Global Sourcing

Just before Christmas we were put into groups for our global sourcing project. We will be working together to create a niche brand. During the Christmas holidays our group spoke alot through a Facebook group chat. Through messenger we decided on our individual group roles. I will be focusing on the branding side of things, this will be a nice change from designing and I feel as though there is alot to learn about how to successfully brand a company.

We've each been given the task to research a niche brand that's 1-5 years old. My understanding of the word “niche” is that it’s an area of the market that specialises in one type of product or service. I had an idea of what a niche brand was and what I should be looking for however it took a while to find a brand that interested me or that I could write about. After a long search I came across a blog “An Expert’s Guide to Discovering the Coolest New Fashion Labels—Before All Your Friends” the blog was written by Jasmine Garnsworthy and was interesting to read. In the blog there was a link to the website Runway2Street where I came across the brand Kekkai.

I wanted to look into a brand that offers something completely new and different. Kekkai are a newly established collaborative label founded in 2014 by two Greek sisters Emily and Yvonne-Demitra. The sister’s create their designs through exploring the artistic practice of digital and analogue techniques of pattern making. Kekkai create unique scarves that can be worn all year round; made out of silk they are light and big enough to be worn in the summer. I really like this brand, as you don’t get many brands selling scarves, normally they are sold as an extra along side garments. The sisters have created scarves that are vibrant and beautiful. They stand out because they can be worn throughout the year in a number of different ways. These scarves are a timeless signature piece that will last a long time this makes you feel as though they are a worthwhile investment. Through researching niche brands I've learnt the importance of making sure your brand has something different to offer. I've gained a better understanding of what a niche brand is and how to create my own brand. I have also learnt that creating a niche brand is about playing on your strengths and using your skills in other areas to create a strong design.

http://stylecaster.com/emerging-fashion-brands/

https://www.runway2street.com

http://kekkai.co.uk