FASHION JOURNALMACK NIELSON

TABLE OF CONTENTSENTRY #1 PAGE 2

ENTRY #2 PAGE 3

ENTRY #3 PAGE 6

ENTRY #4 PAGE 7

ENTRY #5 PAGE 8

ENTRY #6 PAGE 9

ENTRY #7 PAGE 10

ENTRY #8 PAGE 11

ENTRY #9 PAGE 12

ENTRY #10 PAGE 14

ENTRY #11 PAGE 15

ENTRY #12 PAGE 16

ENTRY #13 PAGE 17

ENTRY #14 PAGE 19

2

MACK NIELSONENTRY #1: WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY

12-07-11

December 7, 2011

Pantone, Sephora in Deal for Makeup LineA COLORFUL PROJECT: WWD has learned that Pantone, the color forecasting and matching firm, has inked a deal with Sephora to do a Pantone-branded makeup line. The first fruits of the deal, a limited edition color cosmetics collection that will be available at Sephora stores and on sephora.com as an exclusive in March, is comprised chiefly of tangerine- and orange-shaded cosmetics and beauty accessories, ranging in price from $18 to $80. The effort is said to be part of Pantone’s Color of the Year project for 2012. Sources noted that the deal also allows for future Sephora-Pantone collaborations depending on the success of the initial lineup.

Pantone, the leading authority on color communication, is teaming up with the beauty retailer Sephora. This special collaboration will be available in March of 2012, as part of Pantone’s “Color of the Year” project. If the collaboration goes well, it is possible that efforts will continue, and more Pantone x Sephora collaborations will develop. Prices are set between $18-80, which is fairly average for Sephora collections.

In my opinion, collaboration with Sephora is a great idea, because it is such a renowned beauty retailer. The effort will bring attention to Pantone’s Color of the Year project, highlighting shades of orange this time around. People generally get excited about collaborations, and in the past, efforts such as Lady GaGa and Cyndi Lauper for MAC were sold at Sephora and sold out almost instantly.

3

MACK NIELSONENTRY #2: NEW YORK TIMES

12-09-11

Swatch, Supplier to Rivals, Now Aims to Cut Them OffBy RAPHAEL MINDER

GENEVA — The Swatch Group may be best known for its playful, plastic watches. But it also produces mechanical movements and other watch components that it sells to most of its rival timepiece makers.

Starting Jan. 1, though, the company will begin to cut back, and possibly eventually end, its sales of the inner workings to competitors to concentrate on producing watches with higher profit margins and to make sure it has enough supplies on hand for its own brands, including Longines, Omega, Tissot and Breguet.

Swatch’s move, which was approved by Switzerland’s competition authority, is being challenged in court by nine watch companies, many of them small and without the financial wherewithal to produce their own movements.

The plaintiffs predict that several companies will disappear because they have few other options for the parts, which must come from Switzerland to keep the lucrative “Swiss made” label. They also argue that if Swatch goes through with its withdrawal, the result could be as wrenching to the Swiss watch industry as the arrival of Japanese digital watches, which almost led to the industry’s collapse in the 1970s.

The dispute is fanning resentment of Swatch’s clout and size in an industry that is showing exceptional strength, as demand from Asians who want to communicate their wealth and taste overcomes the worldwide economic downturn and the strong franc.

“A lot of companies will cease to exist while Swatch, the monopoly operator, will simply get stronger,” said Peter Stas, the Dutch co-owner of Frédérique Constant, an independent watch company in Geneva that is one of the plaintiffs.

Mr. Stas acknowledged that it would have been nearly impossible for him to start out in watchmaking 23 years ago without access to Swatch’s production platform.

Swatch’s revenue last year of 6.44 billion Swiss francs, or about $6.95 billion, makes it by far the world’s largest watchmaker. The company insists that its goal is not to strangle competitors. And it argues that its withdrawal will require rivals to raise their spending on manufacturing, thereby strengthening the quality and competitiveness of the Swiss watch sector as a whole.

4

“In no other industry do you have one company supply all the critical parts to the people who then compete directly with it,” Nick Hayek, Swatch’s chief executive, said in an interview this year. Swatch said it had no further comment on the issue.

The Swiss watch industry is on course to easily surpass the record 17 billion francs’ worth of watches exported in 2008, according to Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. The group includes about 500 companies, ranging from the behemoth Swatch to boutique companies that make about 100 timepieces a year but sell them for more than $300,000 each.

“We are thankfully in a situation where demand, particularly from Asia, is growing faster than supply,” Mr. Pasche said.

