Marketing Outcome - Outcome 3 & 4

I have now reached the final stages of my second submission. In this post I focused on creating the billboard piece for my brand marketing. To create this billboard, I began by researching how a typical fashion billboard looks. From my findings I noticed that the content on the billboard is kept to a minimal, and everything centres around the main image. White, is a colour that is used often as it contrasts well with pretty much any physical background. The location of these billboards is also key, the billboard must be positioned in a specific area so that it attracts the desired target audience I had to keep this in mind when creating my design. Some particular billboards take advantage of the white space used within a design, this technique attracts the consumers eye towards other aspects of the design therefore making the legislation easier. My final billboard outcome can be seen below. 

My final billboard outcome is displayed above. With this billboard I have tried to keep the aesthetics that you see within other fashion billboards in my own design. I have matched the style used within my other brand media and marketing. This billboard centres around the main model image which is also used in my online marketing banner. I decided to reuse the model image as I feel it is very strong due to the poisoning of the model’s head.  I have added branding towards the bottom left of the billboard, ensuring I do not take anything away from the main focus. I accompanied the logo with the hypothetical website address for my brand. This website address would attempt to drive traffic towards my site. I decided to position my billboard in a London Underground setting, this ensures that a mass amount of people will view the billboard many of which who are in my target age demographic.

https://vimeo.com/287816655

In the link above you can find my digital billboard response. This outcome shows how my billboard will work in a digitalised setting. Many locations use digital billboards as it allows adverting reels to be displayed. Digital billboards often focus on subtle animation, sound would not be used as it may not be heard in some busy location. In this digital billboard I have decided to fade my logo and model image onto the screen, whereas my website address is revealed gradually. This type of animation works well with the minimalist design approach. Aside from positioning my work in the London Underground these billboards could also be located on a shopping high street or a city centre, these particular locations will also allow the brand to reach its target audience. This type of animation could further be used in an online setting, the billboard artwork could serve as a running animation on my website or it could be used as an animated web advertisement. 

I am very pleased with the outcome of my two billboard designs. These outcomes complete the set and show how I would market my brand using both online and print based media. If I were to alter these billboards I would begin by possibly adding the price to the design, which is similar to the work of H&M. Within my animation I would ensure the website address is faded onto the screen at the same time and in the same effect as the logo. These alterations are something I could possible focus on further down the line if I insist to register my brand. I have now completed the final stage in my second submission. This major project was initially challenging for me as I had never done anything like this before, however throughout my time on the Graphic Design MA I have learnt many new things. I've truly enjoyed my time on the course and completing this project amongst other modules. During this Graphic Design MA I believe I have become a more well rounded graphic designer, I will now take my skillset into my the field. 

Marketing Outcome - Outcome 2

In this post I focused on creating an online advertisement that will be used in conjunction with my first collection. This form of online advertisement can often be seen situated on certain websites. In some cases, advertisements can appear due to the build-up of online cookies. As previously discussed these cookies capture your recent internet searches and then display advertisements relating to them. Essentially online advertisements have the same effect as physical billboards, however you can target your audience better. Many online advertisements attempt to reflect current promotions that the company is offering to the consumer, other forms of advertisements leave the consumer intrigued whilst wanting to find out more. An example of an online advertisement is displayed below. 

Online Advertisement (Source: Screenshot by Blog Author)

The advertisement above is promoting a special offer, it intends for the consumer to read the message in order to understand the promotion. I have used this size of advertisement within my own design as I feel it works well with the product imagery I have and the idea of minimalism which I have tried to keep. Personally, I feel the above advertisement is slightly cluttered and I tried to avoid this within my work. On many online advertisement’s hyperlinks are added which direct the consumer towards the product being displayed, in this advertisement the hyperlink button is displayed on the bottom left of the box. Some online advertisements attempt to use straplines to give the consumer a background. I have not used a strapline within my own online advertisement as I think it would over-complicate the design, however I may look into this within my billboard piece.

My online advertisement outcome is displayed above. With this advertisement I have tried to reflect the minimalist nature that you see through my brand, I have done with the use of white space. I have chosen an image which displays the specific cut of the garment well and involves the model looking directly forward. Whilst maximising the overall white space, I have not added a lot of text to the advertisement as I feel it doesn’t necessarily need it and it would only take attention away from the product image. I have included a hyperlink on my advertisement, this hyperlink would take you directly to the brand website. As shown above I have positioned this advertisement on a day-to-day emailing platform, this type of targeting will ensure I gain the most amount of clicks as possible on a daily basis furthermore the emailing service also supports my target age range.

Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of my online advertisement. I specifically like the simplicity of the design and that is steers away from the mass market of cluttered online advertisements you currently see. If I were to improve on this design I would possibly think about altering the hyperlink button so that it refers more to a clothing range. This alteration may give the consumer more of an inkling of what the advertisement is representing. Moving forward I will now attempt to create my billboard design. This will operate in a slightly similar manner to the online advertisement, yet at a much bigger scale. After this billboard design I will then create the animated alternative. 

Marketing Outcome - Outcome 1

In this stage of my project I have created my first marketing outcome. After reflection on the impact of social media and use platforms such as Instagram can have on a brand, I have decided to mock-up how I’d want my Instagram profile to look. Instagram is a great platform for clothing brands as it allows the consumer to see editorial pictures of the products they are buying. Instagram is particularly ideal as it allows you to build a social following through the use of tags and frequent activity. My target audience age range is typically the same as the individuals you see on the platform, therefore this will allow me to possible grow a cult following and centre campaigns around this audience. The outcome of my Instagram social media profile can be seen below.   

When creating this profile, I have paid attention to the other clothing profiles on the platform. I have further looked at how my competitors structure their Instagram profile. From this research I have then shown how my page could be formed. Essentially, I have tried to keep it as informative as possible, without it looking cluttered. I have attached a bio which gives a brief description of the brand and where it is based. With Instagram you can form dedicated business profiles, this type of profile allows you to view analytical data regarding your account. The major difference between an Instagram business profile and a personal account is access to features like Instagram insights, contact information, Instagram ads etc.This business profile also allows you to attach links directing you towards the company website or email. Business profiles are particularly popular for brands as they allow you to use paid promotions. This will ensure that a specific post will show on the feed of my desired audience.

Overall, I am very happy with the outcome of my social media profile. This profile directly gives me an idea of how my brand would be reflected to my audience in a social aspect. If I were to take my brand forward in the future the profile would need populating with product imagery. This imagery could be a mix of studio and environment photography. Each post will also help to create essential outfits for the consumer, which ensures I am creating the image of an essentials wardrobe. I understand that in order to grow a social following it must take time; however, I believe with the use of Instagram’s business account it could help me to achieve this following quicker. As previously shown many influencers also operate on the platform which means they could help to promote my brand and the ethos it stands for. As I continue to move forward into my next post I will look at creating an online advertisement.

Marketing Outcome - Main Plan

As I move into the production of my advertisement methods, I must make it clear on what I set out to achieve. These advertisements are intended to run alongside my brand as if I were to register the company and make it a legitimate business venture. I have utilised my research on marketing in order to create the objectives and an effective marketing strategy for my brand. I will aim for four marketing techniques: Online Advertising, Billboard, Digital Billboard, Social Media. My outcomes towards these techniques will build attention towards the brand. Essentially, I will reflect the ethos of my brand through these advertisements whilst aiming to pitch the product.

Marketing Research - Case Study 03

As I move into this stage of my marketing research, it would be valuable to understand how advertisements are used in the environment and how they capture the eyes of the consumer. Advertisements can come in all shapes and sizes, from large scale billboards all the way down to wall posters found on the high-street. The market for retail advertisements is very saturated so it is key that fashion brands think outside of the box and capture the consumers attention. Part of this is done through the location of the specific advertisement, some can be positioned in locations where high amounts of traffic are likely to be passing by. This type of advertising helps to spread the message of a brand or the particular product that is trying to be promoted which then ultimately helps drive sales.

A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure, typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. Typically showing witty slogans and distinctive visuals, billboards are highly visible in the top designated market areas. Billboard advertising makes an instant impression, getting your message across in seconds. Billboards enable advertisers, large or small to reach huge audiences every day. Essentially this type of advertising is more commonly referred to as outdoor advertising. Outdoor advertising is a very broad term that describes any type of advertising that reaches consumers when they are away from home. This could include: billboards, bus shelter posters, fly posters and digital posters which are very popular in places such as Times Square New York.

