Dead gorgeous

Born naked ( no choice ) we die in what ever we are lucky enough to be wearing at the time, make every purchase good enough to be die for :) who said shopping has no purpose, we may die alone but we can still look gorgeous,

Metro image highlights of the year

I have been greeted every morning with my own fresh copy of the Metro, this last week, keeping me company on my way to work.

Being an app you get some great pictures, as well as headlines, one morning a highlight issue arrived featuring some of the years best photos.

What a treat the world is, so beautiful and so varied I wish to share some of these amazing photos, enjoy 

Wexting, I know I do, do you?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/life-video/video-ctv-bc-new-iphones-spur-warning-about-wexting/article14240397/

Life changes every day so do our habits, the smart phone has exploded in to our lives and has changed them for ever,

Wexting is now so big that some states in the US fine people, in London they even find it nessasery to pad out posts along the roads,

With new phones arriving all the time, and even our kids have full accesses, are we safe to be let out. 

Boxing day 1985 at 5,01 pm denim history was remade

Out of a Bath and into a laundrette, the two adverts that re-launched the Levi's denim brand, the 501 was back.

After the Strauss family has sold it's business years passed as they watch to see it suffer and lose the identity Levi had had build some 100 years earlier. Realising  they needed to step in they managed to find finance to buy back the brand, it was an expensive move but one that would make history. The relaunch with the support of what will become a chain of record breaking Adverts, meant the family would not only make the 501 and Levi's jeans one of the biggest brands of the 80's but would also help them achieve one of the fastest loan pay backs in business history.

Did you see the two adverts that Boxing Day, in the last add break of Superman! yes that classic Christopher Reeve film, two back to back Levi add's were aired.

First the bath then the more famous Nick Kaman add laundrette, the rest is history but can you name the add's that followed? 

           

Once upon a time

Take a boy and a girl, add great music, a dog, a fridge will work, a camera, a few swimming pools, some cars, a Harley Davison, the colour black and some facts and a little fiction to tell a story and you will get one of the greatest brands with a long incredible history.

What brand is it? 

70's a good decade to start a business

So I have hit a common thread with my last few topics and that thread is the 70's

 

1973, 1975 and 1978 all years great brand started.

• 1973 Pepe jeans

• 1975 Zara

• 1978 UGG Australia 

So what was hot back then lets take a look! 

And so much more, my next brand is much older watch this space for more 

Zara

• Zara is owned by Inditex SA, which is second only to Gap in worldwide sales

• Despite the fact that consumerism is dropping, Zara is expanding their operation by making their manufacturing, distribution, and in-store strategies more efficient

• New collections are brought into the stores twice a week, and because there aren’t many of each item, it makes them seem “exclusive” unlike H&M that mass produces each item

• Each collection often sells out

• Zara is setting an industry standard for expansion and efficiency even with major labels (Gucci, LV, etc) that now ship in new designs quicker 

• At the headquarters in Spain, sales of each piece are monitored, designers create new things according to the sales, and window displays are created on a mock storefront that is on a life-size street

• The first Zara store opened in 1975 in La Coruña, a port town near Arteixo in a remote corner of northern Spain. Its two key traits were an eye for customer tastes and a production process that started with the final price and worked backward to the most-efficient production. In the mid-'80s, local business-school professor José Maria Castellano, a technophile, joined Inditex as right-hand man to founder Amancio Ortega Gaona, and the company became a world-class logistical outfit, peddling "fast fashion." The first foreign store, in Portugal, opened in 1989, followed by New York. In 2001, Mr. Ortega took Inditex public and its stores are now on prime shopping streets around the world.

• At "the Cube," as employees call their futuristic-looking headquarters outside La Coruña, sales managers sit at a long row of computers, monitoring sales at every store around the world. When a garment sells well -- or flops -- they quickly tell designers sitting nearby to whip up fresh designs. In the basement, stylists decide store layouts and window displays. One room is built like a shopping street, its walls lined with lit and decorated store windows that dictate how storefronts will look from New York's Fifth Avenue to London's Regent Street. Every two weeks, new decorations are photographed and emailed to stores to replicate.

