Controra Fashion Club

As a second intervention, and result of the resarch I’ve been doing so far, I am planning an online event (seminar) for emerging designers that will take place next week, on Tuesday (August 23rd) between 5pm and 6pm. The purpose of this event is for emerging designers and young entrepreneurs to meet each other and discuss the joys and pains of setting up a business, plus what opportunities exist out there that some might know about and others might not.

The invitees are:

IBEAM Fashion (Ibeam and Leanne) – focus on sustainability and ethical luxury;

by KK Fashion (Kate) – focus on sustainability and customer experience;

Monozygotic (Daisy) – focus on sustainability and inclusivity;

Exidermis (Ester) – an upcycling project, with unique pieces, focus on individuality and storytelling through clothes.

Aniela Fidler Wieruszewska – a fashion creative who works for the Centre for Sustainable Fashion.

Special guests will be Keri, a fashion journalist and editor who also came to my first intervention (upcycling workshop), and journalist and fashion expert Cecilia Mezzi.

I will update after the intervention, reflecting on outcomes and everything that will be brought up during the discussion.

I have been a fan of this company for a while, not only for the quality of the products they sell, but also for their approach to fashion: slow, sustainable, and community-oriented. For instance, back in May I attended their New Designer Party, where I met two lovely emerging designers who I ended up interviewing (https://tomes.vague.digital/presents/voices-ibeam-fashion).

I am currently still in touch with them and we plan on doing more creative projects together. I also asked them what kind of event (as in events I envision taking place in a retail space) they’d like to attend, and they said that it would indeed be beneficial to them to be in a space where they can meet other emerging designers and potential customers.

I am attending another event in September, called HOOP STATION: “During this exclusive event, guests will get a sneak-peek of the new collection from THE HOOP STATION and meet the boutique label’s CEO in person.”

I like the idea of a CEO meeting their customers in person, giving them advice and showcasing their products. To me it shows true passion and love for one’s craft, and willingness to go that extra mile.

On August 1st I went to two shops that I had previously researched and liked as they had all the retail elements I’m looking for (one I had also emailed a few weeks ago but did not hear back). I also contacted an emerging designer who I’m going to talk to and potentially collaborate with. 

Luna & Curious: a small boutique in East London founded by three creatives, selling only small, independent brands (fashion and home wear) in a colourful, well-curated and cosy space. I particularly like that they introduce new emerging designers regularly. The owners weren’t there but I talked to the shop assistants who took my contact details and said they’d tell their employers to reply to my previous email. 

Couture Collective – Independent Creatives: a small shop in West London. Founded and curated by emerging designers, who also make their garments in a space located within the shop itself. The lovely lady who was working there when I went is one of the designers and showed enthusiasm about my project. She told me about the Zero-Emissions Arts Market, London’s first zero-emissions market, launched earlier this year by the Hammersmith council to help emerging designers in an eco-friendly way/space. The designer said it was a cool event, and the council even sent people in electric cars to pick up the garments that she was going to be selling at her stall (as she doesn’t drive). However, she also pointed out that sadly not many people were there – which made me think maybe not many people knew about it? She also told me that, after a good period for sales post-pandemic, sales have slowed down now both in store and online. As I was leaving she gave me her business card as well as another designer’s, and said to get in touch, which I will definitely do. 

By KK: I also contacted an emerging designer, Kate, who I met personally and purchased from. I admire her work ethic and the fact that she personally delivers the garments when a customer asks for a free fitting (like I did) and just seems genuinely passionate about fashion – slow fashion that is also affordable. She said she’s happy to talk to me, so we’re scheduling a phone call to talk about her business and what she thinks she needs at the moment to grow and thrive. 

I’m thinking that that’s what I should be focusing on in the next phase of my research: how can I champion and connect all these creatives, with each other and potential customers? It’s becoming clear to me that there are many opportunities out there and events that some small brands don’t even know about – they should focus on creating and coming up with new design ideas, whilst someone else thinks about the more social and event-planning side of running a small business. And this is where even activation comes into play, and could be a way for them to reimagine their own brands or simply find new ways to reach out to the outside world, that is often perceived as an overwhelmingly rich tapestry to unthread. 

Could I be the un-threader?

As part of my research, I decided to visit Dover Street Market for the first time. As we walked through the entrance, my friend and I were greeted into this futuristic space, with dresses kept in glass cages and guarded by a gigantic baby (alas, just a statue).

The ‘I’m not like other girls’ of retail. In a good way.

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to feel the luxurious (and expensive) fabrics, excited about what the next floor would look like – more unsettling statues, or perhaps tin foil on the walls?