Times Square Advertising (Source: ABC News, 2014)

Due to the introduction of the internet, many retailers have included internet marketing into their campaigns. The Internet is used by online and offline companies to promote products or services. Banner advertisements, pop up ads, text ads and paid search placements are common forms. Banner, pop up and text ads are ways to present an image or message on a publisher's website or on a number of websites through a third-party platform like Google's Adwords program. Paid search placements, also known as cost-per-click advertising, is where you bid a certain amount to present your link and text message to users of search engines like Google and Yahoo. Many sites use cookies which build up a profile on the user, advertisements will then follow you around the internet based on what you have previously been looking at. This type of marketing is very tailored to the consumer and it often forces a sale when they least expect it.

Aside from these modes of advertising there are many other ways to market your business. Guerrilla advertising which is also known as ambient media, has become prominent over the last 20 years. It is a broadly used term for anything unconventional, and usually invites the consumer to participate or interact with the piece in some way. Location is important, as is timing. The driving forces behind guerrilla advertising or marketing are creative ideas and innovation, not a large budget. This style of marketing is extremely effective for small businesses to advertise their product or service, especially if they are competing against bigger companies as it is inexpensive and focuses more on reach rather than frequency, guerrilla advertising tires to alter our environment.

Carling Guerilla Advertising (Source: Campaign Live, 2015)

I now understand the primary methods of marketing used in the fashion industry. It is clear to see how certain marketing techniques can capture the consumer and ultimately entice them to buy into the specific brand. Personally, I have noticed that digital billboard is being introduced more, this is due to the convenience of displaying more than one advertisement on the same billboard and therefore saving space. Digital billboards also have the opportunity of displaying an animated image. I may want to look into this as I move forward and create my own advertisement. As I move forward I will try to adopt some of these methods in my own work. To do this I must build a plan on what I intend to produce for my marketing submission. If I decide to create billboard advertisements the location of these must be determined in order to reach my intended market or a high number of consumers all in one location.

References

ABC News, (2014), Times Square Advertising, [Photograph] Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com

Campaign Live, (2015), Carling Guerrilla Advertising, [Photograph] Retrieved from https://www.campaign.co.uk

Marketing Research - Case Study 02

Aside from traditional fashion advertisements, I feel like it would be beneficial to look at a sustainable fashion campaign. This will give me an insight into how I could potentially approach the advertisements for my brand. The most current advertisement I’ve seen for organic clothing is from the high street retailer H&M. Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) is a Swedish multinational clothing retail company known for its fast-fashion clothing for the fashion-conscious consumer. As you walk down the high street you often see H&M positioned on large scale billboards. 

The Conscious Collection is part of H&M’s work towards a more sustainable future in fashion. The entire clothing collection is made from materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester and lyocell. Alongside the sustainable campaign H&M have launched a clothing recycle scheme. Customers can bring any unwanted garments from any label to selected stores and in return they will receive a H&M voucher. H&M also has a Conscious Exclusive collection which features more high-end sustainable clothing. H&M’s Conscious Exclusive collection 2018 pays homage to the Arts and Crafts movement in Sweden and features the new sustainable materials recycled silver and Econyl, a 100% fully regenerated fibre from fishnets and other various nylon waste. The Conscious Exclusive collection launched in selected H&M stores located around the world, as well as online on 19 April 2018. An advertisement for H&M’S organic campaigns can is shown below. 

H&M Conscious Collection (Source: H&M, 2013)

The advertisement above has been collected from H&M’s own Conscious Collection. This particular advert sets a theme of nature throughout the image. This idea of a theme setting is something I may want to explore as I move forward. H&M often display the retail price / description of the clothing item they are showing in the advertisement, this is an interesting idea as it plays with the layout of catalogue fashion. Positioning has been thought about in this advertisement. Each graphic object flows and contrast very well against the vibrant background. Aside from the background referring to sustainability it also relates to the trend of floral patterns that is then reflected on the garment being shown. 

This post has introduced a different side of advertising. Background imagery can often be used to describe what is happening within an image. Because of the clean aesthetic I’m trying to achieve with my brand, I am unsure whether using a themed background would work well. I may take away the idea of the retail price / description being displayed on the image. This may be useful as many people look at sustainable fashion and assume it will be expensive, yet with my collection this is not the case. I will move on to look at how advertisements are used in the environment, this will involve me looking at specific billboards and posters and how they capture the consumers. 

