Concept DevelopmentRachel Goodman

GOO09264042BA Cordwainers footwear

1. The Concept2. Brand Ethos and values3. Consumer4. Competitors5. Market position6. Retail position

­ Advertisement­ Website Ideas­ Technology for retail experience

7. Range overview8. Business Ideals9. Branding10. Supply Chain11. Design Inspiration12. Colour Inspiration13. Initial Design development14. Appendices

Contents

The ConceptIn a conversation, 55% of what we say is actually body language and facialexpressions, only 5% is the actual words that have been said and 30% is thetone that was used.With this in mind, the brand shall explore the theory that body language tells usa lot more about a person than we give credit for."Clothing is a language, a nonverbal system of communication that through itssymbols conveys much about the wearer to the viewer. Before people speak toone another, their clothing makes a statement that expresses their sex, age,class, occupation, origin and personality, as well as what they are or what theywant to be at a particular moment." P.Flynn, 2011.Fashion is a form of body language and when creating a first impression, the first3 seconds count the most, during this time some one has already made up theirmind about you, so it is important that your clothing does most of the work foryou. That is why the brand aims to make a range of footwear that creates thatfirst impression incorporating body language and style into the design.

Brand Ethos/ValuesThe brand aims to create individual bespoke pieces that are different for everycustomer. By using gestures and expressions from the individual to create designsand styles, the range will be tailored to the individual customers needs and createone off quality pieces that will stand the test of time.Rachel Goodman aims to create a unconventional shopping experience that willhave customers talking not only about the quality of the footwear but the wholeshopping style.

Brand aims

Unique

Quality

Choice

Sustainable

ConsumerAfter looking into the attitudesfor shopping in figure A, it isevident that consumers buyingfootwear mainly buy to replacetheir old footwear and 31% ofthe people asked would paymore for quality, which is whatthe brand aims to accomplishusing hand craft skills andquality leathers.When looking into the currentmarket and Mintel reports, theage range that is shown to bebuying new items of clothingare women between the agesof 20­ 25, who do not havechildren or dependants andhave more money to spend onthemselves .

Figure A

Also through Questionnaires it can be seen that it is women, between the ages of20 ­ 40 would most likely buy into the bespoke ideals for more money. (SeeAppendix A for examples)The ideal consumer is professional stylish women between the ages of 25 – 35years old, that can afford to spend more on footwear than say a family woman.After considering the brands extended the age range seeing as bespokefootwear can encompass a larger target market than that of a high street brand.

"Designer boutiques have a broad appeal across the 15­44age groups, as they offer a whole emotional experience ofthe designer’s vision – a ‘welcome to my world’ experience."Mintel Reports, 2010

"Designer/high­end fashion buyers are more oriented to ‘wants’ shopping than shoppers generally(only 23% buy for need, compared to 49% of all adults) and they are more motivated by stylethan comfort." Mintel Report, 2010

Target consumer

Name ­ AlexiaAge ­ 25­ 35Occupation ­ Executive assistantResidence ­ West london apartment, RentedRelationship ­ Living with boyfriendInterests ­ Shopping, reading, fashion, nightsout with friends,Brands ­ Jimmy Choo, All saints, TheaCadabraStyle ­ Edgy, classic pieces with a quirkyside

CompetitorsHetty rose is a bespoke footweardesigner, based in ChelmsfordEssex.She makes her shoes from recycledkimonos and vegetable tannedleather, thus creating a sustainableand environmental ethic.Her bespoke footwear range startfrom £350, dependant on the styleand time taken to create.Her range is mainly women’sfootwear, but there is a range ofbags, purses and also children’sshoes. Below shows Hetty Rose'sReady to wear range.

Image taken from Hetty Rose website

Hetty Rose'sBespoke range. Togain a betterunderstanding ofthe competition,looking at bothranges has helpedform businessideas for Thebrand.

Ready to wear range

Competitors

“Many of our clients are successful professional ladies who require bespoke shoes that they knowwill not let them down. With a perfect fit and attention to detail, our made to measure shoes fillour clients with confidence. Bridal bespoke shoes are an increasing element of our business, wherethe bride is looking for the perfect pair of wedding shoes. For high profile events, such as weddingand parties, we design and make shoes to complete our client’s outfit to perfection” SiliviaCampbellSilvia Campbell is a bespoke footwear brand focusing on women’s fashion and arehand made in the UK. The range starts from £1600 and are made from trulybespoke lasts. If you were to buy a second pair the price drops to £1000 for apair of court shoes.