Swatch’s dominance of watch manufacturing dates to the early 1980s, when Nicolas G. Hayek, father of the current chief executive, was entrusted by banks to take over two indebted watch companies. He merged them and turned the combined business into a mass-volume production platform for what the company’s Web site describes as “a low-cost, high-tech, artistic and emotional ‘second watch’ — the Swatch,” as well as for other brands.

The merger received the blessing of the competition authorities and was seen as a last-ditch attempt to save a sector whose work force had shrunk almost two-thirds in 15 years, to 33,000 employees in 1984.

Employment has since climbed back to 49,000, and watch companies now face the problem of recruiting enough qualified staff to meet their orders.

In June, the Swiss competition authority ruled that Swatch would be allowed to lower its deliveries of mechanical movements to third parties next year to 85 percent of the 2010 levels, pending an antitrust investigation and a final ruling on whether Swatch could stop supplies altogether. That ruling is expected in the second half of next year.

Mr. Hayek’s arguments are even endorsed by some former executives turned competitors.

Thanks to Swatch, “there is no other industry with such cheap entry costs,” said Jean-Claude Biver, who spent 12 years on Swatch’s executive committee before becoming chairman of Hublot, which is now part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury goods company and one of Swatch’s main rivals.

Hublot has been using Swatch components, but since 2007 it has invested 40 million francs to develop its own manufacturing capacity. It is on track to ensure that 75 percent of its revenue will come from watches made entirely in-house within three years, compared with 37 percent now.

But, Mr. Biver acknowledged, “the example of Hublot isn’t valid for everybody because you have to have a certain critical mass to justify such a heavy and long-term investment.” Hublot makes 29,000 watches a year, sold at an average of $27,000 each.

5

Companies with neither the margins nor the deep pockets of LVMH fear the worst. “We might as well close now if the only alternative is for us to have to invest in our own production,” said Alexandre Strambini, managing director of Edox, another plaintiff. The company produces 70,000 to 90,000 watches a year, with an average price of $1,600 to $2,200.

Even if Edox worked with other watchmakers to invest jointly in production, “I’m really not sure that we would reach sufficient volumes to make such a venture profitable,” Mr. Strambini said. Furthermore, he said, “this is a closed industry, with very little sharing among competitors.”

Outside the big watch fair events, “I have never met a director from another company,” he added with a wry smile. “We all somehow seem to believe that we are better than the others.”

In fact, the plaintiffs against Swatch filed their lawsuits separately. The largest among them, TAG Heuer, also owned by LVMH, recently withdrew its complaint. It declined to comment on its decision.

“So many companies are somehow reliant on Swatch that there should have been 100 plaintiffs,” said Miguel Garcia, owner of Sellita, the second-largest maker of movements in Switzerland.

Sellita joined the plaintiffs because it, too, is dependent on Swatch: it currently buys 50 percent of its movements from ETA, a Swatch subsidiary, which it then resells to watch companies.

Sellita is building a new factory, but production is not expected to start until 2015, which would leave some of Sellita’s 200 clients short of deliveries because of the cuts imposed by Swatch, Mr. Garcia said.

“We’ve accelerated our investment and production plans, but it’s like asking somebody to find overnight the secret formula to make Coca-Cola,” he said.

Olivier Müller, an independent watch consultant who also runs Laurent Ferrier, a boutique watch firm, said he expected Swatch’s arguments to prevail.

“This whole battle is the result of people completely underestimating the risk that at some stage Swatch could cut off rivals, which is a legitimate decision to make in a free market,” said Mr. Müller, who was a Swatch executive until 2001.

Swatch, he added, established “a quasi-monopoly not because of any ambition to control the market,” but because “everybody else was perfectly happy to spend everything on marketing rather than building up their own production.”

Swatch, a Swiss watch company, is currently one of the main producers of watch parts for watch companies around the world. As a result, other watch companies have been able to spend most of their business money on advertising and marketing, assuming they will continue to be able to purchase their watch parts from Swatch at a low price. Recently, however, Swatch has been deciding whether or not to

6

continue supplying parts to other companies, but would rather supply only the part necessary to make Swatch watches, allowing them to increase revenues and focus solely on their brand. Unfortunately for some of the other smaller watch companies, if Swatch stops supplying parts, they will no longer be able to function as a prosperous business, and it may lead to their demise.