References

H&M, (2013), H&M Conscious Collection, [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www2.hm.com/en_gb/index.html

Marketing Research - Case Study 01

As my brand is based around the idea of minimalism, I feel my advertising should reflect that. When I think of good examples of minimalist marketing Apple comes to mind. Apple is an American multinational technology companythat designs, develops, and sells consumer-based electronics, computer software, and online services. Apple portray minimalism through the design of their products which then leads into their advertisement campaigns. In visual arts, music, and other mediums, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Donald Judd, John McCracken, Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin and Robert Morris.

Apple has always been known for its beautiful minimalist design. Products like the original Macintosh, the iPod, and the iPhone all follow that guiding line of simplicity. Apple tends to winnow out any superfluous design accents that don’t fit within the overall oneness of a product. This obsession with minimalist design also extends out to other areas of the company, including their advertising as you can see below. A typical Apple advertisement or billboard has the product name and a clean picture of the product. An Apple advertisement will not generally include technical specification, pricing or expensive special effects. With this style of advertisement, I can easily see how my clothing brand might work through the using these methods.

Apple IPhone 8 (Source: Apple, 2017)

Apple is not the only company adopting minimalism in their advertisements, many high-end fashion designers like to use this technique. Brands such as Céline achieve the integration of minimalism well. Céline is a French ready-to-wearbrand that adopt a high-end minimalist design style in their clothing which is partly down to the work of Creative Director Phoebe Philo. In the example shown below we can see howCéline have worked with a high-quality image that has very little background noise. No information is provided on the advert other than the brands logo, this allows the audience to focus only on the clothing. This then feeds back into the idea of frames in imagery which I discussed in my previous module when looking at users.

Céline's Summer 2017 Collection (Source Céline, 2017)

Advertisers use the framing effect to present information in a manner that influences how viewers interpret that information. Business owners and marketers often employ framing techniques, such as casting a potentially negative fact about their product into a positive light or by showing the negative effects of a competitor's positive qualities. These professionals frame the aspects of an advert and adjust the meaning of its message with tools such as colourful images, strident music and precise language. Language is sometimes used to frame an advertisements message. Consumers will have emotional reactions to specific words in the advert. The goal is to use words that create a positive emotional frame for the specific product in the target viewer's mind.

From this case study it is now clear to see how I might approach my advertisements in a minimalist manor, I may also want to create animations in the same style. I feel that building up the idea of a clean and essential brand is vital and through my advertising I can begin to reinforce this idea. Moving forward into my next post I will look at other case studies to see different advertisement techniques employed by other brands. I may also want to begin thinking about the position of different advertisements and wear they are displayed in the vital physical environments.

References

Apple, (2017), Apple IPhone 8, [Photograph], Retrieved from https://www.apple.com

Céline, (2017), Céline's Summer 2017 Collection, [Photograph] Retrieved from https://www.celine.com

Marketing Research - Brand Influencer

A fashion influencer is a online personality that has a very large number of followers on social media, creates mainly fashion content and has the power to influence the opinion and purchase behaviour of others with their recommendations. Brands endorse them to attend fashion shows, parties, designer dinners and exclusive trips and to wear their clothes on social media. If a salary has been involved, the influencer has to label such posts as paid or sponsored content. To reach influencer status the individual would have at least 10,000 followers.

Fashion influencers generate income through brand co-operations and affiliate links. Principle sources of income are brand co-operations in terms of product placement. Fashion influencers are paid to pose with specific products on their social media channels and must mark them correspondingly using the type of tags shown below in my primary research. The economic value of a fashion influencer is most commonly measured by number of followers. Successful fashion influencers generate an income through their social media activities that enables them to quit their jobs and focus solely on their social media career. German fashion influencer Xenia Van Der Woodsen left her full-time job at an investment trust, when she realised that she could earn more money with a single Instagram post as opposed to working a full day.

Instagram Influencer (Source: Screenshot by Blog Author)

Fashion brands use the reach / positive reputation of influencers by implementing influencer marketing. Influencers spread brand messages, increase brand awareness, contribute to a positive brand image and ultimately increase sales within a business. Influencer marketing is a form of marketing in which focus is placed on influential people rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential customers, and orients marketing activities around these influencers. Influencer content may be framed as testimonial advertising where they play the role of a buyer themselves, or they may be portraying a third-party.

