BA Creative Direction for Fashion

Fashion, Brands and Audiences (Term 2)

Year 2

Wing Yin (Daniel) Chan

ShanShan Huang
Catalina Ongkowibowo
Sommy Sirichantaropas
Yaqi Zhou
[ white ]
Table of Contents /

Brief / 5
Proposal / 7
Design Experimentations / 29
Bibliography / 46
Evaluation / 48
[ white ]
Brief /
The upcoming campaign for Maison Margiela will be in a form of a teaser, to aim at both loyal and
potential consumers.

Though the brand has a strong consistent consumers foundation, it is an opportunity to expand the
target demographics through this campaign, while reminding the existing consumers that the brand
is still relevant even though the brand does not do extensive marketing and publicising. Moreover, this
is an opening for the company to reinforce the brand’s values and aesthetics, and to use this campaign
to introduce those values and aesthetics to the newly group of consumers. In addition, this marketing
strategy aims to further the increase of sales and profits and to escalate the traffic activity within the
brand website and store.

Therefore, through the chosen methods, Maison Margiela hopes that this promotion will make the
audiences feel excited and experience it in a personal and exclusive way.
[ white ]
Proposal /
Maison Margiela’s strategies in marketing were consistently subtle and simplistic. To address this brief,
the brand should continue focusing on those aspects however, improve their digital marketing method.
Overall, there will be 3 parts to this campaign; the first part will commence around April/May which, is
use to promote and raise awareness to the consumers through the use of underground transportation in
the cities, the iconic Tabi boots foot prints will be sprayed paint on top of the steps on escalators. This is
the perfect opportunity to use the social media methods (such as Instagram or Snapchat) to spread the
awareness of the brand to different type of people since everyone uses social media.
/8

f.g.1. Visualisation of Underground Transportation Method

/9

f.g.2-3. Maison Marigela 1989 Fashion Show Picture References

/ 10

f.g.4. Social Media Digital Method

In addition, going back to the traditional method of ‘words of mouth’ to get spread the awareness as well
since, having something so significantly different that disrupt the mundane routine will cause a stream
of opinions and conversations will pass through different various of people.
/ 11

Other ways that the brand will be marketing this campaign will be advertising in niche magazines, that
only do quarterly/biannual printing and picking those magazines in different countries, which will begin
around the same time as the previously mentioned method, which is around April/May, mostly depending
on the magazines negotiation and availabilities. Maison Margiela is an anti-mainstream brand therefore
choosing mainstream magazines wouldn’t be keeping to their brand’s values. The brand is well known
globally and some of their loyal consumers are Chinese and Korean hence, making this campaign more
global is not only pleasing the loyal consumers but also spreading their presence across the globe.
 / 12

o TOKYO o SEOUL o MILAN o PARIS o LONDON o NEW YORK

Brutus Magazine Aves Magazine Juliet Art Magazine Paulette Magazine Oyster Magazine Kinfolk

Hanatsubaki Magazine 66100 Magazine Gioia Magazine Les Inrosks Magazine The Atlas Magazine Love Magazine

Popeye Magazine ‘Rock’xury Magazine Book Magazine The Steady Magazine SYN Magazine Paper Magazine

o SHANG HAI o BANGKOK o MOSCOW o VANCOUVER o TORONTO

Modern Weekly A Day Magazine InitiArt Magazine SAD Magazine Montecristo Magazine

The Art Newspaper The Moscow Time Geist Magazine Room Magazine

The Good Life Moscow Art Magazine subTerrain Magazine

f.g.5. Countries that will Carry Out the Campaign and the
Independent Magazines that will Feature the Spread
/ 13
The spread that will be featured in the magazine will placed in the middle pages in the magazine and
the content will be Tabi boots foot prints walking across the white pages, using the method of de-bossing
on a thicker type of paper will physically make the pages more prominent toward the readers. This is a
method that shows the traditional side of Maison Margiela, keeping to their heritage and reinforcing their
brand’s essence in the colour, white. On the spread, there will instructions on how audiences can subscribe
to the mailing list, through the main website and stores and this is how the brand can increase the traffic
activity within the stores and website. People can access both the website and the stores to subscribe and
furthermore, take a look at the products.
/ 14

f.g.6-9. Magazine Spread Tabi Foot Prints De-Bossing Mock-Up

/ 15

The website portal, for consumer to subscribe through, is designed very simple and minimalistic. The
main reason for that is because the consumers shouldn’t be redirected to many different pages and links
too often. It makes the consumers confused and it’s very time consuming when it should be fairly quickly.
The layout was inspired with the ‘customer care’ page from the original website because since it’s an
additional page within the website.

