Pod1 Blog

Nice little animation short that deals with the unforeseen dangers of parallel parking from Yumyum London. Watch closely.

Some nice simple branding for TrueCoffee by Bangkok based studio Subconscious

“Is that dress from Asos?” asked a girlfriend one clubbing night during my holiday back in Malta. “Yes,” I replied quite astonished she recognised it from thousands. “I had it saved in my favs. Looks fab on you.” “Thanks!” I replied not quite sure whether to be flattered or not.

Malta is a tiny island, for those who don’t know. It’s about the size of the Isle of Wight but has a population of half a million. Due to space limitation there are only a few ‘largish’ shopping malls and most fashion shopping is done from boutiques and outlets that line promenades and town streets. But this certainly doesn’t limit the fashion savvy Maltese woman. Believe me, the latter knows her stuff.

Online fashion retail is fast becoming a shopping haven worldwide and women in Malta are certainly making the most of it. ASOS alone ships its clothes and accessories to 167 countries. Its reported annual profits of £20.3m are higher than some analysts had expected. Group sales were up 35% to £223m in the year to 31 March while international sales surged 95% to £63m.

I was surprised to see Boohoo billboards splashed all over the tiny island. The early 20s to late 30s shoppers are increasingly becoming obsessed with online fashion shopping. My cousin for starters seems to get an extra kick from shopping at Boohoo, she just loves the fashion and it’s cheap.

The online fashion retail world is certainly globalising fashion trends as well as making it available to anyone who wants to join the club. You see it, you want it and it’s yours! Did you see that the fantastic pink ruffle dress S J Parker wore in STC II the movie? It’s a Halston Heritage and you can have it by visiting Harvey Nichols online shop.  Yes, that’s all it takes (not to mention the essential limitless credit card!)

The fashion industry is catching fire as online retailers take the lead and even more are throwing themselves into it. According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, total online sales rose 18% year on year to £5bn last month with clothing being one of the fastest growing online shopping sectors.

From a consumer perspective the quest for fashion is going beyond the physical in-store shopping   experience.  Shoppers are buying online at the expense of not trying before buying and forking out money to return any unwanted items, as happens with most returns policies except in the UK and US.

Having said that, while many women are die hard shopping goers they can’t help being enticed by what they see and is available online. What’s makes us want to shop our clothes online?  Do we think certain items aren’t available in store?  Are there more and better bargains online? Is the high we get from receiving a parcel through the post greater than trying an expansive dress in a store’s fitting room? Is it just because there is more choice online?

Feeding this appetite are agencies such as ours which continuously improve the online shopping experience making it even more attractive with tons of eye-catching web pages, even more fashion smartphone apps, creating virtual fitting rooms and sleek’n’easy checkouts.  All of this backed up by the retailer’s efficiency in stock management and delivery logistics, ultimately boosting the online shopper’s confidence.

Thanks to ecommerce shopping goes beyond the length and breadth of Oxford Street and stretches out to the four corners of the world. The fashion item you want is only a click away and a matter of a day or two before it’s delivered to your doorstep.

References:

http://www.mercurynews.com/fashion-style/ci_15881865?nclick_check=1

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/09/asos-sales-rise

http://www.netimperative.com/news/2010/july/top-100-online-retailers-in-the-uk-how-do-they

The V&A recently commissioned design studio Troika to create a sign for the tunnel connecting the museum and South Kensington tube station. The playful palindrome kinetic V&A monogram consists of 3 revolving pieces which deconstruct and reconnect every half turn with a gentle ticking sound.

Watch the video below and enjoy Tchaikovsky’s beautiful Nutcracker Suite:

Troika_Palindrome from Troika on Vimeo.

Visit http://www.ar100days.com/ from September 8th and submit your thoughts on how to instigate change, demonstrate your individuality and stand out from the crowd. This is an initiative from Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee Jeans – an interesting fashion, art and social conscience project.
Take a look here for the hot topics being explored – http://www.activeresistance.co.uk/

Those going to ‘Fashion Night Out’ can catch the launch of the 100 days ‘exhibition’ at the Lee Stores in W1 where Vivienne will be celebrating in style no doubt!

Came across this at the weekend, a shop window display for a travel agent claiming they were ‘No 1 on Google’

What does that even mean. When? / For what keyword? / For how long? / On which Google site? / Natural or Paid?

A stern letter to the advertising standards authority I think….. or am I over reacting in my ecommerce geekery?

Hermanos Inglesos feat. MeMe – Wanderland from Kristof Luyckx on Vimeo.

Very cool, but surreal video for Hermanos Inglesos featuring MeMe. Directed by Kristof Luyckx.

Sau Paulo-based ad agency Moma produced these retro ads for Maximidia’s seminars

From Flowtown