In my brand it could prove beneficial to utilise an influencer in order to build up a social following. The influencer could ultimately drag traffic towards the social media account and the web store. If I register my brand I would need to ensure adequate funding is in place to market my brand with the use of influencers. To do this I’d also have to find the correct influencer who I believe reflects the ethos of the brand, therefore I’d be looking for people such as: Mathew Pike, Mike Quyen, Carl Thompson. I would use these influencers as they reflect the ideal size / shape for my clothing, I further believe my clothing would work well with the current social following these individuals have made. 

My Brand - Company Scalability

If I were to register my company, I would have to consider the scalability of the brand. At the moment I have been ordering garments in little quantities in order to show my outcomes whilst keep the cost low. To scale my business, I must begin to order in bulk. After reflection I have noticed that the suppliers I currently use offer a bulk ordering service. The price of this is also relatively inexpensive when you think about the RRP of each clothing item. At the price reflected by AM Clothing I would be looking to sell my products for £29.99 in order to ensure my margin is high. 

Other overheads have to calculated and these will vary between each clothing item. These overheads will involve the cost of labelling, embroidery, packaging etc. After calculations from my other suppliers I have gathered that the lowest margin I could possible make is 66% based on my collection. This calculation applies to all the garments that have embroidery in the design, whereas the margin on the Classic Plain Tee would be 73%. I feel these margins are good as I am definitely making a profit, it also leaves room for any promotional sales that I may want to apply to my collection at certain seasonal times. 

Material Bulk Order (Source: Screenshot by Blog Author)

When considering the scalability of my brand I must also recognise the main competitors I will face. These competitors have determined the style / price point of my clothing. I see my main competitors being suppliers of other sustainable clothing, this will mean I will be competing with brands such as: Dedicated, Howies. My other competitors could be within the minimal fashion market such as: Thought, Acne Studios, AMI. These competitors are mostly well established, at the beginning of my business venture I must intend to overcome the many start-up social media brands. I feel my product will differ from these competitors as it has more substance.

Main Clothing Competitor (Source: Screenshot by Blog Author)

I feel the reflection on the growth of my business has helped me a lot within this process. I was surprised at the type of things you need to consider in order for a business to be truly successful. At this stage I now believe I fully understand how to register my company and ultimately scale it up into something that can be available to my audience. This is still a big commitment, and a decision that I will have to make once I have finished my studies. If I decide to progress the business I now have a relationship with the Entrepreneur Centre which can help me with the setup of my brand.

My Brand - Entrepreneur Centre

After my MA course I may want to take this brand forward and establish it. In order to do this certain business aspects, have to be thought about. To understand this further I visited the Duke of York Entrepreneur Centre at the University. The staff here helped me to understand what I would need to submit in order to get my brand up and running. This information is available online however, you can get easily lost in the complexity of everything. The staff at the Entrepreneur Centre said this if I were wanting to begin the process of building my brand I have to consider four main documents.

The link to these documents can be found below. Essentially, I was told that this is the basis of any business. The kind staff at the Entrepreneur Centre stated that, if I wanted to establish the brand in the future I should fill in these documents to the best of my abilities and they could then help me with registering my business and any other resources that may be needed such as loans, taxes, payroll etc.

Business Template (Source: Screenshot by Blog Author)

The key document within this set is the business plan. A business plan is any plan that works for a business to look ahead, allocate resources, focus on key points, and prepare for problems and opportunities. Unfortunately, many people think of business plans only for starting a new business or applying for business loans. But they are also vital for running a business, whether or not the business needs new loans or new investments. Businesses need plans to optimise growth and development according to priorities. Similar business plan templates can also be gathered from the GOV.UK online website. 

The income statement (Profit & Loss Template) presents the financial results of a business for a stated period of time. The statement quantifies the amount of revenue generated and expenses incurred by the specific organisation, as well as any resulting net profit or loss. The income statement is an vitally essential part of the financial statements that an organisation releases. The other key parts of the financial statements are the statement of cash flows. The statement of cash flows is one of the financial statements issued by a business and describes the cash flows into and out of the organisation. This is also shown above.

Collection 01 - Chosen Supplier Report

Throughout this process I have had to rely heavily on suppliers. These suppliers have provided me with the materials and technology in order to create my first collection. The suppliers I used within my project have been critiqued with similar competitors in order to gain the best results. I completed most of this work during the Process module and my first Major Project submission. In this post I intend to report on all the different suppliers I have used in my brand so far, whilst reinforcing their claims of sustainability.

