FRAGRANCE: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Alongside our group fragrance project brief presented to us this semester, another task we were recently given was to produce a fragrance trend booklet.  This was an individual task in which we had to use the software InDesign to create our 12 page, A5 booklet.  I found this brief to be one of the most exciting ones I have worked on since starting my course at uni as I felt it gave me the freedom to express and further my design skills.  Having used InDesign on a very basic level previous to this brief, I found I was learning and discovering new areas of the software the longer I used it.  

I focused my trends around 4 areas, props & styling, casting & model, location & place and the shape and silhouette of the fragrance bottle itself.  Within these areas I found micro trends that I feel will take over the fragrance industry in 2015, my favourite trend found within the casting and model category was 'The Bearded Man', after researching into campaign imagery from various fragrance and fashion advertisements, I found the rugged 'mountain climber/ biker man' is slowly but surely taking over from the impeccably dressed sophisticated business man. 

As part of Thursdays seminar we were asked to bring our trend booklets with us, we were then presented our work to our groups of 8.  When presenting our work we gave others an insight into our trend ideas and how we feel they will be used successfully in 2015.  Our booklets were then exchanged with another group and we were given the task of critically analysing 3 positive points and 3 areas they could improve.  Following on from this we were asked to select our top 3, these were then handed to another group where they were graded and then whittled down further to select the most successful trend booklet.  

I received a high 2:1 and my booklet was chosen as part of the top 8! I was so thrilled with how well my work had done in the peer assessment, with one of the main strengths of mine highlighted being my design and layout, something I spent agessss working on!  My booklet came second out of my seminar group of around 60 fellow students and I couldn't have been happier!

I found this session to be extremely beneficial as it highlighted the weaknesses in my work and how I can improve, the feedback I received from my peers was extremely constructive and enlightened me about areas of trend research I hadn't thought about when doing my initial research. 

I would appreciate any comments anyone has on my work, I'm always looking for places to improve.

becky x

THE BEARDED MAN

After being set the task of creating our own fragrance trend booklet using In-design, I started to gather my research into what I felt the new trends of 2015 will be within the fragrance industry and mainly their campaigns.  

The first thing I did was take to Pinterest and look at the most popular campaigns of 2014 and the key elements that run throughout.  The first thing I wanted to look at was casting, I found that in nearly all advertisements whether that be for fragrance or apparel, the male casting was following a clear trend.

Men with beards, you know the ones I mean, the outdoorsy looking kind, the ones that look like they should be driving a pick up truck in the day time whilst still being able to pull off that classic cut Armani suit.  

I even found a sub trend that sparked from ‘the bearded man’, beards adorned with flowers.  Who would have thought it? A facial asset associated with being a stereotypical ‘rugged man’, has now been accessorised with a feminine flare. 

I have to say though I am LOVING this new trend in facial hair, with a Mumford and Son’s vibe and hairy biker meets urban outfitters, what’s not to love about these beautiful males? I know I cant fault a man sporting a barnet that i’m all too jealous of! 

becky x