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 !

I'm here!

My beautiful Dogs - Coco and Daisy. Collen & Clare. Elly Botilda. The Harbour - Southwold.

This weekend I am visiting my holiday home in Southwold, (Suffolk); so I can get on with my FMP. The Collen & Clare store is currently only in Southwold; So as soon as I arrived I went straight up to the highstreet to check out the stores current windows to see what trends they were featuring ready for comp shopping tomorrow. There is also a couple new stores on the high street since I was last here: There is a new womenswear boutique called Elly Botilda,and a new kidswear store called Oscar & Rose , these will be key competitors for C & C. The weather has been lovely this evening, so couldn't miss this opportunity to snap some photos, I love photography and the sunset on the harbour was stunning. Tomorrow the plan is to complete a SWOT analysis for Collen & Clare and to visit Aldeburgh (where I plan to open a new C & C store) so I can check out my retail space and local competitors.

Donna Ida to revamp Online Store

Donna Ida - Westfield. Read the Drapers Article Here

A recent article posted on drapersonline.com talks of how denim indie Donna Ida, plan to relaunch their website in August. The new and improved site plans to create the same experience online as you receive in store - I love this idea! I have visited Donna Ida's store in Westfield and you receive an amazing shopping experience every time. As most retailers have seen an incredible boost in sales due to online shopping, I think its the right move for retailers to invest in their online stores. Collen & Clare currently have an online website, however I feel there is room for improvement; so this is something I will definitely be looking at during my FMP.

First week back at The Academy

Karren Brady at The Fashion Retail Academy. Front page of my SOI presentation.

The first week [commencing 2.5.11] back at FRA and Level 4 were off timetable, I used this as an opportunity to continue with my research for my FMP.  The week started off on Thursday with a Masterclass with Karren Brady, you probably recognise her from The Apprentice (which starts today), however she was previously CEO of Birmingham City FC, and now Vice-Chairman of West Ham United FC, and most recently Non-Executive of Arcadia. Karren Brady was a fantastic speaker, very charismatic and such a great inspiration for women! She gave great advice which I felt really related to me and many other students at this stage, who are applying for jobs, as well as information to take forward to the future in terms of progressing in such a tough industry. Key words included Passion and Determination. The week ended with my Statement of Intent (SOI) presentation, which was part of my DPP (Developing Personal Progression) lesson, this went really well and I feel I received positive and encouraging feedback from Debbie and Justin in terms of my FMP and presentation skills.

Welcome !

Hello, I'm Anais and welcome to my blog ! I'm studying a level 4 Diploma in Buying and Merchandising and this blog is part of my Final Major Project (FMP). I will be writing about my progress and what I have been up to in my final term at The Academy. You can also follow me on Twitter @anaissamuel