When I was younger I was always taught to move forward and be open to new experiences but at the end of the day, you got to introspect to move forward. Grow from the past and let it mold your future so in the theme of what I know let me introduce you to my own professional reflection. Getting into a particular industry always excited me but let’s face it as sure as you are of what you want to do and what profession you want to pursue up until you actually do it and the façade fails do you really know what you want to do and who you want to become? If you do then I want to be you! This year forced me to move out of my comfort zone which was exciting but where it got really challenging was when it put me up against one question- what do you want to do when you’re done?

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Let me break down my journey for you- so I started my year a bright enthusiastic fashion marketing diploma graduate straight from the hot tropics of India. The move from Bangalore to Singapore was not only drastic but also allowed me to mold my professional psyche to be open to different avenues which I didn’t think I would be interested in. When I was introduced to my degree professionals and interacted with people from the industry I realised how intrigued I was with the fashion publishing industry. I always wanted to pursue a career in fashion with respect to magazines but this perspective solidified the idea. On gaining more exposure writing and interacting with professionals from that field I realised my love for that avenue. It was new and exciting and it came up like a hidden talent. I loved being able to build my blog, write features and interviews, it excited me and made me a better writer. Over time though the tasks began to get tedious in the sense that I wasn’t able to explore my creative talent as much as I was willing to due to the restrictive time constraints and brief but I still loved to write.

This left me lost yet again with no idea as to which avenue I could venture into. That’s when I stumbled on to my September issue moment and saw the miracle behind Vogue magazine- from being the next Wintour to the next Coddington. I looked into the avenue of creative direction and fell in love with it. Everything from the concept building to the shoot direction and post was something I would be perfect at doing. The opportunity of Stylexstyle Bootcamp worked out extremely well in this scenario allowing me to be on my game and explore this field, improving more than I ever would with that connection into the industry. My decisions to be one were more and more solidified with every passing day and today I know that’s my end goal.

Through this, I tried to act like a sponge- to absorb everything I could and take up every opportunity I knew I could handle without a hitch. Each competition, opportunity, and task I took up has molded me and made me learn a little bit more about myself.  It really pushed me to grow and I know I have become a different person professionally and I enjoy it.

There are of course aspects which I remember I wanted to work on and master in the first semester when haven’t seemed to have manifold too far but at the same time, it has really helped. Stress management, for instance, is something I still struggle with but I have been able to deal with so much of it that I feel like I’m able to motivate myself to deal with it better than I usually do. I have managed to better with my punctuality problem with work and deadlines and I have also improved my interpersonal skills and my software skills.

So looking back at this year I have been more than satisfied and nothing without tough times ever going to reap the purest fruit.

And What A Year It Has Been. When I was younger I was always taught to move forward and be open to new experiences but at the end of the day, you got to introspect to move forward.

Portfolio

Take a look at my digital portfolio here!

https://natasharodrigues49.wixsite.com/mysite/portfolio

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Fund Your Own Kickstarter Campaign: CHECK!

Three weeks of promotion and angst have finally led to a heart-warming response from my backers. Getting your campaign fully funded not only shows that your hard work finally paid off, it shows that your project is feasible and that people other than you think that your idea can be a legitimate business. People have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars via their crowdfunding campaigns so…

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Elle Magazine: An Experience of a Lifetime

Elle magazine, part of Singapore crème dela crème in the fashion publishing industry. Everyone from stay at home moms to teenage girls looks to this publication as a fashion harbinger of what’s in and what’s out. As you surely figured (if you’ve read my other posts that is) a fashion magazine is my bible, making working with one my holy grail. When I got my internship with stylexstyleI was hoping…

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Being a creative director involves a lot of involvement with regards to a photo shoot. Creative directors usually conceptualize the shoot and see it through from the inception to its final print versions. When it came down to shoots and concept direction the concept intrigued me but to be honest I didn’t know the amount of work it actually took to make it happen. Working with styleXstyle gave me an opportunity to work with the Elle team and assist them with shoots for the November and December issue editorials- and I loved every minute of it.