The main supplier I used in this project is AM Clothing. AM Clothing provided the garments for my collection. I chose this supplier as they offered a quality product at a reasonable price. AM Clothing also had a lot of credibility for being the biggest supplier of sustainable custom clothing in the United Kingdom. They are committed to genuine sustainability throughout their supply chain; from the raw materials to the finished product, shipping & marketing. Further details on AM Clothing’s sustainability can be found in my Process blog. 

To embroider aspects of my first collection I had to ensure the thread I was using was fully sustainable. To do this I sourced my thread from the Organic Textile Company. This was recommended to me by the embroidery technician as I had to ensure the thread was compatible with the Amaya. This particular cotton has been produced without the use of harmful chemicals, using fair trade qualities. This cotton came on a reel which I could then tread onto the Amaya and begin my embroidery. 

Organic Textile Company (Source: Screenshot by Blog Author)

In my project I decided to outsource the production of all my clothing labels. I did this as I believed I could achieve a high quality whilst saving time. I had experimented with different types of labels within my first submission and ultimately decided on a taffeta woven material. Taffeta is the most economical woven label available and is priced lower than damask and satin. The label shown below was sourced from The Dutch Label Shop. I had to ensure I communicated constantly with the supplier in order for the sizing and quality to be correct. My final label is shown below, this was attached to all of the pieces within my first collection. I further used the supplier to produce the tab in the Classic Plain Tee.

For all my packaging used in my first collection I utilised the supplier Tiny Box Company shown in the link below. This company was able to provide me with paper-based products that have been created from recyclable materials. This packaging then has the ability to be recycled again, therefore furthering the life cycle. I used this supplier to source my mailing box design and label card tags, this ensures I am sending a product to the consumer that is fully sustainable in every corner of the business in order to then reflect my overall company motive.

https://www.tinyboxcompany.co.uk/why-recycle

I am very happy with all the suppliers I have used within my brand so far. I have managed to ensure I keep the idea of sustainability throughout my materials and processes. This has also taught me a lot about supply chain and the ability to source the cheapest products. Communication with suppliers is something I had never really done before. Most of this was done via email or phone calls. I had to ensure the supplier new exactly what I wanted so that I did not waste time and money, this often meant sending a detailed mock-up of what I wanted my product to look like. In the future some of these suppliers could change if I decided to scale my business up. To do this I will need to look at suppliers which I can gain the most bulk order margin from whilst still keeping the vital notion of sustainability.

Collection 01 - Organic Material Report

The underlining backbone of my company is aimed at making each collection sustainable. This idea of sustainability can refer to the materials used and the way in which these materials are sourced/produced. In this post I will intend to breakdown my first collection and explain all of the ethical practice’s that have gone into making the garments. Displayed below is an example of one of the items found within my collection. 

Each garment in my collection has been produced using organic 100% combed and ring spun cotton. Ring spun cottons are smoother and stronger. They've been through a spinning process that softens and straightens each fibre. Another step up in quality is combed ring spun cotton, which is even more refined. After the cotton fibres have been spun, they're combed to remove any impurities or imperfect strands. This ensures I am providing the consumer with a quality product which then justifies the price point. The organic nature of the materials within each garment are derived from the supplier. 

Some clothing items within my collection require embroidery, an example of this is shown below. I chose to use embroidery as you can control the sustainability of the practice a lot better than other methods such as screen printing. To ensure my embroidery was deemed sustainable I had to source organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown in subtropical countries such as Turkey, China, and parts of the USA from non-genetically modified plants, and without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides. This cotton came on a reel, which I threaded onto the Amaya.

Aside from the materials within my clothing, I have also given attention to the sustainability of the packing used in my brand. Each item of packing in my company has been produced using recycled paper, it then also has the capability of being recycled again. When printing onto this material I have used the UV Printer. UV printing is more sustainable practice. UV inks are environmentally friendly, because unlike solvent-based inks, 100% of the ink is used. The UV rays from a light source quickly activate and start a cure process to harden the ink, rather than being evaporated like solvent based ink. The use of the UV printer can be found in my clothing tag creation.

Overall, I believe I have created a brand which has thought about sustainability in every area. From my research provided in my first submission I believe I have chosen the best materials for the consumer. In my next post I will look at the suppliers I have used and reinforce their sustainable claims. Each supplier I have used has been selected and compared against numerous other sustainable companies to ensure only the very best is selected.