Garments: The Color of Abercrombie's Rebranding
Abercrombie and Fitch Tries Another Brand Relaunch: When we think about Abercrombie and Fitch, can’t we all agree that it is soooo 2009? The days where fashion was less focused on individuality and more about keeping up with the brand? Where a simple shirt that said Abercrombie across the front of it was the hottest thing to wear? Well, of course, the days of that monotone style are long, long gone….but the brand still remains. Abercrombie and Fitch’s struggle to stay afloat has been noticed by the public everywhere. But today, Abercrombie and Fitch Co. is changing out of its old denim and stepping up with a new collection and an ad campaign like never before.
The brand it set to unveil its most unique collection yet for pre-fall that includes a diverse rang of fabrics, washes, styles and fits that are targeted for an older customer demographic than before. Previously, the brand’s main customer base was the teenage demographic, but now, the brand is focused much more on an older, more mature group in their twenties.
“Denim has always been a part of our brand heritage, and we have put together a collection inspired by current trends and heritage pieces. We are listening to our customers, and believe they will love the new collection,” Ashley Sargent Price, creative director of marketing for Abercrombie & Fitch Co., told WWD.
Not only is the brand altering its product, but the way they portray themselves to the public is also changing. In 2009 when the brand was the major it brand of the times, it had a very recognizable image- usually worn by a skinnier body type, beachy long hair or preppy boy cuts, typically seen on an all-American type of person. Today, the company’s new campaign is so different than ever before that if a person looks at it without knowing it’s for Abercrombie and Fitch, they would never guess it! The new ad features a racially diverse model span, close-ups of the face rather than a physique, more makeup than usually seen, and an appreciation for different cultures.
We can’t predict if this new campaign will help the brand regain some of its customers, but we can surely say this new brand image is its best yet!
Meet Some Models Changing up the Scene: Alecia Morais (left), Bhumika Arora (right), Ming Xi …. (center) probably names you haven’t heard of, but soon will be everywhere. These models may very well become the next big faces. Let’s start with Alecia Morais.
It is no surprise that Alecia Morais is enjoying a rise in the modeling industry. She’s been signed with some of the top modeling agencies like The Society Model Management, Da Banda Model Management, and IMM - Brussels, while she is also represented by Elite Model Management in Copenhagen, Milan, Barcelona, Paris, Stockholm, and London. All this increase in fame has led to Morais appearing in editorials for W, Harper's Bazaar UK, Glamour USA, and Elle Italy, while she has also walked in fashion shows for Antonio Berardi, Margaret Howell, Gareth Pugh, Rodarte, Tommy Hilfiger, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Christian Dior, Roland Mouret, Damir Doma, Pascal Millet, Dolce &Gabbana, Diane Von Fürstenberg, Chanel, Clover Canyon, Dries van Noten, Louis Vuitton, and Ground Zero.
Bhumika Arora, a runway model from Karnal, India, has walked the runways in New York, London, and Milan in recent weeks. This 27 year old has landed some big gigs including Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs in New York, Gareth Pugh in London, and Bottega Veneta and Salvatore Ferragamo in Milan. Bhumika Arora is a model who, yes, has walked some of the hottest runway shows, but her plans to settle within that are not occurring anytime soon. She’s aiming for so much more and hopes to make a name for herself by getting noticed by influential casting directors, fashion stylists, and other industry taste makers. “I want to make a name for myself by doing good work,” says Ms. Arora. “No matter how much hard work I have to do, I will do that and hope for the best.” Growing up in a small town in the state of Haryana, Ms. Arora was always a tall, skinny girl. While some people teased her for looking “like a guy,” she says, others said she looked like a model. She states, “I used to think I was really, really ugly,” she says. “So modeling couldn’t be my thing.” In a small town with a highly conservative culture, modeling wasn’t the ideal path for the girls. She moved to a bigger town in India called Chandigarh, to pursue a more diverse college experience. One of her friends submitted a picture of her to a local publication and a few months later, the magazine had her photograph everywhere calling it “steaming hot”. That convinced her—and helped convince her parents—that she could try modeling.
Ming Xi is one of the most in-demand models of the time. As a Chinese fashion model, her professional modeling career started in 2009 after she took part in a televised competition. In 2011, after walking for a little brand called Givenchy, her career took off and she became the official face behind the brand. She walked the Givenchy Haute Spring Show, and in the same year, modeled the ready-to-wear collection and the Fall/Winter publicity advertising campaign.
Her most recent venture is landing the Valentino campaign, alongside with other successful models of the time. As someone who’s walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and worked with some of the biggest names like Kendall Jenner, Rosie Huntington, and Miranda Kerr, Ming Xi is definitely one to watch.