Design
The brands I’ve decided to pick for my competitors are Cecilie Bahnsen, Erdem, Simone Rocha, Miu Miu and Molly Goddard. I’ve selected these because they are ready-to-wear which combine historical and contemporary features as well as craft. Cecilie Bahnsen are passionate about sustainability and craftmanship, most of their items are either black or white which are timeless colours. The styles are effortless and feminine.
‘’ Her aim is to craft effortless clothes that last and that can transform the wearer, with unexpected combinations of softness and structure, minimal and maximal, perfect and imperfect. Each collection builds on the previous one to develop a world of pieces that can be cherished for years, passed between friends, and reinterpreted and restyled to express the individuality of the wearer.’’ (Cecilie Bahnsen)
Simone Rocha is a brand I’ve always liked especially because I enjoyed my internship there. They incorporate a lot of traditional crafts into their designs but in an unexpected and contemporary way. Victorian silhouettes strongly influence the designs but don’t look like costumes, instead they are combined with staple contemporary garments like white shirts, leather jackets and trench coats.
Erdem design feminine garments such as dresses and blouses that incorporate historical silhouettes such as those from the regency period. They offer a good range of inclusive sizes as well unlike may of the other brands I researched.
Miu Miu have a fun, girly aesthetic and don’t perhaps fits completely into my market, but from my research I came across a pink bomber jacket with a similar historical silhouette to mine. I also did further research in Selfridges and found more examples of bomber jackets.
Lastly Molly Goddard is a brand best known for smocking and shirring which is the focus of my project, therefore this brand is an obvious competitor. The garments are often bright and bold, with statement voluminous silhouettes which isn’t like my designs, but the reinvention of a traditional craft fits with my work.
None of these brands are exactly like mine but I wouldn’t want my designs to replicate another brand. By having features of each of these brands I would have potential customers, whilst still maintaining a unique style.
There are many other brands that I’ve researched such as upper high street brand Arket, Cos and Totem which all have a minimalist, timeless style. But the smocking feature of my designs takes a lot of time to produce so wouldn’t fit within this price bracket. This is why I have chosen ready-to-wear. The designs cold perhaps ft into couture due to the craftsmanship but these garments are extremely expensive and unaffordable for most.