RESPONSIVE

Yorkshire to tie in with the I wanted to evaluate the module to give a critical and self-evaluation on how I feel the project has gone and how I have overcome problems.

Firstly My Research:

I have completed mass amount of research on brands. original competitors for the original idea, touched based with similar competitors, explored different printing techniques, different printers, primary research at the mine, research into the rave scene and how it has influenced josh’s colours. I have also experimented graphically and clearly shown this throughout my blog. Me and Josh worked a little bit together at the beginning and reconstructed a cap together this is why this is on my blog but everything else design was down to josh. I have always asked his permission when putting something that we both did and clearly stated it. The research has had a massive influence on my final outcome of the branding the colour scheme and development has all come from the research element and I feel I have shown a deep understanding within the research sector.

Secondly My Visual Quality and Innovation 

On my half of the project, I feel I have clearly explored innovative techniques within the fashion industry and still kept in mind the sustainability aspect as clearly mentioned below using vegetable oil toners and FSC paper and further responsible ideas within the shoot etc. Visually I feel I capture the true essence of the branding linked with the miners, using the black overlay which was an expensive technique but decided the look and aesthetic were worth it as this really was a key element. Being quite graphic and including an accent colour has allowed me to really develop visually the brand. Everything I have done has a meaning or concept behind it when it comes to the visual aspects ie the billboards have been located in Leeds and Yorkshire to tie in with the theme I have constantly consider and explored alternatives to show I am complete with the best innovative brand and printing element.

Thirdly My Critical Awareness

I feel I have definitely had critical awareness throughout as my branding and communication responds to the issues assigned of sustainability clearly stated below. I have taken a critical awareness in the branding, market research, competitors, costing, where I would sell - all these have developed my brand as a whole and have always compared/contrasted or strengths and weakness to show I am truly evaluating the possibilities.

Finally My Professionalism

I have definitely learnt a lot about my industry that I am entering when finishing my degree liaising with printers and trying to collaborate with branding whether I have followed through with them or not I have always explained why. Everything on my blog is my own work - anything that mean and josh did together I have stated clearly and then have continued my own body of work throughout my blog and my submission elements. To ensure I am being professional and sensitive to the subjects and issues raised by our brand I have always taken into consideration the sensitivity of our core brand ethos and made sure what I am writing is pure fact and not fiction this was done by the primary research at the mining museum. I have been very professional with my partner I a happy with what we have completed together and have always stayed in contact from the get go. I have missed a few session due to underlying health issues but always let josh and the tutors know in advance so I didn't miss anything and continued to work from home and as you can see I feel I haven't really missed anything out.

Here is the final printing picked up today, overall I am really proud of the outcome and feel the black overlay of the Spot UV really has captured the branding the way I want it to, It really pops with the accent colour as well!

I found the whole process quite challenging at the beginning trying to communicate the theme and concept without knowing what josh was going to make because it has changed several times throughout the past six months of the module. However giving him a deadline put pressure on josh and he completed the hat this was when I really started to explore the branding and aesthetic of the process and how to link it with the product. As the product ended up being really bright I wanted to keep the branding with the sophisticated dark black on black element and then just added the accent colour of the orange to bring it all together. Obviously the branding name “Boar Nest” is from the slang used in the miners community where women were not allowed linking the hat as its a female bucket hat with the branding. I have shown the few images above to show even though the colour palette has vasly changed from the hat and the actual logo and branding it just works and ties it all together. 

This is how I will be presenting mine and josh’s Ethos/Philosophy within a lookbook as the images relate to what is being said. Including all photos, logos and again the coheshive branding.

Our philosophy at Boar Nest begins with the heritage of our very own brave and beautiful women. Challenged in the mining industry both at home and in the mines, our very name 'Boar Nest' is named after the miners pits that women were not allowed to enter.

Gender equality is a present day issue, that has run through the mining industry in many ways. Women in the industry were able to work alongside men, yet their rights were taken away very quickly. Looked down upon for earning their own wage in a society where opportunities for women were very few and far between beyond running a home.

We may have made progress today in comparison, for example, women were not allowed to own their own property, however today they can. There are still further issues to address like the glass ceiling in the workplace. Our brand defies this socially presumed status quos. With this in mind, we see our past and present women as champions of equality and as powerful role models. Demonstrating that women can work one level with men in the past and continue to do so in the future.

Our brand now giving the new independent women in today's society finally a chance, allowing them freedom of all aspects of their lives. Combining this with a sustainably viable accessory.

The Boar Nest accessory is largely produced from high-visibility polyester fabric, which was a type of personal protective equipment for miners - the basis of history for the Boar Nest product. The accessory captures the history of the UK miner's industry, from the scandalous images of topless women and girls who worked in mines and appeared in 'The Times' newspaper for the first time in May 1842, to the UK miner's strike of 1984-85, which changed Britain forever.

