Shopping of the future

Last year, fashion market was boosted by high street retailers Gap, Zara, and H&M all launching transactional websites. Online shopping market is expected to grow by %45 by 2015, and there's still a lot of potential. Broadband penetration more than doubled in the UK between 2005 and 2010. %69 of adults now have a high speed connection, and %28 of adults using smartphone type of mobile, which allows them to reach online information much easier. Social media is having its golden times. Facebook, I pad, I phone applications help brands to seem current, entertaining and fun. It creates a huge opportunity to connect with more shoppers. Tweeting makes customer feedback more important than it ever was. While everything evolves this fast, competition gets harder and brands have to work on their image and the way they build a relationship with their current customers and potential customers in a stronger and more original way than ever before.

Everything is about individuality nowadays. Everyone wants to make a statement. ''I like'' buttons, tweets, blogs etc. It all is personal. Being like everyone and getting treated like everyone is not cool and enough anymore. In a time where everything runs so fast and everything is so disposable, brands have to not only have to stay updated but also have to come up with interesting ideas to draw customers.

Topshop secret store

There's a website called ''Wardrobe Mistress'' with personalized services. It's not a regular online boutique. Their services include consultation with experts, personalized moodboards, calendar of shopping events, personalized lookbook. Plus, everything you purchase arrives gift wrapped in bespoke wardrobe mistress packaging. Topshop takes the pop-up store idea to another level with its secret store within store concept. It is available to see in New York Soho and London Oxford Street flagship store. It's a store within a store you discover on a visit to the shop, a small section with hand crafted, one-off pieces, designs that have never made it to production. This concept creates an intimate, mysterious feeling and draws customers to the store. The element of surprise, personal and intimate are the key words.

Topshop secret store online

Instore events and galleries draw customers to stores as well. Urban outfitters have a section in their store with couches and book, where you can spend quality time exploring. This gives a warm opportunity to have the store experience as well as workshops, djs they offer. Levi's Istanbul has a gallery where they display young artists' work, which you can only reach by going through the store. 

Responsible prosperity os becoming a powerful tool for the luxury market. Selfridges''Project Ocean '' includes series of environmental friendly campaigns. Hermes launched a sustainable line of jewelry and accessories called ''Petit h'', which are made from leather scraps and unwanted household items. It's a range of scarf prints created by students from the University of Southampton's Winchester School of Art to benefit the international conservation organisation, ''World Land Trust''.Liberty made a project called ''Save it with a scarf''.The project gives %15 of its sales to project areas in Paraguay, Borneo and the Atlantic Rainforest.

Liberty ''Save if for a scarf'' project

Selfridges ''Project Ocean''

Hermes ''Petit h''

As you can see, there are endless opportunities to offer. In my opinion, this crazy scene of retail will keep flourishing, but after a while people will return to simple ideas. As we all experienced the changing shopping habits after the global recession, now handmade, personal and valuable are the features many customers look for in a purchase. Bespoke service is now valued more than it has ever been since the growth of mass production. I think, bespoke that is marketed through popular sources these days, will become more hidden in near future. The time of appreciating the tailor around the corner, local talents will become the key to feeling special and make people wonder. As we spend enough time and energy filtering everything around us in this decade of endless information, the arrival of simplicity is inevitable. 

Subcultures&Designers

Betsy Johnson AW11-12

New Romantics- The youth fashion and music movement which flourished in the U.K. in the late 70's. Developed in mainly the clubs in London, this subculture has emerged from punk and disco, associated with bands such as Visage, Culture Club, Duran Duran etc. It was a futuristic and a romantic reaction to Brit punk. They respected clothes and wanted to look glamourous in a theatrical way. The use of velvet, the shoulder structure and bold ruffles of Betsy Johnson in her AW 11/12 collection obviously was influenced by this glamourous subculture.

Mandy Coon AW11-12

Goths- The subculture that emerged in England in early 80's. Its influence can be seen a lot on streets today. Its details are often borrowed from Elizabethan, Victorian or Medieval periods and often express individuality through pagan or religious details. But as seen on Mandy Coon's latest collection, the feeling can also be expressed by a minimal approach. Mandy Coon used leather, long silhouettes, dark accents on hair and of course, black, which expresses this subculture clearly.

Frankie Morello AW11-12

Rockabilly- One of the earliest styles of rock'n roll music, and it has emerged in the 50's in the Southern United States. This subculture has a very strong influence on today's youth. Designer Frankie Morello expressed this subculture through one of the strongest features of rockabilly, which is the tattoo. The hairstyle and the colors, the rock jacket, and the embroidered rockabilly&pin-up tattoo images on a sweater is a wonderful re-interpretation of the movement.

a note to Londoners

Rockabilly ROCKS!

Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock’n roll music, and emerged in the early 1950’s, primarily in the Southern United States. The word rockabilly is a perfect blend of rock from the genre of rock’n roll, and billy from hillbilly. It references to the country music that contributed strongly to the development of the style. Western swing, boogie woogie and rhythm and blues are some other influences on rockabilly. The influence and popularity of the style decreased in the 60’s, but had a major revival in the late 70s and early 80’s.

                            Christian Dior, SS11

50’s has been coming slowly in the past few years. Since 2005, an interest in the Southern United States Culture have been developing worldwide started with the film called ‘’Walk the line’’ which was about the life of the legend country music singer: Johnny Cash. ‘’Madmen’’, the TV series which is generally inspired by 50’s and the Betty Draper character is also a big influence on youth. ‘’Crazy Heart’’ the film that won the Oscars in Best film and also Gwyneth Paltrow has come up with a country music album recently. When this southern influence combines with the other popular look of the past year, burlesque, there comes the rockabilly look.

                                     Frankie Morello, AW11-12

                                    Frankie Morello, AW11-12 

50’s Betty Page hair is back. As it can be seen in Christian Dior SS11 look. Short fringe with wavy long hair, either down or up styled with a bandanna. Brunettes, who took over the scene in the second half of 2000’s, are still the stars. Eyeliner, red lips, circular mid length skirts, leopards, little jackets and tattoes are some key words to this look. Bandannas are having a major revival these days on streets. It has been an integral accessory for many subcultures from gangs to workwear fanatics, as well as rockabillies. Back in the days, women were never seen outside of the house with a bandana on their head. That was something worn only for a few reasons: keeping your hair up when in the bath, keeping your hair back when doing house cleaning, or during the war when women were working in factories.

Vomit on canvas by Millie Brown

http://showstudio.com/project/livestudio/session/millie_brown

I want to leave this one without any comments at all. I'm screaming comments now, but I'm not telling you.

Downloading magazines online

http://downmagaz.com/

A website, where you can find magazines from all around the world, available to be downloaded in PDF.

Beware: Turkish superman

Turkish version of superman, in the 70's. Low budget brilliance. I laugh the most to those that are not meant to be funny. This movie is so bad, it's amazing.