Winter Survival Plan

Hi Everyone,

Winter is here! It’s colder, darker and wetter and no matter how much we want to resist it is definitely time to work on the winter fashion (this Halloween being the exception). In this instance a quick google search will tell you all the trends for the winter so instead of re-hashing what everyone is saying so below are four things that will get me through the cold winter nights.

Wooly hats – Fun and practical, what’s not to like?

    

Mulled wine – Tasty warm and so Christmassy I can literally feel Santa’s presence after a few glasses.

Winter Coat – So big they feel like they can shield you from bullets as well as the elements and if I’m running around London, I will be pretending I’m Sherlock.

Duvet days – There will be times you wake up and you can hear the wind howling, the rain hammering, at this point it is time to let the duvet consume you!

You all better get your winter survival plans prepped, because it’s happening!!

O

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Theft is not 'inspiration'

Hi Everyone,

Intellectual property is a precious thing, in a creative industry you want to protect your hard work. We have been confronted by potential clients who don’t value IP and want to see assets prior to paying. This is very frustrating, I’m pretty sure they don’t ask an accountant to do their finances for six months to determine if the will hire them. Anyway, when we do create something you want to protect it as if that thing is successful people will attempt to use that success.

Today we heard that a settlement had been reached between Rihanna and David LaChapelle for the use of images used in her S&M video. As you can see below the similarities are obvious so he was right to be upset.

This brings us nicely on to the new Beyonce video and the work of choreographers Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Take a look below and, again, there is no doubt that there are strong similarities between the two.

There is a difference between paying homage with a variety of subtle nods or thematic choices and the exploitation of someone else’s property. The proliferation of the web means that if you utilise information it is no longer a case of finding a random book from a library and taking those influences and expecting nobody to notice. If artists want to be credited as more than just a performer then it appears that they will need to check all source material. Millions of online detectives are ready and waiting to dissect and determine where any similarities lie so there is little chance of escape!

It will be interesting to see if the Beyonce video becomes subject to legal proceedings of the owner of the IP (Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker) may have been asked for permission. If not, then it will be time to arm the lawyers.

Until next time, I shall be learning some new dance moves!!

O

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A Week of Battles

Hi Everyone,

As we beaver away in Originals HQ it appears that battle lines are being drawn across the globe, Dr Conrad Murray vs the people, Dr Liam Fox vs media rumours and smartphone companies vs each other.

To be honest the live feed of the trial of Doctor Conrad Murray has raised expectations for similar drama when it comes to the UK although it may affect Jeremy Kyle’s ratings. The media hounding of Dr Liam Fox is interesting if only for the fact he is doing absolutely nothing to help bury any of the revelations that keep being unearthed, a novel approach which is enjoyable as it can only get messier.

The biggest fracas appears to be between the technological companies, BlackBerry are in a pickle as Apple reach for the iClouds. The technological battlefield is always a dangerous place with Twitter trends giving a real-time feedback for what the populous are feeling, each vying for the ultimate prize of being market leader. We doubt the result will be as clear cut as the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD battle but it appears with BlackBerry on the ropes they could be ripe for a takeover which could throw a cat among the proverbial pigeons.

O

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Can an Icon be replaced?

Hi Everyone,

So sad that Steve Jobs has died, the guy is pretty much a legend for all the reasons that you are likely to have read about already. It won’t be long until discussion will turn to how Apple will cope in his absence. It is clear that Steve Jobs was the talisman for the company and when he was forced out in the 80’s the company suffered. This situation is different from his previous departure but it got me thinking about how companies react to the loss of an icon.

Entertainment

Within the vastness of the entertainment industry there are a number of occasions where the figure head has been lost. In music, Diana Ross left The Supremes and Michael Jackson left The Jacksons, both groups attempted to continue either with a replacement or in blissful ignorance but the impact was felt and neither group repeated the success they’d had with their leads. The death of a singer normally increases the number of records sold and posthumous releases are extremely common, with demo tracks re-produced, live tracks bolted into an album or simply re-packaging existing albums.

In film the biggest case I can think of is when Brandon Lee died before filming had been completed on ‘The Crow’. Ultimately the film was completed with some re-writes but this may have not been possible if at the beginning of the shoot. Alternatives do exist, a computer generated version of Oliver Reed was included in Gladiator, Liam McIntyre was re-cast as Spartacus after the unfortunate death of Andy Whitfield and Bob Monkhouse was reanimated for an advert! It appears that the show really does go on.