Sustainable fashion became more prominent during the years of the miner's strike, making the link between it and mining stronger for the ethos of Boar Nest. Also during this time a wave of feminism took place, the birth of rave culture and denim increased in popularity, from the catwalks to the riot run streets in the 1980's. Boar Nest encapsulates all of these social changes.

The hat is reversible which shows that the accessory can be adapted for a number of occasions which will minimize the cost people have to spend on different items and will reduce environmental impact. One side has fluorescent yellow fabric and reflective bands with an image printed onto it from the National Coal Mining museum. All inks are used for the print, so this does not add to pollution. The other side has similar fabric which has not been printed on.

The brand is using thrown away hi-vis jackets and taking the small area of fabric it produces to recreate an environmentally positive fashionable product. This provides safety in darkness, prevents landfill waste and ensures that history is still part of 21st-century fashion.

There is a mix of bright hi-vis colors and reflective silvers which reflect both the modern mines and the birth of rave. The target market for the product is young adults as these consumers are the future of sustainable fashion.

COSTINGS AND MARKET POSITION-

I was told that this module wasn't as intense as previous modules, however, I feel just to make sure I don't miss out anything I wanted to create a costings sheet. The total hat cost with taking into consideration of mark up retail and VAT - the price would be £107 pounds. It is quite a high price but the sustainablity aspect always adds the extra cost - as things are always more expensive. If we were to make a big production of this it would defintely be cheeper. I have considered the fact that even though the first materials were donated to use that perhaps we would have to start paying for the cut off materials eventually but have only priced this as cheap as 10p a metre. It has also taken into consideration that the branding again would be more expensive due to using sustaibilty aspects, however due to the customer we are selling to which I have previously spoken about on my blog there heritage of the miners and there interest into enviromentally friendly aspects this wouldnt phase them and they are also getting two hats essetially due to the reversability aspect. 

I feel I need to make it as clear as possible as my blog as it is very research based and developing ideas for print and I wanted to make a specific post to explain as the communicator of the pair what I have done and fully researched and developed to ensure I am responding to the modules brief and requirements within sustainability. 

I feel I have considered the breifs conceptual area we have taken an industry which was deemed as not sustainable any more and given it a bit of publicity again and acknologde the work that wome had and the equality - using inspiration from our primary rsearch at NCM and taken the idea of hard hats and turned it into a fashionable reversible product. The concept is quite complex and wants to make a stance on many different things but I feel these are the best concepts connecting with a customer with heritage and evolving this with todays fashion issues like sustainability.

I have mostly responded with my element with of sustainbility as best as communication students can do for example I will be sumitting my final boards digitally (saving paper).

The printing element I have printed is with a company called Hobbs which have cost me a lot more that printing all at uni - they use vegtable oil toners and all FSC certified papers this really is all I can achieve with the money element being a big issue if I really could afford to I would of used Pure print who soley print with vegtable toners and inks with fully recycled paper however this was just not possible with the price quoted.

The printing I did at uni which were the stickers and the postcards I used recycled mountboard which again got on line however did pay a little extra for but was worth it as the core and surface paper of this 14-ply, eco-friendly mounting board from Crescent are both made from 100% recycled paper fibers. So again I knew i would be responding to the sustainability factors.

Also on the postcards I recycled the work that me and paul created for the back drop of the second shoot so this would be wasted it was used as part of the branding so again things arent going to waste, I also have used the clips for the postcards and the media pack from my boyfriends company as they use to use them all the time as a promtional thing and would of gone into the bin and thought I could use as part of a branding aspect as these types of things would of been used in the mines on the clipboard done there so again just has referencing throughout my branding of the mines and the meanings.

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT-

Here is an overview of how much I have communicated with the printers I couldn’t possibly screen shot every email there's probably over 50 emails between me and the manager and the development and manufacturers this is because of the different layers needed for the Spot UV print and the sizing and problems arising with the bleed of the lookbook, all sorts of problems to do with printing negotiation on prices as that finishes is a high priced finish - which after negotiation and a little bit of charm I have got everything down to £150 pounds which are a little high but there was no way I was going to do the printing without the finish as this is a HUGE part of the element. I actually really enjoyed this part of the module communicating with professionals I find quite natural as I am pretty confident and not afraid to ask questions. I feel this part of the module has really exposed me to the part of the industry I obviously need to know a lot of as print is a huge thing in fashion and again taught me a lot about what actually can be achieved in house at LCA and other printers.

LINKING THE BRANDING - EXPLORING IDEAS?

These are some of the final images of the Art direction shoot, I am really happy and proud of the outcome considering it was my first time and I did it all on my own, I tried to place items that were relivant to the theme of our brand and product. Creating the B and N, buying from Hobby Craft and then spray painting them with the colours of the brand as prviously shown in earlier posts.