I do not think it’s a bad idea for Swatch to stop supplying watch parts. They are a business of their own, and if they can make more money AND rid of some of their competition at the same time, it is a better business move to supply only the parts necessary to make Swatch watches. Unfortunately, it would lead to the demise of a lot of other smaller branches, but the way I see it, it is those small brands’ faults, because they decided to spend most of their money on marketing and advertising instead of developing technology to make better watches.

MACK NIELSONENTRY #3: VOGUE

12-09-11

FLASH BACK: THE TOP TWELVE FASHION TRENDS FROM 2011

Fashion is certainly guilty of being ephemeral. One day, hemlines have risen to micromini proportions; a week later everyone is wearing floor-grazing maxi skirts—and then, just when you thought nineties minimalism had officially made a comeback, a print explosion suddenly takes over the runways. This transitory nature is documented each month in the “Flash: Talking Fashion” section of Vogue—where we dissect the most compelling trends from the runways and feature the real women who wore them best. As the year draws to a close, we look back at each issue from 2011 and highlight the top twelve fashion and accessories trends that left a lasting impression on us.

Channeling that fluid seventies silhouette, the amply proportioned pant was on the loose.

The line highlighted in black refers to the wide leg pants trend which reemerged in 2011. The wide leg trend is also the item on which my group chose to focus for the analysis project earlier this semester. I think the wide leg trend is interesting because skinny legs have been in style for the last four or five years. It’s difficult to remember what it was like when everyone wore flare, bell bottom or boot leg jeans. Personally, I like the bell bottom and flare trend because they’re more flattering for women like me, with pear shaped bodies. The wide leg is slimming, leg elongating, cute with flats and heels, and you don’t have to be of a model’s proportions to pull off the look. It is, however, a look that is a definite ode to the past, and requires careful top and shoe planning. Oversized tunic tees can be difficult to pull off with bottoms that are already wide. Crop tops and body-con shirts are a better bet, but are not flattering for every figure.

7

MACK NIELSONENTRY #4 FASHION OBSERVATION

12-09-11

This season, it is all about the oversized fit for both men and women. Though oversized, slouchy, relaxed fits have been in for a few seasons for women, Givenchy has made the oversized move a must for men this season and next. Upon the highly anticipated release of Givenchy’s A/W 2011 men’s collection, the oversized Rottweiler print garbs were seen on celebrities everywhere, ranging from Kanye West to Rihanna and Liv Tyler. Bloggers and fashion fanatics around the world have been mimicking the style. Likewise, fellow fashion designer, Balenciaga, created an oversized sweater for women with the “Lassie-dog” print.

I really like the trend for both men and women. I think it’s interesting to see an oversized fit for men, because that is generally something associated with women’s fashion due to the emergence of the “boyfriend fit” a few years ago. I like the trend for men because it re-conceptualized a classic outfit generally worn on the streets (i.e. baggy denim, “big tees” and “tall tees”) that were once something associated with negativity. Now, Givenchy has made this look something that is sought after. Additionally, pairing the oversized look with skinny bottoms, which are increasingly more popular with men now, adds an element of differing proportions to the ensemble, making it more interesting.

8

MACK NIELSONENTRY #5

TRENDS:

Furs and leathers—Marc Jacobs features furs and leathers—real and faux. Many jackets are constructed with both fur and leather, some are one or the other, and some are both. There were also many pairs of leather pants and skirts. Animal hides and skins are very “in” this season. There were many pairs of shoes made from leather and Sherpa lining or fur lining, as well.

9

MACK NIELSONENTRY #6

10

MACK NIELSONENTRY #7: CURRENT RABRICS & COLORS

STYLE.COM12-10-11

CURRENT FABRIC:

CURRENT COLOR:

11

MACK NIELSONENTRY #8: TREND FORECAST

12-10-11

PREDOMINENT TRENDS AROUND THE WORLD: layering is a huge trend around the world, and always will be. Laying pieces to work with proportions, create dimension in ensembles, and to add interest to an outfit will always be in style. Similarly, in the UK, glitter, gloss and sheen are all in style. Metallic prints, sequins and glitter covered clothing can be seen in streetwear and on the runway. The trend is not privy to only England, though, Miu Miu’s latest collection for A/W 2011 boasted glitter coated peeptoes, and low end stores like Express are laying out racks of sequin embossed leggings. Lastly, hats are back in style. Fedoras were going out, and berets, porcupines, cloches and caps are the ultimate accessories this Fall and Winter season. Models at Rochas appeared in sky high caps, not unlike the trend witnessed at Lanvin’s and Galliano’s shows.

