The wanky top model's new clothes

I will spare myself a lot of time by giving you some of the lyrics:

The newspapers shout a new style is growing, but it don't know if it's coming or going, there is fashion, there is fad some is good, some is bad and the joke is rather sad, that its all just a little bit of history repeating

The press never tires of repeating itself. And recently,in a very long line of designer-celeb collaboration with retail, they ceaselessly babble about the Kate Moss's "collection" for Top Shop, to the point where people are starting to get bored...

But the Top Shop collection is even more specific in terms of marketing stunt in the sense where there's no design made originality. Kate Moss is well known to buy a lot of clothes fromTop Shop. Moreover, the entire "collection" simply copies items worn by Kate Moss who mixes Top Shop items with designers clothing and the marketing stunt is not ashamed to say it, hence avoiding the critics since they do it in our face. Basically, since they claim the collection is a copy, it is OK.

To me, it is a bit a case of the Emperor New Clothes: the emperor being Philip Green manufacturing collections that partly were already sold by Top Shop. In other word, Kate Moss's collection hardly is a collection, rather a gathering of her own wardrobe. One can hardly speak of design!

But what is more insane to me is that the absurdity of this marketing stunt in terms of products: why pay £75 for boots that are a copycat of a £84 original ( only £8 difference) especially when Kate Moss herself keeps wearing the original Minnetonkas as she is been seen the past days on some "people" press photographs... Also, in the "Kate Moss Line" was seen a buttoned tank top, a classic that can be find for half the price ( of course, without the stupid label)

Basically, this is pure marketing stunt, an illusion. An excellent case of marketing and PR stunt.

CONCEPTUAL FASHION : ORTHO-EROTIC

When Fashion mixes orthopedics and whore style it becomes conceptual...

There are times in fashion when ugliness is " de rigueur". This summer, Fendi and Chanel lead the way thanks to their common Creative Director : Karl Lagerfeld.



Unfortunately, whenever I see these shoes featured in my magazines , invariably the orthopedic sandals my mother -in law wear come to my mind... So one can imagine my confusion when I associate these with erotica!

That is fashion. Fashion is here to mark the minds and to stretch the lines between what is beautiful and what is ugly ... However, considering what Coco Chanel once said: a woman should be two things: classy and fabulous, I wonder to what category these shoes above do belong.

Not the one to follow fashion blindly anyway, I nevertheless think that fashionistas will plebiscite the model to prefer to it the bi-colour pumps by Mr Lagerfeld for the 2004 collections: this is a creation in the true Chanel spirit... A Keeper.

Faking the cool

Mont Blanc has been known for generations as a maker of high-quality pens and other writing tools. As a teenager becoming aware of the world of prestige and luxury, Mont Blanc was to me an exterior sign of success, a typical gift any business(wo)man wannabe would get for Christmas or for the 50 y.old birthday, etc.

With the development of computers, sales of writing instruments probably fell and Mont Blanc certainly saw its main source of revenue dry out by the year... In any economical case, Mont Blanc shareholders would put the pressure to develop the company's activities.

As a strategy result, we have seen the product range expanding the past few years. Instead of remaining in the writing and business segment, they started to sell accessories such as belts, jewellery, eyewear, perfume, cologne and watches.

Everyone knows Mont Blanc in the world; the value of the brand is so high that they couldn't let it die with pen's usage or become a small niche market. This is why they work hard to convince us thanks to heavy marketing that Mont Blanc jewels are as great as Chanel Joaillerie or Van Cleef and Arpels.

Even though their pens are of a great craftmanship and their star shaped diamond is cutting-edge, I am very anxious to know whether the marketing will manage to convince us that they are jewel makers...

I am always very suspicious when a brand is heavily featured in magazines through ads but almost inexistent in the editorial pages. So, I made a mini survey among my friends, from all different genders and personnalities. The biggest result was that Mont Blanc still has a very established reputation, almost old-fashion and the second was that most people would rather buy competitors jewellery than Mont Blanc's for they are not perceived as professionals.

I am anxious to see how the brand will evolve and see whether the strategy was right or if one can't fake the COOL FACTOR...