The team that goes into to shoot is as meticulous and prepared as an army before the war, with the creative director as the head of the artillery forces or the Lieutenant General with his plan and concept to attack the shoot, Photographer or the Major and his troop of assistants under him setting up ready his equipment, the head of the ammunition or the stylist with his assistants prepping all the weapons (setting up all the clothes for the shoot) and finally the model or the target acquired with the entire army ready to attack. The hours are drastically long but being surrounded by fashions finest wardrobe this season never hurt!

Each shoot began at 9 am on the dot with the entire team reporting there well in advanced and ended nearly 11 hours after to complete close to 15 looks per shoot. Star stuck was the word, each time I got onto the set. The unboxing was what I was in charge of and prep became my specialty. Working under Elle’s senior stylist/ creative director for the shoots made me gain some perspective as to what I can expect in the future and more importantly how I can style and direct my own shoots. The clothes really gave me something to aspire to and each team seemed to synchronized even though it was probably the first time each of them was meeting. The tiring work came along with its perks though, with each member from the hairstylist to the makeup artist’s jet-setting across the world coming in from fashion week and flying out of Vogue. It really set some goals.

I was really unfamiliar with this whole atmosphere as I’m more used to a work desk setting but all the hands-on work made me love the industry I’m in more. Heck, who would have thought the first garment I would have ever had to steam would be couture Chanel (talk about jumping into the deep end).

Lunch on all occasions is always one of the best parts because this is when you actually get to meet the team. People who seem so intimidating in their work settings are actually real people. It’s so interesting to see the level of professionalism covert into a bit of ridiculed banter and heartfelt conversations. The models in both cases were jetting superstars who would feature on the cover of magazines and walk for major fashion houses but they too were extremely down to earth (the stereotype of eating like a model still prevailed though), the photographers and stylist would share their stories with me and the hairstylist and makeup artist would tell me about their experiences. Each shoot helped you learn a little more about the industry and gave you a little more insight into what’s happening and the changes that you see. More importantly, you also pick up on how aware these people are of what’s happening in the world around them- they know everything there is to know about the industry which makes me rethink my approach to how much and how aware I am.

Working with them also allowed me to put it into practice and execute my very own shoot! Renting out a college space and using the contacts I had made I was able to execute my very own editorial shoot for the magazine. It was challenging but we managed to get things done and created an 8-page spread in a matter of hours! The time flew by with the team working as absolute professionals it was smooth sailing.

Working in this setting was amazing, and I loved every part of it. I’m so happy to know what I want to get into but now the real challenge begins. A very wise person once told me “the exciting part is the part before you find out what you want to be. Once you know is where the hard part begins”. Who knew they would be so right!

Call Me A Creative Director Being a creative director involves a lot of involvement with regards to a photo shoot. Creative directors usually conceptualize the shoot and see it through from the inception to its final print versions.

Stylexstyle

This year has been so unexpected. With each passing day, I’ve been more and more amazed at the outcome of what I’ve set out to do. When it came to the start of my Singapore journey I promised myself that I would take on any opportunity that was presented to me head on. I’ve had my highs and my lows with the outcomes but each opportunity has helped me grow immensely.  I go in with the purpose of…

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I'm on Kickstarter! My experience with Crowdfunding.

I’m on Kickstarter! My experience with Crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding- an ingenious concept, product crowdfunding in particular. The idea that hundreds of people from around the world can fund your project sitting in the comfort of their own homes! The best part is that you get to raise the money you need not just people who believe in your concept. It’s quite extraordinary, in the form of promotion, prototyping and testing the market and of course…

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Unlocking My Future

This semester has given us a lot of time to put our lives in perspective- how you might as? Well, the answer is quite simple- it’s our last semester of college and for most, it puts an end to our formal education for good. This leads to one of two scenarios:

You gain some sort of profound direction to move your life into

Or, like most of us, you’re enveloped in this shroud of intimidation, trying…

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The Power of Branding- Sustainability is SEXY!

The Power of Branding- Sustainability is SEXY!

The power of branding- who knew that sentence carried such a powerful message. Over the last couple of months, we have been surrounding our entire curriculum of work around the new movement in the fashion industry- sustainability. It’s more than just a new trend, in fact, experts are saying sustainability in the fashion industry is going to become part of it- a lifestyle. Although the change…

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The awe-inspiring art exhibit left our class mesmerised. Each exhibit was more eye catching than the rest and something as simple as a dotted pattern transported us to what seemed to be an alternative universe. I was personally drawn to the intricate patterns out of the simplicity of the object and colour and I applied that to create a beauty camping for Rihanna’s new Fenty beauty line which I thought shared the same ideology of simplicity and diversity with colour.

