Grow
Our collection is composed of women’s day dresses for Spring/Summer 2021. Our target consumers are women ages 25-32 with a contemporary price point and 33-49 at a better price point. We chose this category because we found there are not a lot of options for these consumers and we want to fulfill this gap in the market. When developing this collection we were inspired by botanical gardens and natural colors because they give off a calming and relaxed vibe which is what we wanted for our collection. In addition, our collection sets itself apart from other brands by utilizing sustainable materials and processes including natural plant dyeing techniques.
This collection is still developing so here are the mood board and sketches for a brief review.
Inspiration, Trends & Color way
Our collection is for Spring/Summer 2021 and inspired by the beauty of botanical gardens. Botanical gardens exist to teach people about plants -- how to identify, display and use them for medical purposes. While historians and horticulturalists rely on their collections as research materials, our collection will benefit from the natural colors, unique shapes and the incredible variety of exotic plants, flowers, and trees displayed in botanical gardens from all around the world. Moreover, botanical gardens feel quiet, relaxed and refreshing. The overall atmosphere is carefree and whimsical. We want to bring people this vibe with our designs and patterns, and let our customers imagine themselves by the water, surrounded by rare flowers, plants, and organic beauty. Overall we want our collection to offer our consumers a sense of calm and beauty in the busy city life.
Our design aesthetic is composed of modern feminine silhouettes. Through our research, we found that consumers are focusing less on glitzy embellishments in day dresses and more on material manipulation due to the continued focus on sustainability. Therefore, we want our designs to look more natural and eco-friendly, which also stems from our botanical garden inspiration. According to WGSN some of the key trends for 2021 include midi-length dresses and modest details such as high-neck and full sleeves. Some of the key design details for the contemporary market include cutouts, backties, ruffle trims, asymmetric hems, square necks, pockets, and puff sleeves with a softer finish. For both markets volume with an accentuated waist is expected to be popular. Dresses such as the wrap dress, shirt dress, and tea dress are included in this trend forecast. We plan on incorporating different aspects of these silhouettes into our designs as they also embody our modern feminine design aesthetic.
For the colorway of this collection, we want to focus on using natural, earthy tones. According to the WGSN 2021 trend forecasting report, it states that natural tones will assume new importance in 2021, including shades of brown, green, blue, orange, and some reds. This color scheme is mostly muted which portrays a soothing and relaxed appearance. These natural, earthy tones also help promote our main selling point: sustainability.
Selling Point- Sustainability, Plant Dyeing Technique & Trendy
Our brand focuses on the concept of environmental protection and sustainability. This is the trend of the fashion industry in recent years and it will only continue to gain importance and awareness in 2021. We know the importance of sustainable fabrics to the fashion industry and the environment, which is why we chose to make our clothing out of only sustainable materials such as recycled cotton knit, organic woven linen, and eco-friendly dyes. We researched Sies Marjan and his collection when he collaborated with Cornel University. They used a plant dyeing technique that utilized real leaves hammered down directly onto the fiber. We want to incorporate this technique as well as digital printing (which is also sustainable) into our designs. We are also going to focus on including minimal-waste design processes. It is our goal to provide our customers with a high-quality and eco-friendly dressing experience. Also, while conducting research for our older target market, we learned their needs and concerns about clothing. So in our collection, we start from the details to solve their problems, such as changing the sleeve length, skirt length, and looseness. They don’t want to look maternal while also looking age appropriate and fashionable. To solve their problems we will design removable pieces to cover and modify the body figure. We will look at adjusting the sleeve length, skirt length, and looseness of our dresses. These designs not only solve their dressing problem but also make them more fashionable. We hope that our designs can help them have a more confident and comfortable dressing experience.
Due to our inspiration of botanical gardens driving our research we wanted to add another selling point to only further make this connection and support the beautiful plants they protect. Botanical gardens are a good place to preserve plants, especially endangered ones. Since protecting plants is one of the main features of our collection, we want to donate a portion of the proceeds to help botanical gardens and the endangered plants. This idea is not only to educate people about these endangered plants but also to remind them of their beauty. People should give these plants attention and the protection that follows.
