Evaluating the Expansion of Logos and the Cost Impact on the Fashion Industry

A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol commonly used by commercial

enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public
recognition. Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of the
name of the organization (a logotype or word mark). With fashion evolving to the
social and economic status of today, designers are finding new and exciting ways to
keep their collection sustainable and marketable. However, like trends, logos have
come back into fashion and are being used heavily to promote brands.
With every logo, comes a story behind them. The logo is the one thing that can be
used time and time again by the designers and company to broaden exposure.
Guccis logo was created by One of Guccio Guccis six children in 1993 that
featured overlapping G letters. They symbolise two stirrups showing the brands
legacy Guccio Gucci used to sell horse accessories. And today, Gucci is one of
the bestselling high fashion brands, selling their clothes and accessories of up to at
least $25,000. However, without the label, no price would be near to that. In 1925,
Chanel launched their classic logo on the No.5 Chanel perfume. There are a few
versions giving the history of the logo. According to the one of those, Mikhail Vrubel
was the very person who in 1886 depicted two horseshoes that resembled the
modern Chanel logo. However, I believe that the logo comprises the initials of Coco
Chanel the founder of the French designer house. Not only is the logo known
worldwide, but it is the statement to every wardrobe.
In this day and age, the focus selling point is the label, who made it and where.
Every single campaign and editorial has a companys logo which is used for people
to instantly recognise and want to have something with that logo on. With designers
opening high street stores all around the world, high fashion has never been more
accessible. The return of logos, especially those used in an ironic manner, makes
sense right now, says Dana Thomas, author of the book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost
its Lustre. Young creators, in music as well as in fashion, are turning to the 1980s
for inspiration and that was the period when logo mania first hit hardThe new take
on logos is more romantic, softer and even humerous it has all been filtered
through the haze of time. Were all a bit more jaded, a bit more wise. We bought into
marketing then; we mock it today. I think the point Dana is making is that in the
1980s, punk had hit fashion and branding was being in a very brutal and dry way,
whereas nowadays, logos are being franchised carefully and subtly so that the
consumer is feeling like theyre wearing something high fashion and not high street.
However, a designer brand that goes against this, is Moschino. Creative Director
Rosella Jardini has used the Moschino logo and other brands to create pop culture
inspired collections. Moschino logo design is simple, pure bold letters with full name
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of brand, a color is changing depending of needs- gold, black, red- and theres often
a heart that appears on perfume pack, bags shape design or clothes print. Through
their branding their trying to tell us to be fashionable, but never fashion victim.
Fashion is funny, and we all should have a good time. The concept that Fashion is
funny, and we all should have a good time shows in their work. In their
Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, Moschino focused their whole collection around the
branding of Spongebob Squarepants, Barbie and Mcdonalds. They took already
famous and recognisable logos and brought them to fashion, using the social media
to its full potential as everyone was either looking or talking about it. From this, they
merchandised further with phone cases, bags, accessories to sell on the high street
at a high price.
Alexander Wang recently collaborated with H&M and with this, came a rise in the
cost that H&M would market their clothes. The collection consisted of monochrome,
sport luxe styled clothes. When we look at the manufacturing of this collection, it
could be compared to that of Topshop, Zara, most common high street brands.
However, because the collection had a designer name behind it, H&M were able to
sell the clothes at a much higher price. For example, H&M stock: Jersey Top 7.99
and Jersey Jumper 14.99; Alexander Wang collection: Jersey Top 24.99 and
Jersey Jumper 34.99. Although not bank breaking expensive, the increase in price
is over 60% just for the name on the clothes. Another high street collaboration is
Kate Moss and Topshop. In 2014 Kate Moss created a small collection to be
franchised all over Topshop stores. Topshop stock averaged price is around 40/50,
the target audience are students and young adults so the price isnt extortionate,
however the Kate Moss collection went for an average of 70 per piece. Although
Topshop do sell items at this price, the collection Kate Moss designed didnt vary
much from some of the less expensive pieces already in Topshop, again showing
that the name on the clothing has increased the price.
Buying designer labels has become the fashion fix for my generation. If you arent
wearing a known designer then you arent wearing anything worth talking about.
However, with prices continually rising with the more exposure a company gets, it
becomes increasingly difficult for them to market at a younger audience. Obviously,
they will always have the influx of celebrities such as Cara Delevigne, Kendall
Jenner, Natalie Portman etc. although, on the high street, as young adults become
more fashion conscious theyre having to find alternate ways to get a designer label,
such as shopping vintage. In an ideal world, designer labels would lower the prices
and not cling to the notion that the more famous they are the more they need to
charge. An example of prices increasing because of the name behind it is Carrie
Bradshaws statement Manolo Blahniks. In recent years, prices of luxury fashion
products have grown at more than twice the rate of general inflation. In 2003, Carrie
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Bradshaws famous Manolo Blahniks cost $485. Exactly ten years later, the same
style is $755, a 56 percent increase. (And several pairs of current season Manolos
cost well above $1,000.) Ready-to-wear-dresses in the $10,000 and up range barely
existed 10 years ago. Now theyre commonplace. In fact, popular luxury fashion ecommerce site Luisa Via Roma is currently selling a Fausto Puglisi embroidered
tartan skirt for over $10,000 and a leather-and-boucl Fendi dress for more than
$13,000. As the figures show, just the recognition that the shoes got from Sarah
Jessica Parker wearing them in Sex and The City and her name associated with the
shoes made them sell faster and the price to increase.
Through my research, it has shown that the logo and association to a name is
everything when it comes to price. No longer is it the quality being questioned with
the garment or accessory, more the association to the designer label. Prices are
bound to keep increasing over the years as we become more superficial to labels
and no doubt there will come a time when people will question the amount theyre
paying for a top or bag.

References
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Sophie Chittock

Sherman, L. (2nd August 2013). Fashion Inflation: Why Are Prices Rising So Fast?.
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Sophie Chittock