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Image taken from SilviaCampbells wesite

Competitors

Caroline Groves is a British shoe maker whooffers a bespoke shoe making service. Thismeans that the shoe design for eachindividual client is arrived at through acollaboration with Caroline. The finishedshoes will be truely unique to the client.Caroline's shoes. She will source leathersespecially for you and suggest vintage trimsor commission pieces for your shoes fromother craftspeople. This could be silverbuckles, jewelled details, carved heels oreven having your shoes 'illustrated' by anartist

Examples of Caroline GrovesBespoke range

Competitors

Thea Cadabra started out as a footweardesigner in the 70's. But has recentlystarted creating made to order shoes, butwith 3 different styles The suspendershoe, the maid show and the leg high heelcourt shoe.Thea has also had a quirky edge on thefootwear industry, making artful piecesthat are functional.Now her range consists of made to orderpieces with a range of 3 different designs.The range starts from £275 All made in anorthern italian artisanal factory.Using the finest leathers and inspiredheels, thea's shoes are highly design ledin comparison to many designers out onthe market today. Thea cadabra's 'All Weather shoe'

'Wearing wonderful shoes is a truly uplifting experience.' Thea Cadabra

www.theacadabra.com

Competitors

Different services offered by John Lobb

John lobb is a bespoke shoe maker, focusing on mens footwear.The designs are classic and

Competitors

Shoes of prey is an internet based brand that offers a completecustomisation of a set range of designs available.The customer can change the materials and colours of the base shoethat they have chosen, they can also change the heel type and toeof the base shoe to fit their style,Although the brand is not 'truly' Bespoke, they offer something thatother ready to wear brands do not.Their range starts from £115 and increases from there dependanton the heel height or style of the shoe.Shoes of prey also boast that these shoes are hand made, whichcreates a more exclusive image of the brand, as everyones shoeswould be completely individual and never the same.

Competitors

Upper street, like shoes of prey , is an online only brand that offerscustomisable shoes giving the customer complete control over everything ontheir shoes.With pricing starting from £195, customers are given free reign ove the style,colour and materials of their shoes.Being an online only brand, this has both positive and negative appeal.The positive being that it is greatly accessiable to a larger market and easilydistributed.The negative being that its not a very personal service, you order throughyour computer, you recieve them by post and you never meet with thedesigner and discuss your likes and dislikes, which is the allure of buyingbespoke, bescause they are special to the individual.Also returns would be an issue aswell, if for whatever reason the shoe is notright, people would have to go through the internet and see what to do

Market position

Classic Designled

High £

Low £

John Lobb

Silvia Campbell

Caroline Groves

Rachel GoodmanHetty Rose

Thea Cadabra

Upper Street

Shoes of prey

When considering the brands market position, design led and classic deisgn had to beconsidered as a point of comparison.Looking at this positioning chart it is evident to see that the classic and more conventionaldesigners also tend to charge higher prices for their crafts, where as more design ledbrands can charge a little less but always find custom by the trend led consumer.Rachel Goodman aims to be focused more on the design of the products instead ofmaking timeless classics. The target consumer is more focused towards the designaspect of their footwear needs.

Market position

Bespoke Readyto

wear

High £

Low £

John LobbSilvia CampbellCaroline Groves

Rachel GoodmanHetty Rose

Thea Cadabra

Upper StreetShoes of prey

Again in this second market positioning map, it can be seen that the trulybespoke brands charge alot more money for their products

P.E.S.T AnalysisPolitical­­­­

Economical

Social Technological

Retail position

The brand aims to create a uniqueretail experience for customers, sothat they can come in, playaround with the facial expressionsoftware, pick their design andcolours, so that they have exactlywhat they want as it is completelybespoke service. This would meanfinding a studio, workshop or shopwithin the London area that couldattract the target customer.

Carnaby Street would be an option whenconsidering renting boutiques. Its a highlyattractive place for tourists and also nearRegent street and Oxford street which isfrequented by avid shoppers. Liberty isaround the corner and would bring uppermarket consumers towards the area.Also the Boutique atmosphere wouldsupport the brands unconvetional approachto the buying/selling of footwear and wouldadd to the experience.

"Department stores are the most popular retail channel for buyinghigh­end designer clothing (43%), closely followed by outlet stores –which are attractive for those keen on a bargain – and independentboutiques (both 39%)." Mintel Reports, 2010

Carnaby street is influenced by the new and excitingfashions around, this image shows the 50thanniversary of Carnaby, showcasing differentdesigners from the boutiques and shops.