f.g.10. Maison Margiela Original Website ‘Customer Care’ Page

Reference
/ 16

f.g.11-12. Website Portal for Subscribers

/ 17

f.g.13-14. Website Design Layouts

/ 18

The second part of the campaign comes down to when the consumers subscribe to the mailing list;
consumers are allowed to start on the 16th of July. Producing a mailing list gives the sense of exclusivity
and elitism since; Maison Margiela is a luxury brand. Everyone who subscribes will receive a white
envelope that has 6 postcards. 4 out of the 6 postcards are images garments in the upcoming collection
(SS19) and the rest are still life images. Even though everyone gets the envelope, there will be 50 lucky
winners that get the chance to buy the garments before it will be shown at Paris Fashion Week.
/ 19

f.g.15-17. Final Postcards Content

f.g.18. Final Postcard Backside for General Subscribers
/ 20

Download the Layar app

Using the Layar app, scan any of the postcards that

has a garment present

Through this method, you will get the chance to see the
garments in all different angles and can be one of the
first people to purchase the items

Four black points will appear through the app on the

phone screen, using the prism model that was sent
together in the envelop

Place the prism on top of the black points

Turn off the lights and enjoy the video

f.g.19-21. Final Postcards Content

f.g.22. Final Postcard Backside for Selected Winners
/ 21

f.g.23. Final Products of what the Consumers would Receive

 POSTCARDS PRICES AT ABC PRINTING/

SIZE 50 100 250 500

A5 SINGLE SIDED £12 £21 £48 £84

A5 DOUBLE SIDED £22 £41 £108 £198

A6 SINGLE SIDED £7.50 £14 £34 £65

A6 DOUBLE SIDED £15 £28.50 £60 £115

fig. 24. Table of Prices for Printing at ABC Printing

/ 23

f.g.25. Enevelope Net for Final Product

f.g.26-27. Final Envelope Product
/ 24

The number of people who wins, there will be an additional folded prism together with the postcards in
the envelope and at the back of 1 of the still life image postcard, there will be a written instruction on
what the prism is for. Using the Layar application, the consumers can scan the postcards that contain
images of the garments and it will redirect them to a page that has 4 points on their phone screen. Having
got the prism, the consumers can place the prism onto their phone screen and it will show a holographic
image. It presents the garments in a 360-degree rotation so the audiences can see the garments fully and
be able to decide whether or not they would like to purchase the garment. This digital method to advertise
is different to the brand’s usual strategy, the brand needs and know how to adapt to the new generation
such as when the brand adapted to John Galliano. Galliano did a fine job increasing their profit and
maintaining their essences and values even if the brand became a slight bit more mainstream.
/ 25

f.g.28-30. Final Sketch Up of the Prism Model

/ 26

f.g.31-32. Final Holographic Image using the Prism Model on

Device
/ 27

The closing date for people to subscribe will be 8th of August; it gives a good amount of time to start mailing
the clothes to those who have won. On the 2nd of September, the products will start getting shipped off
to the customers and it gives a 3 weeks gap for the products to arrive. The goal is for the products to be
received before Paris Fashion Week starts, this way; the consumers feel the exclusivity and specialness
from this campaign.
[ white ]
Design Experiments /
These are all the layout experiments that were tested out before the final layout that were chosen. These
weren’t chosen because the logos weren’t standing out enough and the logo that was placed on the picture,
it disrupt the flow and overall image. Whereas, the middle experiment, the logo was placed at the bottom
made the picture smaller and therefore, the details of the product became smaller as well. The photoshoot
for these contents were shot in IKEA Warehouse, the reason for that was the overall aesthetic of the
warehouse fits with Maison Margiela brand’s essence which is ‘Deconstruction’.

fig. 33-35. Experimentations for Postcards Layout

/ 30

fig. 36-39. Experimentations for Postcards Layout

/ 31

fig. 40-41. Experimentations for Postcards Layout

/ 32

The layout that was chosen was a thicker border surrounding the images on each postcards. This choice
will give a Maison Margiela Touch in which, the white negative space is important to reinforce the brand’s
essence, the colour white and minimal design. Meanwhile on the technical side, the postcard will be able
to last longer due to the fact that the ink will not touch the border and though, at different temperature,
the paper will less likely to curl up overtime. In addition, the audience will not likely touch the image
when holding and viewing the images thus, they will just touch the border which, consequently will make
the print last longer.

