EOC: Ch. 4 Excercise

In this chapter you discovered that Dolce & Gabbana are known for their unique advertising campaigns. How well can you read (or analyze) one of their ads or any other fashion ad? Find a fashion ad and share with your colleagues all the innuendos you find hidden in the ad. How does this ad reflect culture or history? Does this ad say anything about the particular brand? What is subliminally suggested? Back up your thoughts with reasons from history, culture, or contemporary ideas.




I feel that I can read between the advertising innuendos pretty well. I usually spot things out of the norm before just taking the ad at face value.

The ads I have chosen were for the Nordstrom Spring 2008 ad campaign. “Nordstrom has teamed up with artist Ruben Toledo who painted 20-by-30 foot walls to serve as a backdrop for the models which were shot by fashion photographer Ruven Afanador. Toledo even painted ON the models for the campaign. The result is an artistic and stylish eye-candy.” (http://www.retailmarketingblog.com/shopping-center-marketing/2008/03/19/fashion-meets-art-nordstrom-spring-08-ads/)

Linda Finn, executive vice president of marketing at Nordstrom said “It’s one thing to say that fashion and art go together and to show it by putting a model in an art gallery. We knew we didn’t want to do that and we knew Ruben’s artwork needed to be more than just a backdrop. Instead, what Ruben and Ruven came up with truly fused art and photography. The art became the environment–transcending the very idea of a backdrop. The result truly exceeded our expectations.” (http://www.retailmarketingblog.com/shopping-center-marketing/2008/03/19/fashion-meets-art-nordstrom-spring-08-ads/)

“Toledo painted the walls to create a series of fascinating black-and-white sets and continued with his illustrations on the models' faces and bodies while Afanador captured these inspiring images. The ad campaign set off in March issues of Elle, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.” (http://www.hautfashion.com/fashion-ads/nordstroms-surrealistic-ad-campaign)

“Making art for the images of the ad campaign was really an art happening for me--the walls I painted on were 20 feet tall by 30 feet long and each scene contained three walls plus the floor!” - Ruben Toledo (http://www.dailyfrontrow.com/the-fix/article/21750)

“Each painting was painted over by the next and when I work this fast, the energy for me comes from everyone around,” he added. “It has to truly be a collaboration with everyone involved and in fact that is what great fashion or art is really about for me.”- Ruben Toledo (http://www.dailyfrontrow.com/the-fix/article/21750)



Without even reading this article the ads spoke to me. I felt it was artwork rather than just another photograph for yet another ad. I have always admired fusing the two together; art and fashion. To me they go hand and hand.

This ad throws me back to retro-style homage to the 1980’s in a way. Using ideas from the past and putting a modern twist on it speaks to a numerous amount of consumers. Whether you like it or dislike it, it does grab your attention.

This ad campaign brings together all areas of art and fashion. It brings together people that ma not regularly associate with this section or art or fashion. I find it subtle yet a gorgeous displays to grab the attention of all consumers and art lovers.

EOC: Excercise Ch. 3

Most designers and merchandisers that have an established name have been working for a while in the retailing, manufacturing, or design industry. Identify someone who you feel reflects the type of fashion brand you would develop and write a 500 word essay on his or her career. How has each of that person’s experiences helped them develop a successful brand? What do you think the future of their brand will be?

Preonza Schouler

This modern luxury label offers an edgy, youthful take on upscale dressing. The design team of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough—media darlings and self-proclaimed “dorks”—has only been in business since 2002, but the duo has already enjoyed numerous hit collections, and a rep as one of fashion’s most talked about labels. Hernandez and McCollough met in design school, worked with Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs respectively, then partnered on their graduation project. The rest is history. It helps that their talent matches their hype and that their collections showcase technical skills usually reserved for much older designers."Initially popular for its modern interpretation of bustiers and corsetry, the line features tailored coats in lush menswear pattern prints, sleek pencil skirts, color-blocked chiffon evening gowns cinched with satin belts, and tight, minimal silhouettes that often come in dark neutrals like bronze, battleship gray, and military green.” (http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/proenzaschouler/)


“Their greatest strength is their appreciation of the construction of clothes: the tailoring, the linings, the seams—all are done perfectly, and that's what makes them great.”
—André Leon Talley New York Magazine

“The designers behind the collection, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez met in 1999 while studying at Parsons School of Design. The brand name comes from both the designers' mothers' maiden names. Their senior-year collaboration at Parsons was a great success and the duo decided to establish their own label after graduating in 2002. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have been very popular ever since that time."(http://www.kosmix.com/topic/proenza_schouler)