"Designer and upmarket high street buyers are much more likely thanaverage to be motivated by the media: they are keen readers of fashion andcelebrity magazines as well as blogs etc. This means they are very media­savvy so communicating to them effectively is critical." Mintel Reports, 2010

Advertising

As can be seen in the table above, consumers tend to look towards televisionadvertisments or websites to inflence their buying habits in the designermarket.With this in mind, which form of advertisment needs to be carefully considered.In the first years of business, funds are most likely to be spread across rental ofspace, machinery, tools and leathers and fabrics, so the best option to reachmore people in a shorter space of time for a smaller cost, would be to considercreating a website.

Another possibility of getting the brand someadvertisment would be through personalrepresentation. This would mean handing outbusiness cards and flyers about the brand andwhat the brand has to offer.This image is an example of a possible businesscard idea which is simple and to the point butyet conveys a professional persona.

Considering the amount of money spent on magazine advertisment bylarger designer brands, for a smaller brand this type of advertisementwould not be very beneficial or cost effective and also considering themintel report regarding what consumers were influenced to buy, thistype of advertisment were not a high influential factor.

Website Page ideas

Advice by the Chartered Institue of Marketing.

The Web is the easiest way to publiciseyour brand to a larger market.Considering the type of consumer RachelGoodman aims to reach out to wherecomputers and the internet are readilyavailable , a website would be greatlybeneficial and efficient for getting a greatdeal of information out there to a largermarket.Looking into the compeitors websites,they all publicise their lower price ratesbut never go into too much detailconcerning prices.This could be a great way of gettingcustomers who are interested in theproduct and are curious about thepricing to enquire, therefore creating amore personal experience and alsoestablishing

Below is a quote and some advice regarding starting the brands officialwebsite.Issues that need to be considered when creating the website­­ How many pages are needed? (each page will increase domain space andthe cost)­ Web address name­ Is it easily accessible and easy to use­ What imformation is needed to convey the brand in the right way.

FaceReader 4.0 is a tool that can automaticallyanalyse facial expressions and provide the userwith an assessment of their emotions. In myopinion, this technology would greatly benefitthe brand. (See appendix B For Noldusquotation and more information).

Technologies for retail experience

This software would be greatly beneficial tothe brand and give it a unique selling point inthe way of retailing and the bespoke sercivesthe brand aims to acheive.

FaceReader Technology inuse. As you can see from theimages, the FaceReader maps outthe individuals face and points ofinterest such as the mouth, eyesand nose and from thisdetermines the emotions of theuser. The maps created are agreat way of incorporating thecustomers face in the designwithout plainly putting thecutomers face on the shoe.Also Considering the concept of the

brand is all about facial expression andemotion, another technology would bethe mood changing colour scheme thatis available in dye form.Customers can choose the colour of thethermochromic dye they would likepresent on their footwear, whichchanges colour in different tempratures,much like the mood rings out on themarket today.

Thermochromic dye in action.

Strengths­ Unique Concept and Designs­ Based in London, access to a largerconsumer base.­ Luxury market is still earning throughthis touch financial climate.

Weaknesses­ Considering the uniqueness of theconcept, may not have a place in themarket.­ Due to the nature of the technology,this would increase the prices.

Opportunities­ Technologies will make brandawareness greater i.e websites likefacebook and other social websites.­ Trade shows and events around toget the brand awareness.

Threats­ Competition­ Financial Climate could begin toeffect the luxury market andeffect growth of the brand.

S.W.O.T AnalysisProfessional Personal

Strengths­ Analytical Skills

­ Hand drawing and technical drawingskills

­ Technical knowledge

Weaknesses­ Time Managment

­ Presentation Skills

Oppurtunities­ Still studying at university, have the

oppurtunity to try something newand different.

­ Creative control over design choices

Threats­ Not in a financially stable

situation­ Not having certain resources at

hand, i.e FaceReader.

Range Overview

Business ideals

In the first year of business, the brand aims to create a range of footwear thatwill be completely of choice to the customer, the shape, the heel height, thecolour, the leather it is made with and the design feature of choice from theindividual. The range will consist of several key pieces as discussed aboveIn year 3 of sales,the next step would be to create a less expensive but similarrange in which the consumer can select from a set range of colours and stylesbut not as wide a choice as the truly bespoke range, also the pricing will be lessfor those who like the style but cannot afford the truly bespoke rangeIn year 4, possibly create a ready to wear range with two different colour waysfor each design. Instead of using the individuals facial expressions, it would be aset design already formatted, using happy, sad or angry expressions in which theconsumer could take from the shelves.This plan however is dependant on the economy and the financial state of thedesigner foorwear market at the time.Considering the current market, designer brands are still managing to keepcustomers buying and according to mintel is set to increase in the years tocome.