Fashion

The most recent case is probably the suicide of Alexander McQueen, like Steve Jobs, he was undoubtedly a genius in his field, creating numerous iconic collections and being responsible for a number of trends. Perhaps where the differed was in business acumen, the fashion house was reported to be in considerable debt at the time of McQueen’s death - the same cannot be said for Apple. The McQueen brand continues without its founder and amid continued success under a new Creative Director.

Business

It is difficult to find someone within business who has been as iconic as Steve Jobs. It is arguable that the loss of Bill Gates at his prime as the head of Microsoft would have created a similar impact but as he now has a limited role any potential issue is reduced. Perhaps businesses are now designed to prevent any one person having such a key aspect thus mitigating against their loss.

I have no doubt that Apple will remain successful at least in the short term but the long term plans seem a little less bright without Steve Jobs. One thing is for certain the techniques used in other industries means will not be possible to replace Steve Jobs.

O

X

Happy Friday

Hi Everyone,

It is too hot to write a long blog so I just want to capitalise on the feel good factor with further ‘goodness’.

Firstly the weather! Here is a shot of a cheeky little break on the roof of Originals HQ, the flip flops are not standard but it’s too hot for socks (you can use that catchphrase if you wish).

The second thing that cheered me up was another celeb attempting to get their hair back, I know it’s subtle but see if you can spot the difference.

Brownie points to those who spotted the before and after shot.

Thirdly is a very funny clip from Celebrity Juice, the final shot is amazing!

Finally, I have only just seen Failbook but I think it could be the funniest site I’ve ever seen. Keep it bookmarked in case the sunny weather doesn’t last throughout Winter!!

Have a great weekend.

O

X

A slice of London Fashion Week

Hi Everyone,

The Fashion Weeks are coming thick and fast with New York complete, London coming to an end and Milan about to kick-off we thought we would report back with some of our favourites so far.

In response to the days getting shorter and the fact that the weather has taken a turn, our favourite collections from this year’s myriad of styles are the ‘fun’ collections. By ‘fun’ we are talking, bright, loud and ostentatious creations.

Credit: Catwalking.com

Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection by Louise Gray makes us smile a lot. The collection has an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ feel mixed with some 60’s chic. If nothing else we want one of the head pieces so we can bring our packed lunch in to Originals HQ in style.

Credit: Catwalking.com

The sheer beauty and opulence of the Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection from Mary Katrantzou caught our eye.

The ornate print on the structured bodices and the flowing lines help create outfits that would look at home on a mantelpiece as well as on the catwalk.

Have a good weekend!

O

Originals Production Process

Hey Everyone,

Last week I provided an insight into the Originals creative design process; the next phase is production which is a much trickier beast.

Figure 1: Production can be tricksy

Like many things in life (e.g. delays on public transportation, queuing at the Post Office etc) we become frustrated when we are no longer in control of a situation and through production we relinquish much of the control.

The first step of production is liaison with the factory. It normally helps if you have existing experience with the factory especially if you are using one from another country, in our case the factory is based in China. Research in to the factory is essential to ensure that the processes that are used and the conditions of the workers is in line with your own corporate and social responsibilities. After receiving the drawings there may be some deliberation, if there is a tricky element to the design. A round of negotiations is normally undertaken to ensure that the cost is suitable for all parties, timescales are agreed and any late fees and terms and conditions are also stated. It is then a case of sorting invoices, purchase orders and payments are made.

Then the waiting game begins.

It is always important to receive regular updates during production, ensuring that pre-production samples are received on time prior to the large order being delivered. There are still a number of elements that can go wrong, the freight forwarder can be troublesome, the factory may be late or samples are incorrect. There are many things out of control and planning will only go so far. Business relationships and your ability to handle these ‘curve balls’ is the key to minimising any impact, especially if you have a customer waiting for goods.

There is always a sense of relief when the items are correct, on time and all funds are cleared and at that point you can have a therapeutic cup of tea and start the process again!!

Here’s a viral to cheer you up on a wet Tuesday afternoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjckqAU8IkM

O

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