, it mostly consisted of animal skins and bark clothes.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/P1lGgU , http://goo.gl/P2GG7G , http://goo.gl/K919QM , http://goo.gl/BT5oIe)

Women on the other hand, are dressed according to their marital status. Women wear clothes made out of beads if they were unmarried to reveal their status, while the married women cover themselves completely.

(Photo Credits:http://goo.gl/7BIfY1 , http://goo.gl/xodmbh , http://goo.gl/bu9vuB )

The animal skin and bark cloth was worn in different way by every tribe. While some draped it, others stitched it on the sides. After the weaving techniques were developed, Raffin, the fiber of a palm plant, and cotton became the most commonly used materials.

There are various designers who have used the African tribes as their inspiration for various collections. Stella Jean being one of them has many collections that have been based on the tribal theme, each collection with their own unique silhouettes and drapes that describe the eccentric designer perfectly.

(Photo Credits: Stella Jean 2013- http://goo.gl/rlpqTD )

Donna Karen presented her interpretation of the tribal print with clean cut beige and black tones that depict the subtle side of tribal prints used in Africa, while Mara Hoffman and Jenny Kee present their style in an explosion of colors combined with minimalist and extravagant usage of accessories respectively.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/SU935v , http://goo.gl/rfNIrP, http://goo.gl/5wPlIu)

To find inspiration, designers have been exploring the ends of the Earth and beyond. They keep exploring continents to discover new cultures and traditions that were unknown off previously, to provide us with something new and exciting every fashion season.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the first virtual design studio that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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