September 2023

Free people began it’s journey in 1970 in West Philadelphia. Free people is an American bohemian apparel and lifestyle retail company selling women’s clothing, accessories, shoes, intimates and swimwear. From its very early days as a retail store, Free People has expanded and flourished into a impressive lifestyle brand for stylish, confident young people who look for expression and freedom through their clothes, without sacrificing quality and affordability. Their range of unique pieces appeal to a vast demographic. The target market for this brand is described as 20-30 females, who are smart, creative and self-aware. Free People can be expensive for a number of reasons, but the main one being the high quality materials that they use. They feature unique bohemian-style that is extremely hard to come by. Their clothing, shoes and accessories are known to be in such good shape and that they will last you for a lifetime. Free people is part of the Urban Outfitters, inc (URBN’s) portfolio. Both brands have their own unique compelling entity, however they all share the same core values and emphasis on creativity and freedom and desire to cater to a rich customer experience. Free People was founded on the values and principles of inclusivity and cultural understanding. ‘Every day we strive to be better, to better serve our customer and, in return build a better community’.  In support of the BIPOC Free People have made donations to nonprofits advocating for social justice, specifically the black community. These nonprofits include an employee donation match to which surpasses $925000. Additionally in September 2020 URBN’s Home Office participated in the 2020 UNCF Virtual walk. Free People raised over $18k in donations that will support children’s education via the UNCF. 

Free people has been worn by a range of successful celebrities including Selena Gomez wearing the Free People ‘Diogo Coat. Taylor swift who was spotted wearing the Free People ‘Melanie tank’, and also Hilary Duff, who was spotted wearing the ‘Bay to Breakers Pants’. 

Free People discovered that people wanted to be more adventurous with their clothing, something ‘playful’ and ‘unexpected’, this encouraged the brand to design pieces predominantly featuring, colour, hand detailing, embellishment and embroidery. Free People introduced their FP movement which helped their brand expand even more with a focus on fitness and leisure. The Free People movement was created to bring the power of collective movement to all through inspiring, fun, community-driven fitness and wellness experiences. They found many people spend their days and nights in pursuit of fitness, wellness, happiness and beauty, so they wanted to curate a line that speaks these qualities. The FP movement was born of that endeavour, and provided additional support for those looking to achieve balance both inside and out. Free People’s FP movement has been worn and loved by very influential celebrities including, Hailey Bieber, Hilary Duff and Vanessa Hudgens, the activewear collection has been snapped by paparazzi left and right. 

Mirror Palais, in just four short years, has achieved what many young creatives can only dream of—a devoted, almost cult-like following. Despite many brands struggling during the pandemic Mirror Palais gained 288K followers on Instagram with the first year and is currently at 616K which is massive for an immerging brand. A large portion of the brands success is due to the celebrity and influencer stap of approval. Recently, Mirror Palais has been seen on Jen Ceballos, Emily Ratajowski, Barbie Ferreira, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber. 

The Latest Mirror Palais collection, as seen on the New York SS24 runway was a blend of lavish Edwardian fashion and the subversive, clean lines from the 90s. Many of the looks had remnants of the 90’s Vivienne Westwood bridal collection, S/S 1997 “Vive La Bagatelle”. While most of the Mirror Palais followers are Gen-Z and don’t intend on getting married any time soon, it’s the bridalwear which first attracted many to the brand. When Mirror Palais posted a TikTok of a wedding dress prototype asking for feedback, the video received over 1.4 million views contributing to their quick success.

Mirror Palais sits at a high price point, with a price range from £250- £9000. This is because of their commitment to sustainability. The brand operated on a made to order basis, meaning they only use the resources needed and drastically reduce fabric waste. This practice aligns with the views of many conscious consumers today. 

With its unique blend of influences, sustainable practices, and the sheer beauty of their pieces, Mirror Palais has undoubtedly earned its place as many peoples favourite brand of the moment.

In the world of high fashion, Acne Studios stands out as a brand that effortlessly blends minimalism with avant-garde design. Founded in 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Jonny Johansson, Acne Studios has steadily risen to prominence as a symbol of Scandinavian chic and artistic innovation.

At the core of Acne Studios’ identity lies a commitment to minimalism. The brand’s designs often feature clean lines, muted colour palettes, and a focus on simplicity. This minimalist approach allows the clothing to exude a sense of understated elegance, appealing to those who appreciate the beauty of simplicity in fashion.

While minimalism is the foundation, Acne Studios is far from ordinary. It’s known for infusing its collections with avant-garde elements that challenge traditional fashion norms. This blend of minimalism and innovation results in clothing that is both contemporary and forward-thinking.

Acne Studios draws inspiration from various art forms, including photography, architecture, and contemporary art. This creative fusion is evident in its unique and sometimes unconventional designs. Each collection tells a story, and the brand’s dedication to artistic inspiration sets it apart in the fashion industry.

One of Acne Studios’ standout offerings is its denim line. The brand has mastered the art of denim, crafting jeans that are renowned for their impeccable fit and quality. These jeans have become a fashion staple, beloved for their comfort and timeless style.

From its humble beginnings in Stockholm, Acne Studios has expanded its presence worldwide. With flagship stores in major cities like Paris, New York, Tokyo, and London, the brand has garnered a global following. Its international success reflects its ability to resonate with fashion-forward individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Acne Studios is also notable for its commitment to inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry. The brand has embraced models of various backgrounds, sizes, and gender identities in its campaigns, contributing to a more inclusive representation of beauty and fashion.

