Fashion Philosophy

I asked myself a question, “What is my purpose in the marketing world?” Well, my hobby turned side projects answered that, with each one having a melody of its own. 4umum.com reflects my love for my dear mother, with slogans like giving back, optimis+ and “Hope is food for the Soul.” Whereas UnityStates.com has a mountain of a slogan, “Black or White – We’re ALL the Same” which resonates with the brave. Finally my masterpiece 7ofPARIS.com with its flamboyant slogans like, “Grandiose” or the quote, “Long Live the Crayon Kids,” to the punchline, “it’s easy to criticise, but can you create?” speaks volumes.

From all of my projects, I noticed a pattern in my brain. The secret ingredient behind my ideas is philosophy or fashion philosophy to be specific. I was always big on quotes, and during my university years I would flood my twitter line with food for thought, all of which helped me understand life. I then combined design with philosophy to create the brands above. It sounds simple right, but believe me I had many sleepless nights working on my craft – from quotes, to design, and execution through online sales.

Steve Jobs once said, “you cannot connect the dots forward, you can only do so backwards” and so I saved all my Confucious like quotes and combined them with simplistic design to create my brands. The quest to success lies in looking backwards and connecting the dots to draw the perfect picture. I absorbed so much art: from music, film, documentaries, the list goes on, but they all were part of the bigger puzzle. As I write this, I am fully content. With views from around the world, to online sales success of my brands. I have seasoned each brand with my creativity and kept it on the right track – towards their destination.

Branding takes years, and sometimes tears.

WORK

They say good things come to those who wait, I say “Good things come to those who Work.” Yes, we should hope and dream, but we must not sit and wait. If you have a dream, an ambition, a business plan – that’s just step 1 my friend. You see, everything creative starts with an idea, then come all the critical steps in achieving them.

Success is not a straight line, along the way there will be sacrifices. There will be many hurdles you must jump, but the finish line can only be reached if you carry on running – so don’t give up. Even if you have to work a boring 9 to 5, by all means do so. It would be great to have a mentor, but if you cannot find one, read books – autobiographies specifically.

Carry on the good fight by continuously reminding yourself of where you want to be, be positive, and paint happiness. Paint happiness is a term I’ve coined, it simply means creating a picture in your everyday life, with each person you encounter daily being a unique colour. By using people as positive colours, you create this aura of optimism and thus your day will blossom.

To conclude, I leave you with a short story from a man who managed the Spice Girls, David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton, Andy Murray and many more. I was working in Harrods and this man casually dressed walked up to me and asked where the Paul Smith section was? I replied and said, “are you Simon Fuller” amazed he said, “how did you know.” I told him that I had seen only one picture on the internet and had read his autobiography. Anyway he purchased the shoes, and eager to get advice, I asked – What’s the key to success. He said, “don’t talk about, don’t even think about it – just do it!”

TYPOGRAPHY

Art also exists in typography and searching for fonts that pair well together is a quest, but once found it is a magnet to the eye. The infusion of serifs with sans serifs is crucial, however not all are destined to blossom. It takes experimentation along with taste to establish a connection, and the result – a contribution to art.

I was first introduced to the big brands of today whilst working in Harrods. From Prada to Gucci, each one had their own unique typography. It was apparent that fonts are instrumental to their success, sending its own message of elegance. I wanted to know how they created these ripples of creativity?

After a year of studying fonts through books, blogs, & articles I began to experiment. The result being 7ofParis.com – positioned in two words “Renaissance Couture” with the aim of selling affordable luxury. However, the challenge I found was using fonts for clients. A perfect example being a construction company. It would not have made sense if its slogan was in fashion typography, so we chose the rather simplistic Helvetica.

To conclude, each font must be in sync with the direction of the business as it is critical in creating your brand image. It can engineer your brand to victory, but only if you know your stuff! That is why, I respect graphic designers. They are truly modern day artists.