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- All Subjects: Fashion
- Creators: Sewell, Dennita
- Creators: Ostrom, Amy
‘Aventure,’ which means “experience” or “adventure” in French, defines this upscale boutique and its essence of inclusion. This store does not aim to be your traditional retailer; instead, Aventure aims to build a community within and around the store for individuals with similar styles and passion for fashion. At the moment, the city of Scottsdale (and the Metro Phoenix area as a whole) does not have its own identity in the fashion world. There is no reason why Metro Phoenix cannot, with time, become more recognized in the global fashion community. With an array of exclusive luxury merchandise and an urban atmosphere, Aventure aims to pioneer the Valley’s establishment on the national high-end fashion scene.
The boutique is a result of the vision of its founder Ahmed Imam. Ahmed is a graduating Honors student at Arizona State Univeristy’s W.P. Carey School of Business, pursuing concurrent degrees in Finance and Business Entrepreneurship. Having been passionate about fashion for as long as he can remember, Ahmed will leverage his connections to the industry and excellent understanding of the Metro Phoenix market to turn Aventure into a hallmark of the community. Through his professional experience and educational background, Ahmed also brings the necessary knowledge and skills to the table to effectively run a startup.
The retail industry is experiencing steady growth, with the luxury goods sector expected to perform very well in the coming years. Using market-based sales forecasting, Aventure is estimated to break even by the third year of operations. Sales are expected to grow 20 percent after Year 1, and grow 5 percent thereafter. Net operating income of $83,643 is estimated in Year 1, growing to $141,351 by the end of Year 3. Overall, total startup expenses are estimated to be $206,574, made up of investments from owners and a term loan from Bank of America. The owner investment will be used to cover capital equipment, location, and administrative expenses. These include furniture, equipment, machinery, rent, utility, legal and accounting fees, prepaid insurance, and other expenses. The majority of the term loan will be used to finance opening inventory and advertising expenses, with the rest going towards cash on the balance sheet to ensure liquidity.
Meanwhile, digital is still being defined, as countless people work to determine best practices and reconcile the unending amount of information available into something that can be used. Trends in digital include the concept of new media, blogging, social media and new channels of media. Overall, we are seeing a shift to user-‐ generated content, available all the time, and a proliferation of content being created and published on the Web.
Some of the ways these two industries are colliding include the rise of lifestyle bloggers, developments and usage of technology, an abundance of new e-‐commerce models, and finally, a shift in the ways consumers curate and discover products online.
Predictions for the future include a more streamlined and user-‐friendly process for search and product discovery online, increase in social commerce and personalization of products, and finally, a return to brick and mortar shopping, but with an improved, experiential model. These trends will affect industry stakeholders dramatically, and so necessary actions for these stakeholders are also discussed, such as allocating more resources to content generation and e-‐commerce, giving consumers the ability to personalize, and improving their physical shopping experiences to provide something valuable and entertaining.
The creative project of this thesis showcases various wardrobes that have solely been purchased second-hand. The purpose of the creative presentation is to show that no matter one’s style preference, occupation, or age, second hand shopping can appeal to every type of customer. Second hand shopping is not only for “thrifty” millennials, it it for everyone, and can encompass anyone’s clothing needs.