Yayoi Kusama X Fenty Beauty- Portfolio Work The awe-inspiring art exhibit left our class mesmerised. Each exhibit was more eye catching than the rest and something as simple as a dotted pattern transported us to what seemed to be an alternative universe.

The evolution of from the 1900’s on to the new millennium has always intrigued me. From the evolution from one decade after another, it is astounding to see the change in merely 10 years and how beautifully drastic it is! Studying about and putting it into the perspective of what I want to do in the future I have created a series of magazine covers inspired by each decade.

Dynamic Decades of Fashion- Portfolio work The evolution of from the 1900’s on to the new millennium has always intrigued me. From the evolution from one decade after another, it is astounding to see the change in merely 10 years and how beautifully drastic it is!

It’s not every day that you get to meet an icon in the fashion industry, let alone have tea with them. The extraordinary Elieen Bygrave is an inspiration in her own right, being the first Chinese woman to start her own shoe empire (Coppelia) in Europe. I had the privilege to meet this fashion icon one Wednesday afternoon for a tea party as she facilitates a group of us and give us an insight on the evolution of fashion retail and her journey through it. The inspiring two and a half hour our session left us more than satisfied with insights and belly full of hot earl grey and scones.

The petite graceful lady welcomed each of us into her charming home enthusiastic to tell us about her experience in the fashion industry. She explained her travels from Singapore to Europe and how her passion drove her to start a high-quality shoe line in the heart of Limington, England. She spoke to us about her journey, how important it was to take a chance on her passion and her families influence in the matter. From a background in media where she met the love of her life, she had always had a flair for understanding what when into production, video editing and consumer wants and desires. This helped her later on in life when she went on to produce her own TV show in Singapore, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Mrs. Bygrave explained how she moved around from career to career learning a lot along the way moving from place to place keeping her family as the main priority. It was finally after her children were well settled is when she decided to give her passion a shot by opening up a shoe retailer called Coppelia. The store did astonishingly well around Europe and this coined her, the first Chinese lady to not only open but dominate the European shoe market.  The brand really took over putting her amongst the big leagues- “After a couple of seasons, I went to the source in Italy directly. My shoes came from the same factory that Manolo Blahnik orders his from,” she says referring to the famous Spanish shoe designer. “I found myself sitting next to him. He was just starting to get famous targeting the society ladies of London. I had my own little target audience in Lymington.” (Hong, 2015)

From running a shoe brand to being the head of Elizabeth Arden and lane Crawford to being Asia’s retail head for Ferragamo the dainty marvel has a power packed impact in the industry. She explained how a good reputation and a high standard for quality and sales staff improved the quality of her business and she highlighted the importance of etiquette and diverse cultural disparities seen in training the staff even across Asia (like the more arrogant behaviour she faced in China as compared to the silence she faced in Tokyo).  It was her extensive knowledge with respect interpersonal relations that allowed her to come across as the perfect person to head the retail division for these major fashion empires across Asia.

The highlight from this invigorating talk was toward the end when Mrs.Bygrave began to show us all the different plans she has devised for the Ferragamo family with regards to their retail branding. She also showed us important media references from magazines and spoke to us about the relevance of publishing in today’s day and age.  She gave us an insight into a magazine, her own television show which was made and broadcasted onto Singaporean television on fashion retail, all of which helped me out my major studio project into perspective.

The talk was invigorating, to say the least. The atmosphere left us all at ease and her charming spirit left us intrigued and pleasantly saturated with information. The main take away other than the implementation of the media aesthetics to my major studio project was the determination to stick to your passion. Your passion is a flame you shouldn’t hide but nurture. It is about knowing when and where to seize it to most beneficial to you. Opportunities arise when you least expect it and it is how you approach that opportunity that will make you the Bygrave amongst the population.

Fashion, Retail and Tea- an Afternoon with Elieen Bygrave It’s not every day that you get to meet an icon in the fashion industry, let alone have tea with them.

