Week 1 - Assignment Briefs and Introduction to Fashion Communication.
Brief Introduction to the Module/ Tasks for the Week.
During our first week, we were thoroughly briefed on our upcoming assignments to get ourselves familiar with the course. We instantly started on our first assignment which was to create a Press Release (PR) write-up. We had to write a PR for the latest Graduation Show that was held at TRX Exchange. We were required to interview the designers and also the event coordinator, Miss Maria, regarding the fashion show. We had divided the tasks among 18 of us students to interview each individual separately. We had agreed on a set of questions so that the interviews would go smoothly and we would get similar responses from designers.
What is Fashion Communication?
Fashion communication is the backbone of the fashion industry, blending creativity, media, and marketing to shape brand narratives and influence consumer behavior. It encompasses everything from advertising campaigns, public relations, styling, and content creation to social media engagement.
My Understanding:
What I understood from fashion communication is that it's a mode as to where designers use to communicate their designs/creations to the users and how crucial it is to understand the basics of it. As for without communicating your designs to the public, it would have no traction in the market.
ASSIGNMENT 1 - PRESS RELEASE
During our first week, we were thoroughly briefed on our upcoming assignments to get ourselves familiar with the course. We instantly started on our first assignment which was to create a Press Release (PR) write-up. We had to write a PR for the latest Graduation Show that was held at TRX Exchange.
We were required to interview the designers and also the event coordinator, Miss Maria, regarding the fashion show. We had divided the tasks among 18 of us students to interview each individual separately. We had agreed on a set of questions so that the interviews would go smoothly and we would get similar responses from designers.
I was assigned to interview Miss Maria; hence, I grouped up with 3 other classmates and had an online zoom meeting so that the interview would go smoothly. We had the interview on Thursday morning during our first week of class.
After receiving the interview replies from other classmates, I begin writing up the press release.
During week 2, we had consultation with Mr. Daniel for our press release draft. I had to alter certain details regarding the document. We then had to design posters for the press release using Adobe Illustrator.
ASSIGNMENT 2 - Video Editorial
During week 1 of class, I looked into several shooting ideas for this assignment. I had decided to use my previous sems designs; Athleisure wear.
Theme:
Capturing the spirit of ‘GIRLHOOD’ through a mix of urban and street style. Creating a visual diary concept in the city where streetwear meets soft rebellion. Expressing individuality, youth, independence and rawness all captured in one shot.
Title: 'GIRLHOOD IN THE CITY'
Symbolizing freedom, resilience and the ability to thrive in any given environment. In that light, I envision this editorial to be a mix of Girlhood in the City. The feeling of freedom and youth tangled with each other. Capturing the contrast between hard and soft, the edge of street style with the joy, vulnerability and playfulness of youth. Through bold fashion, candid movement, and shared moments between friends, it reflects the beauty of navigating girlhood in a world that’s constantly moving. It’s about finding your voice among the noise. Creating space to be yourself.
To start out the assignment, I finalized the theme and started looking for pose references, inspiration and a concept idea. I landed on a more street aesthetic mix with femininity since I was using a previous semester's collection for the photoshoot.
After researching some photoshoot inspiration, I decided to look for places that I could execute the vision I had into my editorial. One place that came to mind was REX KL. The streets at REX KL had the main aesthetics required for my photoshoot. So, without wasting any more time, I decided to scout down some specific spots to carry out the shoot a day before the actual photoshoot day.
I decided to narrow down 2 specific places to carry out the shoot. One of which was a grafiti wall and the other was a bus stop with spray paint on the glass. Setting the tone for 2 different styles which was a busy background (grafitti wall) and a more calm setting (bus stop with surrounding scenery).
Models selection:
Initial fit prep for the models. I made a few changes at the end reducing it to only 3 outfits in total due to some challenges that we faced at the shooting location.
The models arrived at my house two hours prior to the shoot to begin preparations, including hair, makeup, and outfit fittings.
We left to the shoot sight roughly around 2.30pm.
We started the shoot at the bus stop then to the graffiti wall.
These are some behind the scenes videos during the shoot
We finished shooting around 7pm on that day and went back home to have dinner.
After the shoot, I began editing the photos and videos for final submission for my editorial. I had made a few mockups for the video and presented it to Mr. Daniel to do some final checks. I had to make a few adjustments to the video to sync the music to the video clips.
After finalizing the video I began editing my editorial. This part was a little bit more challenging as I had to figure out the style that I wanted to go for.
