The Fundamentals: Mood and Market

I remember way back in first year (well at least it feels like way back), the concept of a 'mood' board to summarise fashion was a little confusing. I always had such trouble with it; getting the images and words right, getting the layout out right...needless to say I could never get it quite right. What I have learnt this year is that it's just about doing it in your own way, in your own style. I'd never been one for fancy photoshop skills and all that jazz, so I decided to stick to what I knew and kept it simple.
A few key images, if right, can set the mood of a collection. I like to add a few word descriptions in too, for the words you just can't find images for. I like to put in a personal image like this photo from Barcelona, and contrast it with a fashion image that summarises my designs best. Then other images like the sunflower for example, help to create an uplifting, summery and chilled feeling to the collection.

Colour is a great way to distinguish mood, which is why I always like to put my colour palette in my mood board. As we all know, colours have connotations with different feelings and emotions, therefore including colour in a mood board helps tie together all the images and create an overall wholeness to the collection.


A market board on the other hand brings us back to the reality of fashion as an industry. Some would say the most important part of fashion is how it sells; if the market isn't right, it won't sell. Market focuses on where in the fashion market clothes are aimed at, from high street to couture. It then creates the 'ideal' target market, whether it be male or female, of a specific age and the context of which the clothes will be worn. In-depth research would look at the 'type' of person in your market, suggesting a personality, interests, and lifestyle, as this can all affect how someone chooses to dress.

My market has developed from my current collection, which was smart, sophisticated day wear and outerwear for Autumn/Winter. For this Spring/Summer collection, the clothes are slightly more casual and simple. I thought Zara would be the ideal high street store to suit my designs, as they have a strong focus on simplicity and classic styles for my suggested age range. I have also focused my designs to be suitable for holiday wear; something that's practical but stylish and comfortable all at the same time.

I hope you have enjoyed all my uni work updates. With our fashion show at Free Range in London next week, more photos alongside my general chit-chat will no doubt follow shortly!