The concept of fashion is ever evolving. The term fashion itself is so dynamic by definition so it’s obvious that whatever it encapsulates should be dynamic as well. The buying behaviors of individuals today is significantly different compared to the buying behavior of our fathers and their behavior from their fathers before them. So it’s safe to say that staying the same over a long period of time without adapting to the market in the industry is a recipe for failure. We are living in a very important era of time where technology has evolved from a commodity to a lifestyle, the internet has become a need and digital platforms have come the main mode of communication amongst the masses. This change has had a drastic impact on the way people shop moving towards a more digitally integrated system of e-commerce and social media purchases. With all these different factors impacting the fashion industry, what happens to the basis of the industry today- the physical store?

E-commerce platforms have taken over the market drastically with more and more customer shifting over to buy clothes over the internet rather than go up to the store mainly because of time and convenience factors. With the easy access of broadband user friend mobile applications for every brand under the sun, why does the customer have to travel to the store to shop anyway? This means of shopping is also more beneficial to the business as well because of the absence of high costs they would have had to incur at a brick and mortar outlet, more sales staff to employ, etc. There has been a noticeable shift in the market resulting to multiple large fashion and apparel retailers to shut down like JCrew, New look in Singapore, etc. this is why the store of the future needs to be adaptable to customers’ needs and experience’s in order to keep a hold on the market.

More and more people today are going online to shop but 80% according to the business of fashion (Kansara, 2017), are still shopping in stores. The reason being people still value something that online stores do not offer- a tangible experience. When a customer goes into a physical store it becomes more about the shopping experience and the interaction of the brand with the customer than it is about the convenience of it all or the time taken. Shopping is an activity and retail therapy to has an emotional affiliation to it. When girls go out shopping with their friends or women make a plan to buy a gift for a friend or a couple goes out to buy clothes for a trip they’re going for its more of an activity than it is about filling a want or a desire. It is the experience they crave and that’s what the stores have to capitalize on.

Keeping these two aspects in mind, when you look at the store of the future they need to integrate the two concepts of using the digital engagement and adding an experience to the entire field which is why it is ideal to have an integrated experience driven store. When it comes to the display the brand must be able to paint an interactive picture with the audience which not only speaks out their message but more importantly engages with the customer and interacts with them digitally. With new technologies and software coming up it is so important to provide a 360 integration starting for the time they step into the store to the time they leave. The store of the future must incorporate mobile friendly applications to engage the user through their phones. For example scanning a QR code to log into the companies Wifi opens up a mobile friendly user page of the store on the mobile phone which allows the user to get information the store and the products available, along with free wifi. This will also allow the store access to what the customer is looking for in the store. This exchange of data will benefit them both. Around the store, the webpage should allow for mobile integration when I come to styles, sizes available and combined look options for optimum results, just like a website would. Augmented reality on the mannequins can help the user gauge how it would look and booking space at a trial room can help the user shop and avoid the long qs for the changing rooms. Checkout should again be done by a simple tap of the phone through apple pay, Samsung pay or google pay. This along with emotional branding and interaction through store display’s, fashion consultants providing style advice and customer friendly experiences would allow for a holistic approach to the store of the future.

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The mood board I have created is a basic summary of what I have conveyed in the paragraph above- ultimate user engagement (if you can beat them, join them). When it comes to the design in a highly competitive environment a brand needs to adopt a rather extreme approach to stand out from its competitors even with the future integration- either be extremely basic and all the clothes to speak for itself (like comme des garcons) or be extremely elaborate and attract their attention (depicted in my mood boards as well).

References:

Kansara, V. A. (2017, April 12). BoF Exclusive | Inside Farfetch’s Store of the Future. Retrieved from https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/what-will-the-store-of-the-future-look-like/inside-farfetchs-store-of-the-future

Store of the Future The concept of fashion is ever evolving. The term fashion itself is so dynamic by definition so it’s obvious that whatever it encapsulates should be dynamic as well.

From the awe-inspiring art at 21_21 Design Sight Museum to the mouth-watering delicious ramen at Ipudo I couldn’t get enough of this vibrant city and all it had to offer! Each day had an impact like none other with each area in Tokyo as different as the style tribes that dominate the city. The infusion of culture, heritage and modern design put the city at a visual marvel with a unique take on everything from the fashion to the automatic toilet seats. In terms of a learning experience felt like we had a holistic approach to the city and absorbed the sights and the sounds but I feel like the lack of an event didn’t hinder our progress but didn’t add as much value to our experience as it could have.  None the less the 5-day trip covered a cohesive balance meeting my expectations and more!