After getting some feedback from Mr. Daniel, I fixed up certain details on the editorial. It took a few consultation sessions to come up with the final outcome. During the first print out, I realized that I had to fix a few things on the editorial and I had adjusted the layout slightly to be more appealing.
Final lookbook layout:
https://flipbooks.fleepit.com/f-95940-girlhood_in_the_city
ASSIGNMENT 3 - COLLABORATIVE REBRANDING & ASSIGNMENT 4 - WINDOW DISPLAY
As part of our collaborative re-branding assignment, we were tasked with developing a window display concept to visually communicate and promote a selected brand’s product identity. This project required us to think like creative directors and visual merchandisers, blending research, concept development, and teamwork into one cohesive display.
We were assigned to go to ISETAN the Japan Store, Lot 10 Bukit Bintang and look for brands to research on. I was unable to attend class that day as I was stuck in the LRT train station due to a congestion at Pasar Seni LRT.
I communicated with my team members through WhatsApp during this time to decide on a brand to do research on. We narrowed it down with 2 options: 'By Thian' and 'FRIESENGUYS'. After looking through the collection, we decided on 'FRIESENGUYS'.
As part of the project, I began by conducting an in-depth analysis of Friesenguys, a local Malaysian fashion brand that blends casual streetwear with bold, creative expression. The brand carries strong design potential, especially in its use of graphics and youthful energy. However, through our research, we discovered that Friesenguys lacks strong brand visibility and market presence.
This observation led me to identify a core issue, limited brand reach. Despite having a distinct aesthetic, Friesenguys has yet to build a strong connection with a wider audience, both online and offline. This gap opened up the opportunity to rebrand the way the brand communicates visually starting with its window display.
We did a deep dive on Friesenguys and filtered through potential competitors of the brand. Including brands with strong visual presence like Behati and Moto Guo.
During our next consultation, we showed Mr. Daniel our initial proposal about rebranding the brand. There were certain details that needed to be adjusted and have more in-depth research.
REBRANDING:
Problem statement: FRIESENGUYS despite their strong. unique and high-quality designs lack marketing and brand presence. Particularly, they do not occupy much space in the world of social media and in-person in which they do not stand out amongst their competitors.
We narrowed it down to 3 relocation options being Lalaport BBCC, Pavilion Bukit Bintang and Pavilion Bukit Jalil. We finalized with Pavilion Bukit Bintang, as it is in the city center and easy access through public transport while the other two locations are almost deserted.
Pavilion Bukit Bintang - Tokyo Street.
We adjusted the store layout and chose something that fit the store aesthetic more with accent colors.
Then, we designed a packaging that suits the aesthetic of the brand. We had a few options:
FINAL BRAND PACKAGING:
We then fixed the store layout to be more accessible.
As for increasing the brands reach, we decided to collaborate with local artists and fashion influencers such as DOLLA (local artist), Cabi & Gajen (fashion influencers).
CABI
Our main idea to increase brand reach was to rent out an event space and have Dolla perform while Cabi and Gajen record behind the scenes videos during the event and post OOTD videos. As they have a big following and relatable content on their social media, they would be able to pull in more customers for FRIESENGUYS.
WINDOW DISPLAY:
FRIESENGUYS came from the phrase “Fries and Guys” as Edie Chung was editing his first collections lookbook while having fries from McDonald’s. The word ‘Guys’ came from his first collection that revolved around androgynous menswear.
Inspired by “french fries” as Eddie’s theme, we decided to go along with it. Mc Donald’s recently released an “XL” sized french fry, in conjunction with International French Fries day. Inspired, we decided to theme our display around it too.
Rough sketch of window display:
Final window display mock-up:
Construction of window display:
We finalized the outfit for the mannequin first. We wanted to use garments that we already had but unfortunately none of us had a yellow dress so we went to refash to get one. All other accessories and additional items for the styling were our own ones to reduce budget cost on the display.
We printed out 3 different layouts of the display on A0 sized paper: Massive Summer Sale, International Fries Day box and some additional fries for the background.
We then cut out the paper and stuck it onto some Styrofoam board to make it 3D.
After cutting out the print outs, we arranged it at our display corner to get the best layout for the fries.
FINAL WINDOW DISPLAY:
Reflection:
As a student, this project gave me a deeper understanding of how important visual merchandising is in shaping how a brand is perceived. Rebranding Friesenguys allowed me to explore how creative visuals can help increase a brand’s reach and impact. Throughout the process, I learned how to translate research into a strong concept, work effectively in a team, and solve problems during the setup. It was challenging at times, but also very rewarding to see our ideas come to life. This experience has definitely helped me grow more confident in my creative direction and design thinking skills.
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