These two designers were very soon seen on the pages of Vogue. They got loyal clientele following with their delicately created modest silhouettes. The creations are in muted colors, crafty layering, and slight sexy. Proenza Schouler clothes are very popular with the chic city girls. “Proenza Schouler has been awarded with the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for new talent in 2003 and the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2007. This contemporary brand provides a smart youthful take on fashionable dressing. Typically Proenza Schouler creations are youthful and sporty with intermittent contemporary touches.” (http://www.kosmix.com/topic/proenza_schouler)

McCollough had worked as a glassblower for some time and Hernandez had planned to be a doctor, before joining the world of fashion. In 2007, the Valentino Fashion Group bought up a 45 percent stake in the company. The designer duo sealed a shoe deal with Vicini SpA/Giuseppe Zanotti for spring 2009. Their talent lives up to their hype and the designs showcase a technical skill, which is generally seen in more mature designers.

I love this brand and how they got their start. They worked from the bttom form school and were on the documentary called “Seamless” that showcased 10 designers trying to with the grand prize of $200,000.00. They won. I love that they even say “We can’t even afford our clothes” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/proenza-schouler-we-cant_n_664087.html)

Even though their brand is high end they still can’t afford their own brand. It shows me that they want to make money and creative luxurious things but they still won’t ever be able to afford it . Reading between the lines it shows to me they can make great garments but don’t wish to become a label “junkie” and spend all their hard earned money on clothes that they can make themselves. Also I just love their honesty.

EOC: Excercise Ch. 2

Trace the history of the fashion brand Burberry. Examine its ads today and those from past campaigns. What are the differences? Has the target market changed? Did this fashion company follow its target market clients as they aged? Back up your research with clear examples.



















Burberry was founded in 1856. The man behind the brand was called Thomas Burberry. He was English and therefore lived in England. He opened his first store in Basingstoke (England).

In 1860 the brand (known as Burberry) became very well known and in some cases even called an “emporium”. Burberry focused on outdoor wear, often for local residents. But also for sportsmen, the brand Burberry was at the time popular among sportsmen, although today the brand is known and seen in a different way. The owner back then was of course Thomas Burberry. But today it’s far more complicated than that. There’s not just one person being the owner, there isn’t even two, it’s actually different companies that own their own part of the brand. The majority owner of Burberry is GUS (Great Universal Stores). It’s a British company that also owns the Argos stores.

Since the beginning of the new millennium “no drastic changes have occurred.” New stores have opened around the world, new fragrances are often released by the brand and it has a much wider collection, although they are still trying to keep that old typical English style.

“London-based Burberry is plugging its typically stylish fall/winter 2010 collection with a new digital campaign that's centered on a new website where visitors can use their mouse to manipulate several images and videos featuring Blue Steel-faced models and their new Burberry gear.”

In a statement, Burberry's chief creative officer Christopher Bailey describes the campaign like this:
"This campaign protects our authentic and timeless heritage and evolves the modern way in which we communicate that. The Burberry campaigns have always been characterized by the dynamic British cast and I wanted to express the individuality and the energy behind each of their different creative expressions. Burberry was founded on innovation and outerwear and I want anyone who sees the campaign not just to see images, but to feel a part of what we have created; connecting people through technology, music, the collections, the attitude, and the emotion captured."

EOC: Exercise Ch. 1

Find a fashion advertisement. Identify any historical, social, or cultural icons in the ad and share the story the ad is trying to tell the viewers. How does this ad make the consumer want to purchase the product?






This ad by SISLEY is disturbing yet intriguing. It tells me that fashion is like a drug and it’s hard to withdraw from it. It is controversial in the way that the dress is appeared to be made out of cocaine, but fashion is art and art is meant to grab you and pull you in. This ad pulls me directly in and makes me contemplate what it is I am really looking at. This ad also is telling me look at this dress and these models they live and breathe fashion and love to shop. They will do whatever to keep their hands on it or be a part of the industry in some way. I love that intensity. It shows a passion for this art and a love for this brand.

This ad I feel makes the consumer want to go to the SISLEY store or website to look around even if they don’t purchase anything. Their ads make the consumer want to discover more about this brand. It made me look at their website. I wanted to see if they had any more outrageous ads and I wanted to see what type or merchandise they have. Ads that make you curious are the ones who grab you and pull you straight into the door. It’s a great tool because we are all human and are very curious beings.

One thing is for sure, with fashion you can turn into a junkie but hopefully the junkie that buys tons of clothes and accessory (hoarder) not a coke head as portrayed by the model on the right. She freaks me out and makes me turn a away from the ad in horror of how realistic she looks and I fear if I look at this brand anymore I may become the models twin. But you got to love the realism portrayed in this ad and the attention to grab the consumer in and keep them in for a good few minutes to try and see what the hell this ad is supposed to depict.