Issue Two

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

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The posh and the preppy

Jack Wills SS11 campaign

I read a Financial Times article on Jack Wills recently, the university uniform brand that is popular in the United Kingdom.  Jack Wills’ unique selling point is that it is super expensive – with hoodies priced at GBP69 (ZAR 760) and a pair of socks at GBP19 (ZAR 210). Despite these high prices, it’s not clear to me if this automatically positions Jack Wills amongst the likes of Wood Wood, ACNE, or even Rugby by Ralph Lauren, all of which are highly positioned and cater to their various niche markets. Take the example of Rugby by Ralph Lauren; the brand was launched in 2004 as a diffusion line of the more mature targeted Polo brand. In other words, Rugby is targeted at a younger consumer who identifies with Polo, taking into account the brand's history and its heritage (the name Ralph Lauren is attached to it). Jack Wills on the other hand fulfills none of the mentioned criteria, yet it is one of the UK’s fastest growing clothing brands. Why?

Swedish brand Ambition to Create Novel Expression (ACNE) SS11

A growing number of consumers are failing to say ‘I can’t afford this’, instead they’d rather say;’ I’ll save up for this’, or ‘I have buying power on my card’. If there is one thing that is clear to me is that today’s consumers will buy anything they feel like buying, not because they can afford it, but because they must ‘absolutely have it’. The problem also goes further into how governments shape their consumer policies, and in most cases these policies are shaped in a manner that allows creditors to convince us to purchase more. The case of Jack Wills isn’t new. In fact, Jack Wills draws its inspiration from the likes of Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister, brands which are virtually nonexistent today, either because they’re financially nonperforming or simply not cool anymore. 

Rugby by Ralph Lauren store

So how is it possible that a brand is able to position itself high up in the market without any credibility what so ever? Well, it does this through creating a strong following from would be consumers. In turn, these consumers create the demand for it, and help maintain its buzz. I think we have to go back to being honest with ourselves.

Mabu by Ntokozo Kunene

A friend of mine recently launched her brand at the South African Fashion Week (SAFW) earlier this month. I’ve known Ntee for about 3 years now, and I can say she inspires me a lot even though I hardly tell her that. She’s currently finishing off her fashion design degree at a prestigious fashion academy in London; where she’s been based for the past three and a half years or so. It is through her ‘passion for fashion’ that she took upon this journey to pursue a career in fashion overseas. 

 Ntee burst into the scene last year when she was selected as a finalist for Elle’s young designer competition. I remember I had been in South Africa that July and the show was to take place around September. I got my invite through our ‘once in a while’ Gmail updates, but would miss the show because I had to be back in France when in took place. It was only this January that I got the news of the SAFW participation as Mabu, a brand which she has dedicated to her mother and to women.  This would be Ntee’s time to shine. 

 I believe that Ntee will accomplish great things through Mabu. She definitely sees things in a new light… a breath of fresh air through the industry back home. I also admire how she pushes herself; this is somebody who only started the Mabu collection late last year under short notice.I am proud to be associated with people like her, and I wish her all the best.