The Kick Start.

"You are a designer setting up a new company. As the designer, you are going to design a small range (or collection), but how will you brand this collection and define your niche in the market? This project will be done in the form of a blog or website."

In the creative arts, you must discipline yourself to think creatively and find inspiration on the spot rather than have inspiration find you. It's something that I've struggled for a very long time, and university courses like these are designed to discipline you in this area. I say this because instead of focusing on this part of the project, quite frankly, I have not done much thinking at all for this project for the past two weeks. My first formative assessment is tomorrow, it is 8AM the day before, and my creative juices are flowing (thank goodness).

When we met on the 28th of January, all the other girls were on a blank as to what sort of company/brand they wanted to create. So was I. After going around and hearing Kirsty's comments and advice, my mind circulated on an idea of a brand that's true to me and that fits in today's market. What's the next big thing in the fashion industry? How can you sell clothes a better way? How can you give a different experience? The first thing I think when I hear a company giving you some sort of experience is Apple. Or it could be going to a restaurant for the first time. One of my favorite foods is ribs. When I first went to a restaurant called 'Famous Daves', I was enthralled when I saw waiters coming out with large trays yelling out "FIEST FIEST FIEST". Though it was absolutely ridiculous, it added to the experience of the restaurant. Or eating at my favorite cajun/seafood restaurant, The Boiling Crab. The entire environment from waiting almost an hour just to get seated in a super busy/loud environment to the tagged up wooden walls, to eating all your food with your hands served on a table with white butcher paper laid out. It's the entire experience that makes waiting 40 minutes worth while. Kirsty talked about how coffee shops are different from one another. What makes one coffee shop so different that customers are loyal to it? This is something I related to easily because I worked in a particular coffee shop for 3 years. How is Peet's Coffee and Tea different to Starbucks Coffee? Costa compared to Cafe Nero?

Anyways, I finally figured out that I wanted to do a clothing brand designated for California girls, but can be worn by anyone really. Even California has its cold months. I haven't quite decided yet, but I was thinking to strictly make this store online.