3.1 Phillip Lim

Phillip Lim: Weavers

This weekend I was unable to get as much done as I hoped, due to my part time job. However I have done my best to plan around this to ensure I do not fall behind. This morning I came across this short film posted on http://www.nowness.com/ that showcases Phillip Lims' A/W11-12 menswear collection. 3.1 Phillip Lim is one of my favourite brands. I have looked to the R-T-W and Menswear collection for inspiration when completing my capsule ranges for Collen & Clare.

Beach Tomato

Ling with Laverbread and Brown Shrimps

http://www.beachtomato.com/

I came across this site when researching beach trends, influences and brands to feature in my Collen & Clare Aldeburgh store. The site is full of fashion and beauty tips, beach icons, the best holiday destinations to visit and yummy exotic food recipes. This is a great site to check out - especially if you're going away somewhere nice and hot this year !

Press Preview: Barbour

Mens Capsule Collection with Japanese designer Tokihito Yoshida

MPDClick :: Global Fashion Intelligence :: trends :: trend journal :: press preview: barbour

Great article about Barbour's A/W 11-12 Collection on MPDClick. A very popular brand at Collen & Clare

My progress so far

Cashmere Jumper as part of my Collen & Clare capsule range. Named after tourist location positioned next to Aldeburgh

I have got so much research done and visited several stores, now I just need to get it down on paper, I have got my cads for Collen & Clares' own brand, its just going to be a small collection of 'must haves for the season' which will be exclusive to the Aldeburgh store. I will use today to get most of the points in the Intro bubble written up on the computer as I have most of these as notes on my Blackberry and notebook. Once this is done I can carry on with my Space/Location, I already have my retail space along with all its details in terms of selling space and stockroom space which I will work on as part of my merchandising unit.

Last day in Suffolk

Some of the photos from the walk

It was my last day in Suffolk today, I went for a walk down to the beach with my mum, dogs and my camera this morning.

Aldeburgh

The retail space I plan to rent. Several key locations in Aldeburgh including the town steps and the boating lake.

I began my day off with a visit to Aldeburgh today, the weather was lovely on the drive over but as soon as I got there it was slightly cloudy, [however] I was still able to get a few pictures of the seaside town and my retail space. I also carried out a couple of comp shops whilst I was there to check out Collen & Clare's future competitors, but there wasn't anything particularly exciting - C & C is definitely what the highstreet is missing! For lunch I ate at The White Lion Hotel - which has recently been refurbished; the food was amazing and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area, there are several key eateries and hotels in the area that I have visited before such as The Wentworth and The Brudenell, all positioned along the seafront. After lunch I visited Saxmundham (where my previously holiday home was), there are several new stores in the area that I wanted to visit to see what brands and trends they were stocking. I found that a lot of the boutiques sold homewear and furniture (a possible opportunity for the C & C in the future?). I then went back to Southwold to carry out a SWOT analysis on Collen & Clares' current store, and to finish comp shopping.

Southwold

 Southwold Hotspots.

A few Southwold hotspots, including The Crown Hotel and The Swan Hotel, I have never stayed here before (as I live down the road), although I have eaten at them and they serve up great food! They are in a great location - positioned on the highstreet (alongside Collen & Clare). Both hotels attract the same customer as C & C. The Lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction along with The Pier. The Harbour has an amazing view and you can take a small boat across the water over to Walberswick or take the bridge across - its a nice walk and have done it several times with the dogs. Walberswick (along with Southwold) is very popular with celebs who want to keep a 'low profile' and great if you like sandy beaches, but is very windy !