Our schedule was planned very well allowing us to get personal time to reflect and work by ourselves as well as absorb the city as a whole. Each day allowed us to explore one part of the city and experience Tokyo in full form, covering Shibuya and Omotesando on our first day, Yogi Park and Harajuku street, Roppongi hill for the Mori Art Museum and the 21_21 Design Sight Museum, Muji and Isetan at Shinjuku, Bunka Costume Museum, and finally leaving us to explore Ginza by ourselves. It was amazing how much of the city we experienced in those 4 days.

In terms of my top picks for this trip I feel like the 21_21 Design Sight Museum (Roppongi), Omotesando and Ginza were my favourite places to visit.

21_21 Design Sight Museum (Roppongi): in terms of my professional career inclination this museum proved to be the most beneficial to me per say because of the amazingly intricate work presented there. Although the music was small from a graphic perspective it was breath taking with its geometrically structured pieces to the engaging pops of bright colour juxtaposed by the grey scale of the sculptures. The entire aesthetic from the walkway up to the modular bed concept allowed me to enjoy the works of the artist even more.

Ometosando: according to the VAK theory on learning I could classify myself as a more visual learner so stimulating graphics and captivating settings keep me more engaged. This is why I was personally so drawn to the contemporary street design of Ometosando. The engaging contemporary window displays of the street transported us to a European hipster neighbourhood. The visuals of the street just complimented the stores we visited even more- Opening ceremony a multi-brand store has an absolute eye catching visual display. The quirky design created an experience for the customer and allowed them to appreciate the store more. The visual merchandising from the windows to the store concepts in Tokyo is absolutely captivating.

Ginza: VM, windows and displays of the high fashion brands in Ginza left me speechless. The crème dela crème of Tokyo- Ginza was sophistication central for Tokyo’s elite and the brand windows matched it. Each window was more captivating than the rest making that the highlight of my trip. This makes me realise how important it is to be aggressive with the marketing in a place like Tokyo as you have to captivate your audience to get their attention.

All and all this trip was great exposure for me to not only get inspired but to gauge a few insights as well:

The market needs to be perused aggressively.

The traditions and the contortions with the younger generations leave the market screaming for individuality- to be original.

It’s very visual and design centric with and around the store(ambience is very important).

Style tribe are prevalent in parts of the city (Lolita’s, geishas, goths, etc.) as a form of rebellion to the extent of making it a trend.

Religion is very important in the country (extends to their heritage).

Language can be a barrier.

From the amazing food, fun and bonding time with my classmates, Tokyo was an amazing experience. It went beyond the learning for me, it also went on to improve my photography skills, communication skills, team building and all and all intuition with regards to design. Safe to say it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

A Visual Treat- Tokyo at a Glance From the awe-inspiring art at 21_21 Design Sight Museum to the mouth-watering delicious ramen at Ipudo I couldn’t get enough of this vibrant city and all it had to offer!

Having Your Presence Known- Design Drives Business Summit 2017 in Helsinki

Having Your Presence Known- Design Drives Business Summit 2017 in Helsinki

Solace- The feeling you get right after the adrenaline rush begins to fade, your nerves stop shaking and your knees stop jittering. It’s funny how the nerves you feel before presenting completely contradict the composure you exude while presenting. The endless hours we put in working on this solution finally had an outlet on the 31st of August during the Design Drives Business summit in Helsinki.…

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Konichiwa Tokyo!

The most cohesive blend of heritage and modernism, where individuality through fashion reigns supreme- Tokyo the fashion capital of Asia is next on our checklist to explore. Travelling to a foreign destination to embrace and gain exposure from the city keeping in mind of future goals is a part of our global experience module. The idea is to get inspired and make it an experience worth learning…

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Dress for Success- Personal Branding Part 2

Dress for Success- Personal Branding Part 2

Your first impression in the fashion industry, unfortunately, boils down to how your dress on that particular day. You could have a 4.0 GPA, been the valedictorian at college or even knighted by the queen but if you’re wearing the fashion industries equivalent of a burlap sack the poise pristine Louboutin Barbie sitting next to you is going to snag your dream job. The harsh reality of the…

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