SYNESTHESIA

Synesthesia is a neurological condition that results in a combination of sensory perceptions. To underscore the hypersensitivity of the body and to visualize this entanglement of sensory perceptions, Van Herpen secured shiny metal foil on specially treated leather that generated a confusing visual effect without a steady fixation point.
In this collection Van Herpen has approached the body as a manipulatable, sensitive and fragile object by enlarging body parts through transparency, movement and extreme repetition so as to emphasize extremely refined craftsmanship. She confuses the eyes and gives the clothing an extra dimension by combining movement with liveliness. "I wonder if in the future clothing will support some of our senses or even take over."

Textile:
LASER-CUT
SLASHED
LEATHER
Silhouette:
INVERTED
TRIANGLE
Detail:
PEPLUM

The PEPLUM originated in Ancient Greece. The word “peplum” is derived from the Greek term “peplos”, which referred to a short tunic for women that was cinched at the waist to create a flounce over the hips. The peplum reoccurs in history transitioning from women’s to men’s fashion during the Medieval and Baroque periods and back to women’s in the 1930’s, 1940’s and now.

The INVERTED TRIANGLE silhouette with it's big shoulders can be traced back to the Renaissance period when emphasizing a prominent horizontal line on the upper part of men’s bodies was popular. The corset also was used during this time to manipulate a women’s upper body to create a wider bust and smaller waist.

LEATHER has been incorporated in apparel since man started to clothe himself with the loincloth. SLASHING can be tracked back to the 1500’s when slashing become a fashionable trend in men’s wear initially, and later in women’s as well. It is speculated that the slashing of clothes started with soldiers who would cut the garments taken from the villages they raided to make them fit their own bodies.

In 2012, Editd, a British retail tech company, tracked the SKUs for 2238 items with laser cut details amongst retailers ranging from budget to the better pricing zones. The study showed that retailers believed that this fabric treatment was spanning the rise & acceleration phase of the fashion cycle. This means our garments are poised to capture the mass acceptance market.

Fashion Snoops forecast predicts that “leather remains as relevant as ever” for fall/winter 2014. The peplum has already been through the mass acceptance phase and, as acknowledged by Lauren Doyle in her Fall Forecast for Fashion Snoops, this trend is “on its way out”. However, according to the same forecast, it is still current for this year’s fall/winter runway.

OUR COLOR CHOICES

POISED TO CAPTURE THE MASS ACCEPTANCE SEGMENT OF THE MARKET: FALL 2014
Bridge garment: through design choices (a mix of mass, opinion leader, and timeless elements) & marketing we predict we will sell out of stock in Nordstroms
Budget garment: through marketing & timing, we will be delivering our fast fashion product right on time for mass acceptance market capture and sell out of stock at H&M

MERCH PLAN FOR NORDSTROMS GARMENT

• Target market: women ages 35-50 years old with high discretionary income
• Price point: Bridge
• Placed in the Special Occasion section of the store
• Placed in front window; personal shoppers will be given info sheets about the garment
• Aside from in store events, we will be giving a gown to a PR firm for use on the red carpet

MERCH PLAN FOR H&M GARMEMT

• Target market is Gen Y/Millennium women ages 18-25 years old
• Price point: Budget
• Placed first in window, then store front with ad (like in this photo)
• Promotion in H&M catalog, online store, and social media
• Garment featured in H&M print and online ads

CHRISTINA BASKAYA, ADEMIR SERRANO, NICOLE CONNELLY, & ALEXIS EVANOFF

SOURCES

• Synesthesia collection images & info: www.irisvanherpen.com
• Historical silhouette image by Heironimo Custodis: bjws.blogspot.com
• Ancient Greek peplum: www.millennialinflux.com/the-peplum-femininitys-big-comeback
• Graph & laser cut images: editd.com/blog/2012/; leather peplums from favstyleideas.com
• Example of slashes painting by Frans Hals: www.pinterest.com/pin/452611831272043428