• On average a new Zara store opens everyday.

• Zara’s founder built the chain upon two rules: give customers what they want, and give it to them quickly.

• To this end Zara stores refresh their stock twice a week. The logistics building that delivers customized orders to stores around the world has a 24 hour turnaround deadline for Europe and the US.

• Each designer creates three items a day. The designers don’t go to fashion shows which happen too infrequently. Rather they track bloggers and important fashion districts to see what’s popular.

• The success of Zara has made the founder – who was born into poverty – the third richest man in the world.

• He has never had an office. Instead he sits on the open floor with everybody else where he can be engaged in the production process.

• He is also incredibly private. Until 1999 no photograph of him had been published. 

Well done to susie so so for getting this so fast but she is a big fan of the brand check out her blog 

susiesoso.blogspot.com/

Iconic trivia 2

Zorba the Greek, 

a film that help name a giant fashion retailer, again the 70's was the decade another massive brand was born and named after the Founder saw the film Zorba the greek, but he changed it soon after! What is the brand can you find out?

UGG Australia, 35 in five movements

http://youtu.be/eN8q5M1L0l8

Check out this link for a true touch of UGG heritage 35 year of growing and still a baby with so much more to come, 

Pepe jeans

The pepe key ring.

In 1973 it was originally just a weekend roadside stall on the Portobello Road Market located in west London established by three brothers where pepe jean was born. It became a brand in the late 70's, It was named "Pepe", because it was a short word that could be written without much trouble.

The key ring was introduced early 80's and became a must have, with people especially teens collecting as many colours as possible and this lead to the Multi coloured key ring that was made by taking these apart and rebuilding with mixed colours. Pepe became the brand leader with 25% market share in the UK.  ^{(being knocked off by Levi's re-birth in 1985)} The brand grew in to Europe, then India making it a international brand.

supermodel Kate Moss’ first advertising campaign was for Pepe Jeans advertising grew as the brand did, in the early 90's the company was sold and became-

Which still has a strong fashion presence especially in Spain, 

Iconic trivia

One simple name missing!

how could a simple key ring become such a iconic symbol for a brand, the bold move to add it to the product made a family of three brothers very rich and made the brand become the market leader, do you know the brand? 

Let me know, if I get a good response I will give you some interesting facts about the brand and will do more trivia if it is liked.

A new start for Bicester

An olive branch, the sign of a new start for Bicester town, this historic market town had became over shadowed by Bicester village this past decade, but with the designer outlet bringing a spot light to this developing residential area of villages and reclaimed air force land, this has meant lots of interest has fallen on to the town, when one of these interested parties happens to be Sainsbury's things can't be bad. 

This interest has lead to a redevelopment of the town centre which now boasts a large Sainsbury's store, a state of the art Vue cinema and the possibility of new stores and restaurants. This is only the start of the changes Bicester is to go through, what exciting times, not only will this town be famous for its number one retail destination know worldwide in the form of Bicester village but it will grow and become a key place to live, relax, learn and develop. We are truly on the map and I'm glade to be part of the locals that call Bicester home. 

UGG classics the three gremlin rules apply

What a great classic film Gremlins, I must have seen it 10 times at the cinema and as many on TV, so it not a surprise that I would relate to aspects of the film in real life, that can be true for many experiences, a film, show or just a moment you recall that you can fit in to that moment and match aspects of the real and surreal together making a new experience or manifesting a new word or meaning for that point in time, wow heavy stuff and I have strayed off the path some what, (a slap to the face a deep breath) I'm back, 

So what am I going on about? 