Before settling on a specific paper, there were a lot of different choices on the type of paper that was going
to be presented as the final outcome. On top of that, there were a lot of different finishes the printing
company offers, gloss, satin or matte. The aim was to choose the type of paper that was more special and
give the representation of luxury since the brand is a luxury brand.

Consequently, the paper that was chosen was Hammer Brilliant Card, it’s off-white and 260GSM in
weight. The texture of the paper is a little rougher than normal, the overall look seems interesting and
special that it will give the consumers the satisfaction of obtaining the postcards and the options to place
it in a frame or stick it on their wall. The sizing is A5 because it’s portable if the consumers were to bring
it around as if it was their general mailing letter.
/ 33

fig. 42. (From left to right) Standard Card Paper 250GSM,

Hammer White Card Paper 260GSM and Hammer Brilliant
Card Paper 260GSM that were experimented on
/ 34

The envelope was one of the hardest part because of the sizing and printing. The envelope was done
through Adobe Creative Suite and when it was printed the sizing wasn’t correct. It was printed on an A2
size paper with the weight of 250GSM, matte finish and the colour was white. To keep Maison Margiela’s
aesthetic, white is the main colour for this campaign. The envelope design was minimal, with the only the
logo placed on the opening flap. The design is exactly the same as one of the Maison Margiela envelop for
the special lookbook that was made before due to the fact, it would be nice to highlight the brand’s values
of replicating products. In addition, the design for the envelope was very timeless and classic - it would be
great to hold all the A5 and the prism model together
/ 35

fig. 43. Black Rims Outlining the Envelop

fig. 44. No Black Rims Outlining
/ 36

These are the different ways the de-bossing spread were layed out and executed. The difficult part was
the technical part because to be able to de-boss, a stamp needs to be made and there weren’t enough time
for it to be produced. Wyvern Binding in Farringdon gave a short consultation and price for the cost of the
stamp. They are able to create the plate for a rough calculation of £45 for 9 x 7 cm size. The stamping will
cost £5 per stamp and with the designed that was agreed, with the 4 footprints which will add up to £20
per double spread. The reason for the 4 footprints being that 1 or 2 will not create a big enough impact
and feel, whereas three will have 1 footprint in the middle of the page which technically will not be ideal
when the magazine is closed and with the stitching binding method.

The store assistant suggested a thick and condensed paper so that the impression will be made and this
will not be a problem when closed as the impression will not disappear. The thick paper will create an
effect where the magazine will be forced to open in the middle because of this paper weight. This is rather
an advantage because the audience will have a smaller chance to miss this double page spread. The plan
was to have text printed on the back, the printing will first take place before the debossing is done. It will
create an issue with the printer to print on a debossed paper.

As a result of the time crunch, the visual communication was made through Photoshop. The first step was
to create the shape of the Tabi boots. Initially, the design was catered to the Tabi shoes but the boots were
more iconic therefore, it was changed. The white shadow is also added to the design to indicate the light
hitting the surface which, is crucial in creating the 3D effect for the visual.
/ 37

fig. 45. Original De-Bossing Experiment

fig. 46. Final De-Bossing
/ 38

For the digital approach, there was a lot of various application platform that could be used to execute the
ideas that were argeed on. At first, choosing augmented reality as a method was the result of millenials
and the trends. A lot of brands has done the 360 degree lookbook for the consumers before and it can be
seen VR/AR or through online. Therefore, instead of AR, the idea was expanded to creating a hologram
mode for the consumers to take a look at the garments in a 360 degree viewpoint but through holographic
medium.

There were two different applications that can be used to carry out the idea, Blippar and Layar. The
advantages of Blippar are that users can adjust the video locations of web pages to be 2D or 3D. Nevertheless,
the video locations will become slanted after scanning the web pages by cell phone, but the images aren’t
in 3D, but instead they seem to be a narrow line that adds negative impact while watching. Furthermore,
the users operation become unfriendly as the code that was given have to be inputted before scanning.

On the other hand, the operations of Layar proved to be easier as no infortmation entry is required and
the users can tap the screen to scan for the holographic content, which appear faster and clearer than
Blippar. Layar will autosave files after the scanning so that it can then be directly open the application to
show the content to your friends anytime.
 fig. 47. Layar Application System
fig. 48. Blippar Application System
/ 40

The prism was the more complicated part in the making of the campaign. To make the model, there was
a lot of planning and pilot tests being carried out. At first, pergamenate white transparent paper for the
prism was being used to experiment. However, the result was that there are abrasive granules that made
the projected image unclear.