Branding

Branding is important in creating a persona for the concept you wish to convey.With that in mind, playing around with the different logos that would fit

"Remember, consumers choose products and services using emotional as well as pragmaticjudgements. So, you can use your brand to create a real point of difference." The CharteredInstitue of Marketing

Figure A Figure B Figure C

Supply chain

Rachel aims to create hand made pieces crafted by herself so that the consumer pays fortruly handmade bespoke items, which will mean a longer creation time but this will add tothe quality control of the final product.As you can see from the outline above, the materials, lasts and packaging will be sourcedfrom else where, but after that transaction has occurred, shoes will be made on sitepersonally by the brand. In doing this it would create a lower carbon footprint in comparisonto other brands that send their designs to factories around the world then have themimported back to the customer.

Design Inspiration

Colour Inspiration“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Pablo Picasso

“The colour of my soul is iron­grey and sadbats wheel about the steeple of mydreams.” Debussy

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no colour in this worldthat is not intended to make us rejoice." John Calvin

Initial Design Development

Appendix AConsumer Surveys

1. Are you Male or Female?Female2. What age group are you in?21­253. Where do you usually buy your footwear from?Boutiques4. How much would you be willing to pay for hand crafted shoes?4505. What would make buying bespoke footwear easier/acceptable?i think that buying bespoke footwear is not really about making it easier or acceptable, ithink that people have to change their attitudes about quality and realise that it doesn'tcome from anywhere and maybe start saving up for one amazing pair rather thanspending it on a lot of bad pairs.

1. Are you Male or Female?Female2. What age group are you in?15­203. Where do you usually buy your footwear from?High street brands (topshop, newlook)4. How much would you be willing to pay for hand crafted shoes?£3005. What would make buying bespoke footwear easier/acceptable?Easier access to the maker, knowing where to get bespoke shoes from!

Below are some of the Customer Questionnaires sent out to gain a betterunderstanding of who to aim the range at.As can be seen below, the ages willing to pay more for bespoke products arebetween the ages of 15­46 years old and the majority

1. Are you Male or Female?Female2. What age group are you in?36­403. Where do you usually buy your footwear from?Online suppliers4. How much would you be willing to pay for hand crafted shoes?£2005. What would make buying bespoke footwear easier/acceptable?ease of getting to the place,payment plans,comfort.

Appendix A

1. Are you Male or Female?Female2. What age group are you in?21­253. Where do you usually buy your footwear from?High street brands (topshop, newlook)4. How much would you be willing to pay for hand crafted shoes?2005. What would make buying bespoke footwear easier/acceptable?affordable

1. Are you Male or Female?Female2. What age group are you in?15­203. Where do you usually buy your footwear from?High street brands (topshop, newlook)4. How much would you be willing to pay for hand crafted shoes?Around £1505. What would make buying bespoke footwear easier/acceptable?The fact they have been handmade and not mass­produced in a factory. Materials would beauthentic and not cheap.

Appendix B

Tracksys Ltd, Unit 15 Faraday Building, Nottingham Science Park, Nottingham.NG7 2QP

Tel 0115 9224539 Fax 0115 9436246 mailto:info@tracksys.co.ukwww.tracksys.co.uk

Rachel GoodmanLondon School of Fashion24 October 2011QUOTATION ­ FaceReader 4.0 £

FaceReader software only 4,050.00FaceReader ­ complete system 6,085.00software, webcam, LED lighting and data collection workstationTraining and installation (1 day including travel) 650.00

All prices are in sterling pounds, exclude VAT, and are valid for one month fromthe date of this quotation. Tracksys Ltd reserve the right to change the quotedprice(s) during this period if the Euro, $/£ exchange rate varies by more than

3% from the date on this quotation. Software prices are for academicorganisations only. E&OE.

After speaking with a representative about the technologies available, I askedfor a quote for the software to see if there was any way i could receive agrant in order to use the software in my design process. Unfortunately i couldnot find any grants to cover this cost.However, this may be a tool that could be used in the future when the fundsare available.

Noldus FaceReader 4.0

Appendix BNoldus FaceReader 4.0

Appendix B

Noldus information technology, 2011