          

Well there is three key rules to follow when looking after both UGG boots and gremlins and they are very similar in importance, hence the link to the film and  my babbling, so lets remember the three specific instructions in caring for the Mogwai: 

1, never expose it to bright light

2, never get it wet 

3, most importantly never, ever feed it after midnight

Those that have seen the film will understand the concerqueces of not following these rules. If you have no idea then it's a must see movie, old but truly a great fun film.

So what are the rules for UGG classics you now ask! well just as important and with true concerqueces if not followed, they are!

1, never get them wet

2, never wear socks with them

3, always rest them after each wear

I have sold thousands of classics and have always explained these rules and the new owners have had great relationships with their boots, enjoying the luxurious comfort, fantastic style and a natural ability to look after their feet.

Many more have not been told these rules and have been devastated when their much loved and expensive purchase has not delivered what was expected or has been ruined by the poor weather. Remembering that the UGG boot is a warm weather creation being born in Australia, then being bought up and developed in California, rain is not as common over there, as it is in Europe.

So lets look at these rules in more detail !

• Sheep skin is like a sponge being pourus it soaks in water, this will stain the boot but also will effect the thermostatic quality of the sheep skin, messing with the temperature control and comfort.

• with the fur being on the inside of the boot this offers unequaled comfort in feel and temperature the fur draws moisture from the foot like thousands of straws sucking away water, this keeps the foot dry and cool regulating the foot keeping it to body temperature, this adds to the comfort and is what keeps your foot, warm in winter and cool in summer, socks interferes with this natural process but also effects the temperature and will speed up the deteareation of the boots balding the fur and thining the toe leading to toe holes at the front of the boot, size is also the key to stopping the holes to many customers wear their boots to small.

• A UGG boot is like all women, they need their beauty sleep to look great and to function right, ( I will pay for that comment LOL ) 

But like all footwear sheep skin needs at least 24 hours rest to dry and recover shape, constant wearing brakes down the structure and will lead to your boots premature dilapidation, so rest them and your be rewarded with a longer use and better look from your trusted new foot friend. 

So follow these few rules and your enjoy and benefit so much more from your investment, and last point needed to be mentioned is nail control, keeping your toe nails tidy and short will help you from the dreaded toe hole I covered earlier. 

Enjoy your boots and remember look after your boots and they will look after you. 

More than just UGG Australia in Deckers basket

UGG Australia is a world wide name, but is only a part of the Deckers portfolio, a large major part that's true! but one brand that is over look in the UK is Sanuk, that's mainly due to it only being Introduced last year, with the weather being hot sandals and flip flops are flying off the shelves, with brands like Havaianas making big impact, but if its comfort you need Sanuk hits the spot it's approach to life, image and fun is always present in all they do, but don't take my word for it take a look for your self links below smile and pass it on. 

• 

Sanuk

.

Founded by Southern California natives, Sanuk^®(which is Thai for ‘fun’) creates footwear for 

Fun and function

Founded by              

Southern California natives, Sanuk^®(which is Thai for ‘fun’) creates footwear for the global outdoor community by using innovative, nontraditional materials like yoga mats and indoor-outdoor carpet. Smile. Pass it on.

Visit the Sanuk website:

http://m.uk.sanuk.com 

http://m.youtube.com/user/sanuk?&desktop_uri=%2Fuser%2Fsanuk

Bicester village, not only flowers bloom in summer

 

With the sun shining, shopping is not always the first thing on your mind, but with the likes of Bicester Village working hard to make your experiance a relaxing and enjoyable one, you can't go wrong not only is the mix of the most current and desirable disgner names present, but the whole village is glowing with a immaculate mail, with flowers and landscaping that are to the standard you would get at a large flower show.

I have been involed with the village for many years working in and shopping and they never disappoint when making this truly unique shopping outlet feel special.

I take my imaginary hat off to Value Retail  for again delivering a place to shop that make you enjoy your surroundings, get the best products at fantastic prices, if you have not already discovered Bicester Village for your self give it a try it will never be forgotten. 

 

www.bicestervillage.com 

A fan wishing to share this great retail experiance.