Monsoon Rebrand

As this week is my last of working PT at Monsoon Accessorize I felt it was quite apt to post about Monsoon's new rebrand. Founded in 1973 by Peter Simon, Monsoon began as a market stall on Portabello Road. With a focus of selling clothes from an ethnic origin made with unusual and colourful fabrics from far away places, Monsoon has always had a hippy vibe!

Now with this refreshed identity, the brand has finally been brought into the 21st Century. The old logo had felt dated for quite a while, this new logo works beautifully as it feels contemporary, feminine and still remains true to its roots with ornate curves to the M and N. The use of colour also feels much fresher and up to date with a peachy pink used with golds and creams - beautiful! The new Spring 2011 campaign, pictured above, stars Lily Donaldson and was photographed by Camilla Akran, resulting in some gorgeous imagery. You can pick up one of these lovely, large look books in store now.

Wish I was here...

Following the successful Be Stupid campaign, Diesel have taken it to the next level and created an entirely new stupid society, giving them a tropical island to inhabit! Like French Connection's recent campaign, Diesel has done a great job of bringing a tongue in cheek view to life. This campaign documents the first pioneers arriving on Diesel Island, solving the worlds oldest problems and having crazy parties to celebrate the birth of their nation. The whole concept behind Be Stupid and now Diesel Island is about having the guts to take risks, to take on the new and be inventive - something people all over the world can relate to and embrace.

On Diesel's website you can visit the island virtually and make up new laws (e.g. one of todays: 'pillow fighting is the national sport'), meet its citizens and buy island clothes through the interactive catalogue. You can also download a passport which gives you everything you need to know about the island, and there is even a Wikipedia page which is updated weekly as the society rules evolve. Diesel stores will serve as embassies, displaying the flag, maps and explanations of the philosophy behind the worlds youngest country.

The ideas behind Diesel Island are incredibly exciting with potential to roll out even further - particularly within digital media and inviting the audience to participate even more. I look forward to seeing how Diesel Island develops, maybe I can be teleported there one day?!

(source: Diesel)

You are Man? You are Woman?

I have been meaning to blog my appreciation for French Connection's SS11 campaign for a little while, and walking past this billboard everyday this week prompted me to do so!

I think this is a really interesting concept, based on the masculine/feminine identity. A 'Man Camp' was set up on the island of Malta and 'Woman Camp' on the island of Gozo, created to discover the identity of men and women and men in the 21st century. They were ordered to do a series of 'manly' or 'womanly' tasks such as ride a horse into the sea and wrestle a biker. The result is a series of tongue in cheek, quirky and cool images. These are a few of my favourite, I think they are really fun, even if they don't make a lot of sense!

(source: French Connection)