Then another material that was used was clear transparent paper that was much more suitable, because
it was more stable. It projected the image clearer as a result of being transparent.

For the prism to fit into the envelope, 2 of the sides of the prism will have a slip frame that the transparent
material can slide into or out of to make the prism foldable. The slips will be made out of plastic so it will
be afforable.
fig. 49-51. Visually Communicating the Prism Holographic Projection Idea through
Sketching
/ 41

fig. 52-56. 3D Sketching of Prism Model

Using the application SHAPR3D to communicate the construction of the prism. Figure 52. there are the
four sides of the prism, each of the four trapezodial planes, the length of the bevel is 3.345cm while, the
bottom base is 4cmx4cm and the upper base is 1cmx1cm. The overall height of the prism is 3.35cm.
/ 42

fig. 57. Attempt Number 1 in Making the Holographic Image

The first attempt in creating the holographic image wasn’t successful because the virtual image projected
sideways rather than the upright position. Therefore, to create it in the upright position, the video direction
needs to be changed beforehand and amp up the brightness. The prism that is presented in the image
above is also the first attempt in making the prism which was the ergamenate white transparent paper
therefore, it wasn’t as clear but it made the effect quite ghostly and nostalgic.
 fig. 58. 3D Model of the Prism
fig.59. Clear Transpaper Paper
fig. 60. Pergamenate White Transparent Paper
[ white ]
Bibliography /

Farm5.staticflickr.com.(2017) [online] Available at: https://farm5.staticflickr.

com/4136/4765180472_634616d98c_m.jpg [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

Lovestohave.com. (2017). [online] Available at: http://www.lovestohave.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/

xMaison-Margiela-1200x1200.jpg.pagespeed.ic.snxtiiHBUC.jpg [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

Pinterest. (2017). fashion. [online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bigmariya6/fashion/

[Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

Pinterest. (2017). **MARGIELA. [online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.jp/gisellempereira/

margiela/?lp=true [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

Singer, O. (2017). The Tale of Margiela’s Tabi Boot. [online] AnOther. Available at: http://www.
anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/7721/the-tale-of-margielas-tabi-boot [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

witchesandslippersandhoods. (2017). [online] Available at: http://witchesandslippersandhoods.tumblr.

com/post/74117879521/maison-martin-margiela-juneseptember-1991-as [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].
[ white ]
 Evaluation /
It was a surprise that right from the beginning of our second year, we were thrown into the deep end
and had a lot of work cut out for us. The first part to this project was the individual brand report
whereas this group work was the second part. From the start, we figured that it would be hard to work
together due to the fact that we couldn’t pick a brand we wanted to work with. It is mostly because all of
our aesthetics and styles were so different to each other.

Fortunately, in the end we’ve decided on Maison Margiela. The brand is so rich in history and had tons of resources out
and about for us to use, it could be a blessing or could make this journey very hard on us.

The group dynamic was very calm for the most part, we listen to each other’s opinions and, everyone had a voice and
equal amount of chances to speak up. A problem that arises from that was, there were too many opinions and it was hard
to decide which route to take when we were coming up with ideas or figuring out a way to solve a specific obstacles. As a
result of that, we’ve adopted a system of democracy, ergo; we discuss each opinions and then vote for which we think was
the best tactic to move forward with the work.

That system worked well for us throughout the process of working together, until the deadline date drew nearer. For
most of the group mates, time management seem to be the problem, there were other agendas that were happening while
the work was taken place. Everyone was assigned to a job that catered towards his or her skill sets and everyone had a
deadline to set a time to finish because we need to put it all together into a creative brief which, in turn will take time
to produce. However, not everyone could always make the self-given deadline which can be frustrating and that slowed
down the progress in finishing the work. On the other hand, we were lucky enough that the people in the group had
different skill sets. One person had the skills to be very technical while the other had the skills to produce brilliant digital
work. Thus, making the work division well divided and we were able to produce something that we were all proud of.

Overall, everyone was a team player and the communication pathway between each of us was clear, which is the most
important part within teamwork. It is no doubt that working in a team with so many voices and ideas can get tricky, but
we made it work with our own system and simply be patient with each other.