Fashion Brands: Branding Style from Armani to Zara

257 Pages·2005·0.8 MB·English

by  Mark Tungate

FASHION
BRANDS
Also available from Kogan Page
by the same author
Media Monoliths
How great media brands thrive and survive
“The most insightful and comprehensive analysis of MTV’s
international business published so far.”
Bill Roedy, President, MTV International Networks
“Essential reading for anyone interested in how the most powerful
media brands exert their influence.”
Bill Muirhead, founding partner, M&C Saatchi
In an increasingly cluttered media landscape, an elite group of brands
stands out: newspapers, magazines and broadcasters with longevity,
power, and instant brand recognition. Over decades – and often
centuries – they have consolidated their positions against fierce
competition, the rise and fall of the global economy and the
emergence of the internet.
How have they succeeded? What marketing strategies have enabled
them to thrive and survive in such a spectacular fashion? Can they
maintain their seemingly impregnable status in the new century? In
Media Monoliths, Mark Tungate takes us behind the scenes to reveal
what it takes to be a great media brand. For the first time, we are
given a rare insight into this fascinating world, and its key movers
and shakers. Media Monoliths will appeal to anybody interested in
successful brands, how they are marketed and the people behind
them. For all those studying or working in the media, it should be
compulsory reading.
ISBN 0 7494 4108 9(cid:1)published 2004
hardback(cid:1)272 pages + 16 page colour plate section
Available now from all good bookshops.
For further information, or to order online, visit Kogan Page on the web at
www.kogan-page.co.uk
FASHION
BRANDS
Branding Style from
Armani to Zara
Mark Tungate
London and Sterling,VA
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this
book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot
accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for
loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result
of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of
the authors.
First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2005 by Kogan Page Limited
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication
may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the
prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction
in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning
reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned
addresses:
120 Pentonville Road 22883 Quicksilver Drive
London N1 9JN Sterling VA 20166-2012
United Kingdom USA
www.kogan-page.co.uk
©Mark Tungate, 2005
The right of Mark Tungate to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 0 7494 4299 9
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tungate, Mark, 1967–
Fashion brands : branding style from Armani to Zara / Mark Tungate.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7494-4299-9
1. Fashion merchandising. 2. Brand name products. 3.
Advertising--Fashion. I. Title.
HD9940.A2T86 2005
687’.068’8--dc22
2005012312
Typeset by JS Typesetting Ltd, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Creative Print and Design (Wales), Ebbw Vale
For my sister,
whose fashion icons are Audrey Hepburn and The Ramones –
and who somehow manages to combine the two.
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
PAGE VI
Contents
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
1 A history of seduction 7
Style addicts 8
The first fashion brand 9
Poiret raises the stakes 11
Chanel, Dior and beyond 13
The death of fashion 17
The rebirth of fashion 19
Surviving the crash 22
2 Fashioning an identity 25
Controlling the plot 29
The Italian connection 32
3 When haute couture meets high street 39
Strategic alliances 40
Chic battles cheap 42
Stockholm syndrome 45
Viva Zara 49
4 The designer as brand 55
The new idols 56
How to be a designer brand 60
5 The store is the star 69
Retail cathedrals 71
viii Contents
Creativity drives consumption 74
Luxury theme parks and urban bazaars 76
6 Anatomy of a trend 81
The style bureau 82
The new oracles 85
The cool hunter 87
7 The image-makers 91
Portrait of an art director 94
The alternative image-maker 97
8 They shoot dresses, don’t they? 101
Brand translators 102
The limits of experimentation 106
9 This year’s model 109
Packaging beauty 111
Perfection and imperfection 115
10 Celebrity sells 119
11 Press to impress 125
12 The collections 131
The power behind the shows 132
Communication via catwalk 135
Haute couture laid low 138
Front-row fever 140
13 Accessorize all areas 143
Emotional baggage 146
A brand in a bottle 151
14 Retro brands retooled 157
Climbing out of a trench 159
The art of plundering the past 161
15 Targeted male 165
‘Very GQ’ 166
Fine and dandy 168
A tailor-made opportunity 171
Groom for improvement 174
Contents ix
16 Urban athletes 177
Getting on track 179
Expect a gadget 185
Stars and streets 186
17 Virtually dressed 189
The success story 190
Interactive catalogues 193
18 Brave new market 197
A promotional tightrope 199
From China with cloth 202
19 The faking game 205
20 Behind the seams 211
Sweatshop-free clothing 215
21 Style goes back to the future 219
From thrift to vintage 221
The politics of nostalgia 224
Conclusion 227
The consumer as stylist 228
Reactivity and personalization 229
‘Smart’ clothing 229
Ethical fashion 229
Branding via buildings 230
The end of age 230
References 231
Index 233