Within the last decade, it has become increasingly apparent that the effects of climate change are getting harder and harder to ignore. This fact has led to increased interest in sustainability and an increased pressure from consumers to have these ideals implemented into a variety of global industries. The fashion industry, in particular, has been facing this pressure toward the desire for sustainable products is the fashion industry. Over the last five years, sustainability has become a main focus within the fashion industry. Countless brands now include sustainability within their marketing tactics and a variety of fashion organizations release reports on the unsustainable practices that currently dominate fashion production. These misleading marketing tactics and enigmatic intensive reports lead to confusion on what sustainable fashion actually looks like for both consumers and suppliers alike.<br/> This report attempts to help tackle this problem by using sustainable fashion certifications as a tactic to prove sustainability within business procedures. To compare eight of the most common fashion certifications, this paper assumes a systems thinking approach to creating an assessment framework, which is then applied to said certifications. To back up the importance of the topic, this paper presents key points of the current issues related to this case, which then contribute to the integration of basic sustainability assessment criteria and case-specific factors into overarching core criteria. The application of this framework is utilized to determine which certifications cover certain aspects of the curated core criteria. This is then used to present consumers and manufacturers with a more accurate understanding of each of these certifications. This information is then followed up with a recommendation of certifications that align most within researched-based consumer and supplier desires.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 drastically altered what was once accepted as reality. As society shifted to an online universe, causing rampant isolation, the world faced many uncertainties. This dramatic transformation affected every global industry and because fashion and culture are intertwined, the industry became a direct reflection of the new social climate. This ASU Barrett Creative Project explores the current direction in fashion and identifies two contrasting cultural aesthetics that arose from the 2020 pandemic. Through ample research surrounding various topics such as generational escapism, mental health as it relates to the pandemic, increased psychedelic use, fashion technology advancements, the metaverse and non-fungible tokens in fashion, and the current political and social environment, I identified and named two separate fashion blanket trends: Kaleido and Chernobyl. Photographic evidence from Vogue Runway and the latest fashion seasons were included as support for these predictions. Inspired by Fashion Snoops, a prominent fashion trend forecasting agency, I created a trend packet, including a mood board, pattern and color palette, cultural influences, key items, and a fashion buyer’s checklist for both trends. Finally, I reported on my findings when researching Pinterest Predicts, a resource for creative businesses to predict trends, which identified three specific fashion trends, deemed Athflow, Cocoon Swoon, and Up Clothes and Personal, and I circled back to how it relates to both Kaleido and Chernobyl. Reminiscent of pandemic-induced escapism, 3D-printing in fashion, the metaverse, and a worldwide psychedelic awakening, Kaleido features many avatar-like garments with an otherworldly flair, complete with funky abstract knitwear, bold prints, eye-catching cutouts and textures. Leading brands reflecting Kaleido are Chet Lo, AVAVAV Firenze, and Marco Garro. Finally, Chernobyl has a direct correlation with the cultural annihilation 2020 left in its wake, voicing the civil distress that continues to echo universally suggesting an uncontrollable warfare on a preexisting reality. Characterized by deconstructionism, distressing, layering, and an emphasis on outerwear, the dark dystopian expression of “Apocalyptic Chic” is conveyed. Leading brands within this trend are Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, and independent label, Kepler London. Additionally, a permanently altered post-pandemic society saw stretchier, more casual outfits taking over the average wardrobe. As a result, designers within this new fashion season brainstormed new ways to transition from loungewear and leggings back into elevated fashion. Knitwear became the preferred method to achieve this progression and thus, the era of presentable and editorial athleisure began. In conclusion, the current course of fashion is boundary-pushing, innovative, and culturally reflective, featuring a multitude of innovative layering and patchwork, as well as interesting takes on silhouettes and pattern contrast. Elevated knitwear has a prominent place within new collections as the world transitions from working at home and living in athleisure to rediscovering the outside world. Because of the direct connection between fashion and culture, the newest outputs in fashion are either reminiscent of a dismal post-apocalyptic future, or “Chernobyl”, or appear to have arrived from a different, more optimistic dimension, or “Kaleido”.
According to Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, fashion is defined as "the cultural construction of the embodied identity." (Steele 2012). Fashion is a complex subject that utilizes media to instill understanding and the significance of its products to consumers through advertisement. It is highly influential on consumers' behaviors and self-image. In this thesis, I provide the historical context of the fashion industry’s media channels that have shaped the perspective and importance of youthful physical features leading to a youth-centric market. It also examines the current practices and representation in media. The insights from this research provide an understanding of how ageism is prevalent in various forms of media and identifies the implications of the perception of older consumers.