Five floors, many famous luxury brands (Gucci, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Molly Goddard, Simone Rocha to name a few). Each brand with its own space designed to fit its aesthetic. As I was marveling at the garments, however, I also realised that all this attention to detail, all this beautifully crafted world of clothes and accessories, seems to gravitate around the fact that all the brands are very famous – giving us, two poor students, the illusion of being part of something that we can’t quite be part of (not yet). There wasn’t a sense of community, not one that I could feel at least. It was thoroughly entertaining, like walking through an eccentric museum of luxurious, sellable garments.

With my project, I think I want to focus more on that community aspect that I felt was lacking. Why are people interested in fashion? What brings us together? Also, I think emerging designers without the glitz and fame should too be able to have more creative ways to showcase their collections and ideas to potential customers. Is this, perhaps, what I should be focusing on right now?

I have reached out to an emerging designer I met not too long ago to see if we can have an informal chat, so I can listen to what she needs and figure out how I can help. For instance, helping her find a space, such as a stall at a pop-up market – in fact, I recently also reached out to Creative Babes, a community created by Alice, who champions and supports emerging brands and small businesses who can apply to have a stall at one of the events organised by them.

I wonder how many emerging designers are aware of opportunities like this, and what my role could be in helping them grow and thrive.

As the time to go back home approaches, I’ve been thinking about the best way to utilise those weeks.

My previous post was about the name of this project, controra, and fact that it encapsulates an entire world; the world I was born and raised in.

Since I will soon be spending some time in this world, re-experiencing the still beauty and beautiful stilness of controra, what better opportunity than to explore the correlation between my culture and what I am trying to achieve with this project?

I would really love to spend some time investigating my interest in fashion, and what sparked it, not only by going back to my childhood but also by looking at my family history. I want to find and put together some photos of my grandmother, mother, and aunt, looking at how they used to dress back in the 50s/60s/80s/90s, then writing about all this. How their different styles have influenced my own.

I will be posting on social media as well, to see how people react to this little nostalgic investigation, and if they find it interesting at all.

In terms of my intervention, I am still trying to secure/find a place where it could take place, but also trying to understand what I really want to focus on. I think also that the type of event will change based on the brand/retailer’s interests and needs – so, for instance, it could an event for emerging designers or a workshop for the community. But again, in order to figure that out I need to understand what the specific shop needs and how I can help them.

I was reading a paper about slow fashion, and how it stems from the Slow Food movement, which started in Italy in 1989 – the opposite of fast food, promoting the idea of living and producing more mindfully, respecting people and the environment.

This made me think about my choice of naming this project Controra. I initially chose it because controra is deeply ingrained in my culture, and I wanted to do a project that could tackle some issues currently present in my region (namely the place branding). So the name was perfect. One word, conveying a whole world and way of life.

Even when I then changed my mind and decided to do a project about fashion and retail spaces instead, I still kept the name.

I have been asking myself why. Why controra, now that I’m not directly talking about my culture?

I knew, deep inside, that controra had to be the name, but now I’ve fully realised the reason behind it. I think it’s because it’s always been about taking the time to savour things – life moments, experiences, food. A shopping spree. An event in a retail shop, meeting like-minded people. Amplify the voices of those who are trying to make a difference in the fashion industry, those who put time and care into making their dreams come true.

And this is why this project is called controra.

source: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9976/htm

I came across an interesting and quite recent article about Retailtainment, titled RETAILTAINMENT: WHY EXPERIENTIAL RETAIL IS THE FUTURE OF SHOPPER ENGAGEMENT, which basically explains the key points of this fairly new concept and why it’s relevant (https://www.tokinomo.com/blog/retailtainment-is-the-future-of-shopper-engagement).

Having found the author on LinkedIn, I then decided to get in touch and ask for further clarification. I am also waiting to hear back from a professional stylist with whom I’d like to discuss my idea for a second intervention.

This coming week I will be going to retail shops to discuss my idea with the owners, and hopefully, find someone interested in the idea of using their space to create a (fashion) community.

I don’t think emerging designers are necessarily the ones I can ask for help, at least not right now (I talked to a couple of people I met in a pop-up store in South London and they seemed more concerned about finding a space to sell their designs, which is fair), but I’m investigating how I can help them – for instance, by hosting events where they can network with fashion professionals. I have messaged a couple of emerging designers I know – and incidentally met during a party event that took place in a retail shop – and am waiting to receive feedback from them.

Slowly making progress.

I have reached out to a professional stylist and am waiting to hear back from her. Next week I will start going to shops and knocking on doors, to find the right people to work with.

At the moment, there are a couple of retailers I would love to collaborate with and help promote their shops.

My main areas of interest are: emerging designers, small, independent brands, community-building events, inclusive fashion.

The sort of event I’d like to organise will be an occasion for people to meet emerging designers, for emerging designers to meet other designers and their customers, and also for people to give each other styling advice with the help of a professional. A real-life dress-up game of sorts, but with guidance from experts, as well as a networking opportunity for fashion professionals (as a fashion writer, for instance, I met some emerging designers that I then interviewed at the Wolf and Badger’s New Designer party).