Urban Outfitters is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company was originally founded as the retail store: Free People in 1970. In 1976 it was renamed as Urban Outfitters. I am a huge fan of this brand because their main focus is lifestyle and culture, as a brand it keeps it real.

I was initially attracted to the brand because of its vintage aesthetic. The stores have very raw interior with wooden stairs and flooring and industrial lighting. The clothes are very 90’s, featuring brands such as Fila and Adidas, vintage and reworked vintage – many of the clothes fit into the rave culture of today. The colour palettes vary to appeal to a wide range of consumers.

Target Market:

As the brand stocks everything from clothes and footwear to home decor, stationary and vinyls – it caters for a lot of people! The brand appeals to individuals with all lifestyles. It is most popular with the over 20 market because they have the disposable income to afford the items that come at an above average price. This does not mean it isn’t popular with the younger generation who shop on Depop or Ebay for discounted UO things. The brand posts actively on social media as it is an easy way to target their consumer.

• Both genders aged 16-40 approximately
• Shoppers with a medium disposable income
• Appreciates vintage
• Creative individuals that express their personality through fashion, art and music
• Active social media users

Over the Summer I have decided to put my skills from first year to practice by doing a series of brand analysis’. I chose to start off with TopShop as it is a brand that I purchase from on a regular basis, I thought it would be fun to research into.

Topshop is a British multinational fashion retailer that stocks clothes, footwear and makeup. Originally starting as a brand extension for youths in the department store Peter Robinson in 1964, in 1973 it launched independently and had its first standalone store. In the 70’s the brands key rivals were Miss Selfridge and the ‘Way In’ boutique in Harrods.  I admire the brand as they have maintained their originality over the years of offering affordable, on trend garments.

I was drawn to the brand from a young age because of it’s fashionable, quality clothing at reasonable prices. I personally admire their huge denim range that has a massive variety of sizes and styles. The brand caters for a wide range of women sizes. I’m also attracted to the brand because it imposes individuality and expression. I have found from primary research that TopShop has influence on many high street brands because of its popularity with consumers.  The interior of the stores is very modern and up to date which reflects the stock. Typically bright, white painted floors and walls, mirrored pillars, the store front name is big, white neon capital lettering. The store stands out in the high street and shopping malls by having a very modern, trendy aesthetic which is what the brand is all about.

Target Market:

The brand appeals to a wide range of individuals all with different professions and lifestyles. From students, professionals to even celebrities. Everyone has heard of the brand. The brand has the biggest social media presence in the United Kingdom which implies their target market are active users of social media. The brand hasrange of colour schemes and pallets the reflects different trends to appeal to their consumers.

• Females aged 16-30
• Fashion and style conscious people
• Shoppers on a budget
• Young audience who want to look mature
• Independent individuals that want to express themselves through fashion
• Aims for a unique look
• Active users of social media

As part of my summative brief for fashion communication and promotion I have researched into the up and coming Spring/Summer trend of 2019: utilitarian and practical.

I found the history behind this trend really interesting and inspiring. The utility clothing scheme was introduced in the United Kingdom during World War 2 by the British government in order to preserve materials and aid the economy. At first the public were really unimpressed and displeased with the utility style clothes – I find it ironic that such a popular trend that is now featured in almost every high street store was once looked down on and forced upon the public, this proves just how quickly the fashion industry and market changes! In the 1940’s consumers were won over by the durability and practicality of the clothing, a necessity for the clothes to last through the wartime. Utilitarian clothes were labelled CC41.

With the rationing of materials, designers had rules that were to be followed in order to create a utilitarian item. Dresses could have no more than 2 pockets, 5 buttons, 6 seams in the skirt, 2 inverted or box pleats and 160 inches of stitching. Its really fascinating to me that a shape that was so strict and uninteresting is in such popular demand today. With women taking over men’s jobs whilst they were away at war there was a demand in women’s work wear. This included overalls, (women originally wore men’s which were tailored to have a more appealing, feminine fit) denim or cotton twill trousers and work suits. All these items needed to match the strict regulations of the utility clothing scheme so they were designed simply with minimal trimmings. Its amazing that these clothes designed purely for practicality now feature on runways and in high street stores but for aesthetic reasons.

Battledress of the second World War had to be practical so that it did not limit the soldiers during the war. The uniform was designed with a muted colour scheme for camouflage purposes – a colour scheme linked to the utility and practical trend during the 1940’s and today! The combat boots from the 1940’s were designed to provide grip, ankle stability and foot protection. After researching more into the boot I discovered that the shape and durability had inspired a lot of fashion brands today such as Doc Martens and Timberland.

I have included more details of the history of the utilitarian and practical trend in my sketch book. After researching into this trend and how it began I am now able to see where brands get their inspiration from and have gained better knowledge of the fashion industry. I am intrigued to find out more about this trend and how it has been developed to suit the modern day consumer.