The Designer Journal
Finally we are in February and out of that 5 week long hell we have to endure at the start of every year which is also known as JANUARY!
I can really begin to look forward to the new year ahead, new projects, new clients and everything in-between.
As as fashion designer this time of year for me is a little bit of a limbo-land as we wrap up the previous season and wait to start the shiny new one. Starting a fresh season is always very exciting and almost cleansing. New trends, new colours, new shapes, new prints, new fabrics, so much to look forward to, and the best bit about February is that we look forward to a Spring Summer season. Just the thought of the sun and all the bright beautiful colours to come is enough to cheer anyone up on a cold, grey February day in the UK.
The first job for the season is to book my train ticket to London for my initial comp shop for the new season. As we are still a little early for Spring Summer I will do several more comp shops to really gauge what’s in all the shops. Most importantly I need to make sure my first stop at Elan coffee shop in Knightsbridge, I visited this place for the first time with my sister a couple of months ago and loved it! Plus a day running around the shops I really do need lots of caffeine and sugar to keep me going!
Once I’m fuelled up, I head to Oxford Street, to visit all the main high street retailers, what’s great about Oxford Street is that you have most of the big retailers in one spot. So its a great place to start.
Next I’ll head down Regent Street and then onto Carnaby Street via Liberty’s of course. I just love everything in that store! Of course stopping for the obligatory flower photo outside!
One of the biggest downsides to my job is the beautiful things I’m looking at everyday, it just makes me want to buy so much! I really have to practice self control.
I’ll take lots of pictures of anything that catches my eye, whether it's a new style of branding, packaging, graphic layout, print, colour, shape, I’ll often look at homeware, stationary almost everything and anything that could be turned into a new print or a new colour palette.
The way this store has put these t-shirts together on display creates the inspiration for a new colour platte, mixing some earth tones with some washed down brights, I just love it!
Time to call it a day and head home. I’ll do a few more trips into London in the coming weeks so I really have an understanding of what’s in store on the high street for the new season and all the aspirational brands.
Tomorrow I’ll digest all the new bits I’ve found today and start to categorise into folders so when I start to collate my trend reports I have it all to hand.
Bye for now!
About Our Author: Amy Poole Design are a Suffolk based design agency, specialising in multi product garment and graphic design including trend forecasting and analysis. Amy has over 15 years experience of working with high street / online retailers, brands and suppliers specialising in women's, men’s and childrenswear with a sound understanding of market dynamics and consumer wants, meaning her designs meet the needs and aspirations of her clients’ target markets.