SPRING/SUMMER 2012 PREDICTIONS: I predict this spring will continue with oversized silhouettes taking the front seat. Wide legs will continue to be in, but bell bottoms and flared jeans will be most prevalent. I base this on my observations of the Givenchy pre-spring line and the pant silhouettes I have noticed in Urban Outfitters. Second, I think more interesting hats will emerge. Currently, the hats that are in style are classic, conservative fits. Givenchy’s A/W 2011 line features a cloche style hat with a brim and dog ears, which is a play on a classic style. I think hats like this will be dominant during the next few seasons.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2012 PREDICTIONS: Furs are starting to come back in style this winter. I think next Fall and Winter, styles with a leather and fur mix will be frequently seen on the runways. Layering fur over leather jackets is sort of in style now, so layering with leather and fur will only increase further. Low end stores like H&M, Forever 21 and Zara have lots of furs and faux leathers in their stores currently, so next season, it is likely to explode as a trend.

12

MACK NIELSONENTRY #9: VISUAL DISPLAYS

1)The Marc by Marc Jacobs window display is great. The models look like a pack of friends, all wearing the coolest, chicest outfits. They look like the group of popular kids at school whom everyone wants to be like. The background with the “Marc Jacobs” lettering in neon is a perfect attention drawer, and fits really well with the models. It adds to the “cool” aesthetic, without being overbearing or taking away from the clothes. Additionally, neon looks great a night, so even when the store isn’t functioning as a business, people who walk by are still inundated with the store’s branding in a subtle and interesting way.

13

2)Takashi Murakami pillow, cushion and characters display at RSVP Gallery. I like this display because the items are really high-end, whimsical and fun, and they are placed in an old, slightly grungy looking trunk. The juxtaposition between the edgy looking trunk and the high end, luxury merchandise is perfect for the boutique, which carries streetwear and high end clothing, books, accessories and functional art. The pillows, cushions and characters look really cute in the whimsical as there is no organization to the randomness of their placing.

14

MACK NIELSONENTRY #10: FILM FASHION

Last week, I watched the film Breaking Dawn: Part 1. Though the fashion was fairly average and common, I think the wedding scene could have an impact on future fashion trends. Bella, the main character was wearing a long sleeve, off-white wedding gown. In the past few years, strapless, halter and spaghetti strap wedding dresses have dominated, though I don’t think it’s unusual to expect long sleeve gowns to make a comeback. Kate Middleton wed in a long sleeve lace gown, which may have influenced the gown chosen for Bella in the film. I think the Twilight series are incredibly popular amongst teens and young adults, who are the ones who are beginning to think about their wedding gowns, and the types of styles they might be interested in. I personally think long sleeve gowns are beautiful and very flattering on almost anyone. I am excited to see if long sleeves come back in style as a result of current cultural affairs and the films that are influencing viewers.

15

MACK NIELSONENTRY #11: STYLE.COM COLLECTIONS

KELLY WEARSTLER DESIGN12-05-11

I chose this Kelly Wearstler outfit from the Pre-Spring 2011 collection. I chose this outfit because it is super wild. I love the checkered pants, because they’re a throwback to the 80s graphic prints, but they are modernized with the skinny leg. The model is also wearing pointed-toe pumps, which are resurfacing for the spring and summer months. The entire look has a punk, underground London vibe.

16

The clothing would most likely be sold in high end stores, like Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. My guess is Barney’s Co-Op store on Halsted would be the best fit, as Kelly Wearstler is not unbelievably unaffordable, and her clothing is youthful and whimsical with an edge. I think Bergdrof Goodman and Neiman Marcus are both too “old” for such an interesting and artistic set of clothing.

MACK NIELSONENTRY #12: RESPONSIBILITIES

12-10-11

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FASHION DESIGNER: A designers main roles are to become inspired and/or find inspiration in life, use it to create an idea for a line, draw the line and convey the idea. They are the one and only person full in charge of the creative direction behind a line of clothing. They find inspiration in anything, for example an art movement. At which point, they do research and find images. From the images, they re-create or create something new. They draw out their ideas, and conceptualize using a concept and inspiration board. On the concept (sometimes called “mood”) board, they include research images, a color palette, a collection title, and the season for which they are designing. Though the designer is not always the one who actually constructs the garment, they are responsible for overseeing the direction of the production.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FASHION BUYER: A fashion buyer generally works for a store and is in charge of bringing in the items that the store will sell. For example, I work at RSVP Gallery, and my friend Travis is the buyer for our store. He ultimately decides which brands we will bring in, which items from the brand’s collections, and how many of each item. He usually travels to meet with the directors of the brand, for example this January he will go to Paris to meet with Pierre Balmain, and he will see the collection. From there, he will work with the rest of us at the store to decide which items are right for our market, and which items would do best in our store’s setting. He meets with our accountant to make sure we have the money necessary to complete the buy, and he continues communication with the brands to make sure we are able to get the things we want during the time we want them.