Chanel

Chanel was founded in 1910 by Gabrielle Chanel and has been established for 113 years, with Robust brand culture heritage and deep-rooted brand image value.
Gabrielle Chanel is a legendary woman. She broke the tradition and designed minimalist, comfortable, and open clothing in a social context that binds women and created a clothing brand that women are no longer restrained.
It has an elegant style, and simplicity and exquisiteness are the style of their products. The classic double C logo, camellia, and tweed are all Chanel symbols that consumers remember.

In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld served as the fashion director of the chanel. Since then, Karl Lagerfeld has continued the elegant tone of the brand while maximizing the use of the double c logo and designing one sensational fashion product after another. Even now, the bags he created, such as classic flap, leboy, coco handle, and 19 bags, still sell well despite rising prices.
After Coco Chanel designed 2.55 in the eighties, Lagerfeld launched the flap bag with CC lock, now the classic flap bag. From the beginning to now, the classic flap bag has been a Chanel staple bag, whether it is in the European and American markets or Asian markets, very popular with consumers. Even though the annual price increase of this bag reached 35%, countless consumers are still scrambling to buy. Chanel handbags are highly sought-after, iconic statement pieces, and demand is always higher than supply.
Karl Lagerfeld has been named Artistic Director of CHANEL. He brought life back into the Cruise collections, introduced the Métiers d’art and pre-collections, restored Haute Couture to its former glory, and created the CHANEL Ready-to-Wear collection as we know it today.

Karl Lagerfeld mixes elements and styles into a new interpretation of Chanel‘s classic style. He continues the classics in innovation. For example, he innovated the tweed jacket, making this style a traditional symbol of Chanel.

The show it designs can always surprise people. In the past few decades, Chanel‘s show theme has been constantly innovating, which is surprising every time. For example, in the spring 2019 ready-to-wear, he moved to the beach indoors, surrounded by the sea, where the models performed a fashion show full of summer vacation.

To sum up, Chanel is a leader in the market share of luxury goods, with a loyal customer base. At the same time, their vital brand assets and financial situation support the brand, which can make many consumers trust them and support their continuous innovation.

Peachy Den

Isabella Weatherby was the founder of Peachy Den in 2019, starting her brand with their famous “Slinky” trousers. These trousers kick-started the brand from the beginning and led the designs towards jumpsuits, then co-ords using velour sustainable fabric. The “slinky” trousers and the “Kernel” jumpsuit are the 2 distinctive images of the brand and claim to both be “conversation starters”.

The brand states that 60% of their current inventory was made using certified, sustainable materials and they produce their clothing throughout Europe with family-run suppliers sourcing local materials and fabrics to try to enforce a sustainable outreach. Peachy Den is very popular within the teenage/young adult crowd as they produce pieces that follow trends but they also encompass innovation, with their style taking inspiration from the 70’s, using hugging/comfortable materials to show off the female silhouette. The soft, velour materials that are used are what makes the brand unique as the clothes are comfortable yet also stylish. The brands steers away from a primary focus on loungewear and combines this with style and aesthetics in order to incorporate both of these qualities within every design.

Peachy Den recently came out with a new collection called “Call My Lawyer”, which has the primary idea of clothes which can last from the office until night adding their reach to workwear instead of just streetwear and loungewear. This brand has become increasingly popular in the past few years due to the way that the brand has expanded its products and its range of materials and patterns. When the brand was founded, all of the clothes were produced in the same colour-blocked velour fabrics, however, now they are using denim, gingham, mesh and lace, widening their product range, therefore appealing to more customers.

Peachy Den is a very media focused brand which makes the brand appealing to a younger audience, having an active status on Instagram and other platforms by using influencers to promote their brand as well as having creative ideas for photoshoots and capturing all types of women in their clothes to encompass inclusivity within their clothes, as every women sees herself in the brand.

Every single piece within their broad collection is distinctive to the Peachy Den brand, showing that every design has been carefully thought-out to represent everything that the brand stands for. Every piece has a similar style whilst also being extremely versatile, showing a wide range of different styles, cuts and pieces which are all cohesive under one name.

VERSACE

Founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace, Versace is one of the world’s most prominent fashion houses. Established in Milan, the brand is acclaimed for being a symbol of Italian luxury, Versace are known for producing various fashion and lifestyle products including haute couture, prèt-à-porter, accessories and fragrances which all feature the brand’s iconic Medusa logo. With more than 130 Versace boutiques around the world, there is no doubt that the brand has built a legacy over the last 4 decades. Versace is adored by many, having its designs showcased on red carpets by many famous faces over the years, such as icons like Micheal Jackson and Princess Diana.

Versace is known for its very recognisable style, the designs are powerful, seductive and designed to perfectly flatter the female figure. The fashion house is known to push boundaries of clothing using heavy metal detailing and bright colours to create sexy and luxurious pieces. The Versace aesthetic is known for bold colours, daring cuts and focuses heavily on sex appeal.

As of recent years, Versace has shown a more conscious effort to encompass sustainability in their brand, making it a crucial part of their marketing stratergy. The brand has said that they are approaching sourcing in a more holistic way, making sure to do everything they can to keep their carbon footprint down and support biodiversity. Versace is taking the necessary steps towards being a more sustainable and eco friendly brand, one of the biggest actions they have taken being going completely fur free in 2019.

Versace’s recent collections have been new and refreshing yet sticking to the brand’s signature recognisable style. One of its biggest collections as of late being “La Vacanza” which debuted in Cannes and is co-designed by famous singer Dua Lipa, one of Versace’s most prominent muses.