So have you ever been driving on a long road trip and go....hmmm that sign looks cool, let's stop here. Well that is what I have been doing on the internet lately. I have been openly overindulging on fashion sites and blogs, and while I have found some pretty great ones none have really stuck out to me until.......

I am in love with this picture provided by Fashionation. Very little sites actually make me want to subscribe and get updates but while browsing my staple PR Couture (link on the side) they highlighted this site. So if they think it's cool worth a click right? RIGHT!


Next stop was this article about BAPE from a business aspect. You know that I am all about Business + Fashion so when The Business Of Fashion announced two new team members, and that one wrote his Master's thesis on this brand I had to read it!

IMHO I don't think it's just enough to know about WHO is wearing it, but also the story behind the company/brand that's being worn.

Many times we think that because so and so is wearing it or endorsing it in their songs (Kanye-Stronger "In my Pastelle or my BAPE sh---), that a brand is a success. But this is the total opposite for this company. As the author of the article puts it,

"...while one would be hard-pressed to write off the current state of Bape as a 'failure,' the brand value at least appears to have struggled in the last 5 years in Japan."

It kinda reminds me of "Mommy got a new promotion that makes way more money but she's no longer coming to my ballet recitals." Mommy's gained value in the office but lost it at home.

I want to work in Branding and BAPE's story is as interesting to me as luxury brands. In my post about luxury brands I talk about the Advertising to Market Share ratio being something worth studying and the article about the Japanese street brand raises the question of Revenue vs. Loyalty. Staying true to home. Is success a double edge sword?

Remember on Sex and the City when Samantha reassured Smith that this ad was a success:

and she told him "First the Gays, then the Girls, then the Industry?" Well Bape's story reminds me of that. Once you're brand is counterfeited by China...YOU'VE MADE IT! But at what cost to your Brand Integrity?

Side Note: I will now be researching and calling up the powers that branding be and get back to you with a post about Brand Integrity and Brand Loyalty

This article started all kinds of questions in my head. So read the article come back and leave a Stamp. Let's talk about this!

Last stop on my Freeway today was a special on On Style Network about shoes and they went inside Salvatore Ferragamo to see the shoes being made!

Just like in the picture the shoes are 100% hand made. I was so impressed. When you buy these shoes you are getting something special for sure. Talk about Brand Integrity! With all the craziness about sweatshops, outsourcing, and going green Ferragamo has stayed true to it's founder's vision and has given a quality product that is made of natural materials and assembled with a vegetable base glue! "Get into this Love Muffins" as B. Scott would say.

So let's talking about marketing shall we? How smart was it of Ferragamo to show their workshop to viewers, fans, and stilettoholics? How many of us out there who cannot realistically afford a pair of these beautiful works of art decide that one pair is now more necessary than a Toyota Prius?

So here ends my journey for today...hope you enjoyed the ride, leave a stamp and let's get this conversation going.
Image provided by: source