17

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FASHION PRODUCT DEVELOPER: Fashion (apparel) product development entails a plethora of responsibilities. They are in charge of the actual production of the garments once they have been designed by the designer. They aid in the decision of fabrics, trims and embellishments. They help develop a cohesive and conceptually interesting line. Furthermore, they make sure the silhouettes, fabrics and colors go well together and work for the season.

MACK NIELSONENTRY #13: FASHION DON’TS

The first fashion faux-pas is a woman in a two-toned ombre pleather suit. Not only is the above suit horrendous, but the woman is wearing a matching bag and flip flops. Pleather is awful to begin with—very unflattering, hot, cheap looking and feeling. The bright colors are unflattering for her body, especially in the pleather material, as they draw attention to her bottom. The fabric is pulling around her legs, which makes her look wider. Additionally, the yellow and red color blocking is choppy and not done well, at all. Though I can’t see the front, I can imagine it is worse.

18

The second “fashion don’t” is the above woman in a halter-esque style shirt with her spaghetti strap style bra straps showing. Not only are the bra straps an opposing color compared to the shirt, but they are not even the same shirt style. Bras are considered undergarments, which are called undergarments for a reason: they are meant to go under your garments. They shouldn’t be showing. Additionally, her bra straps are too tight, and they’re making her back and shoulders look pudgy because they’re cutting into her fat.

I would like to say that this was once okay in the 90s, but let’s be honest, this is just awful. Justin and Brittany in matching Canadien tuxedos? The worst. Justin Timberlake’s all denim ensemble is awful firstly because the denim is flared. Flared denim is a women’s trend, the last time I checked. Next, the cowboy hat? Are you on a farm? Are you going to a beach? Case and point. Next, the fading on the blazer-style denim is awful. Why would denim sleeves ever look worn? When is a person ever rubbing their upper arms on anything long or hard enough for it to show wear? Please, please don’t ever wear an all denim ensemble in public, and please do not urge your girlfriend to match you in a floor length, patched denim gown.

19

Socks with sandals is the absolute worst case scenario I can even begin to imagine in the fashion world. The only way this could be worse is if those sandals were Crocs. If it is so cold, which is clearly isn’t, as this man is wearing shorts, that you need to wear socks, then you shouldn’t be wearing sandals. Sandals are a summer, MAYBE spring addition to the wardrobe. Socks are a winter and fall addition meant to be worn with closed toe shoes. If your feet are cold during sandal weather, please cover them with closed toe shoes. At no point should I ever see this in real life.

MACK NIELSONENTRY #14: CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The first fashion career in which I may be interested in the job I currently have. I do all the copywrite for RSVP Gallery. I write all of the descriptions for products and brands when they are added to the store. I upload all the information to the webpage. I also do all the writing for e-mail blasts, store newsletters, and employee meetings. Additionally, we are working on creating a web magazine, where I will do a lot of the writing. It’s a great fit for a fashion business student with a journalism minor, because it is a clothing, accessories, shoes and art store, and all the writing has to do with the items sold in the store. It’s a good fit for me because I like being in charge of things, and I like writing about fashion and art, because I find it interesting.

A second career that I may be interested in doing would be buying for a company. I feel that I am very knowledgable about fashion brands and their diffusion lines. I am a huge fan of Style.com, and I follow trends and emerging brands very closely. A buyer is essentially in charge of what is sold in the store, which is really exciting. You have to focus on analyzing trends, knowing what’s in style and what will be in style, and you have to constantly be in tune with your customers and your market. It doesn’t require amazing communication skills, but rather great

20

organization, hard work, and commitment to maintaining a great store in an ever-changing industry.

A third career I would be interested in would to own a boutique. I would like to own my own store because you get to make ALL of the decisions. I like being in charge, and I like when I get to choose everything. The owner of a boutique would be in charge of the buying and the copywriting, which are two jobs I want anyway. It also requires the ability to work well with others and the intuition on who to hire and how to maintain a successful business. It would be a good fit because my parents own their own business, and I have witnessed what works and what doesn’t in a business setting.

21