TREND SPOTTER: ARMY GREEN
It’s official: Army green isn’t just for GIs anymore. It’s become increasingly popular in recent haute couture collections, and not just as an accent color. Designers are outfitting their models in head-to-toe army green, making it a must-have shade for 2015. Even celebrities are getting in on the action. Rihanna recently turned heads in an army green jumpsuit while out and about in Los Angeles.
Suppliers in the promotional industry aren’t surprised. Army green has enjoyed continuous popularity in fashion-forward apparel lines. “It’s part of an earthy, natural palette that, while fluctuating with seasonal and fashion trends, definitely has staying power,” says Andrea L. Routzahn, vice president of portfolio and supplier management for alphabroder (asi/34063). “Now, army green is popular for active looks that are crossing over into corporate outfitting.” Currently, alphabroder offers performance wovens, outerwear and knits in dark oakmoss in its North End Excursion collection, inspired by active outdoor brands.
While 2014 saw huge demand for camouflage, that trend is gradually evolving into what Routzahn calls “utilitarian, military uniform and safari- or trekking-inspired looks.” Popular from catwalks to retail to wholesale, these neutrals, including army-inspired greens, grays, navys and khakis, “are definitely a fresh break from the neons and brights that dominated the market for the past several seasons.”
Meanwhile, Vicki Ostrom, senior designer at SanMar (asi/84863), sees inspiration for army green and similar hues stemming from preparations for the 2016 Olympics in tropical, lush Rio de Janeiro. “There’s also a lot of interest in military-inspired items, from baby clothes on up, including on the runways,” she explains. SanMar offers a stain-resistant roll-sleeve twill shirt (S649) from its Port Authority line in the shade that Ostrom says is “perfect for uniforming and has military-inspired epaulets and a crisp, professional look.”
Routzahn says army green is perfect for uniform programs at forward-thinking companies, because “it’s a fresh take on the traditional corporate identity look. We’re seeing opportunity with entrepreneurial companies involved with environment, craft and new-industrial movements.” She also cites craft breweries, farmers markets, landscapers, organic farming and environmental industries as promising markets.
Outdoors-centered companies are definitely a good fit for army green, adds Ostrom. “There’s been a lot of army green in winterwear this year,” she says. “It’s ideal for avid sportsmen and any company looking for a military-inspired look and feel.”
HOW TO: MARKET WITH INSTAGRAM
The old adage that you get what you pay for is usually a warning worth heeding. The image-sharing application Instagram, however, is an exception to that bit of wisdom. With it, decorators can connect with potential customers and build a following for their services, products and insights – at zero cost.
Marki Lemons-Ryhal, social media expert and frequent ASI education speaker, is a keen booster of Instagram for any visually based business. Speaking recently at the ASI Show in Dallas, she stressed two of its fundamental appeals: the app’s 300 million-plus users and its cost – or lack of one. Plus, it’s easy to use. “You can use your phone to educate people about promotional products,” she said. “And how much did it cost you to share that photo?”
Lemons-Ryhal explained Instagram’s phenomenal reach in an article written for Chicago REALTOR® Magazine. “From Instagram, you can instantly share photos to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare and Flickr by simply tapping your mobile device.” She refers to this as her COPE philosophy: “Create Once, Post Everywhere.” Maximizing your impact requires a little strategy, however, and she recommends a few key steps for users to take.
First is to make use of hashtags and keywords. “You don’t want to just put a photo out there,” Lemons-Ryhal told her Dallas audience. “You want to leverage it as much as possible.” Hashtags allow your content to be easily indexed and discovered, she explains, and used effectively in conjunction with keywords, can land your site among the top Google rankings. She suggests visiting google.com/trends for an idea of which terms are most relevant to apparel decoration.
Lemons-Ryhal also encourages users to repost interesting and relevant content. “Follow Fortune 500 companies you’re targeting and share/like their content,” she says. For a little extra help, try using the Photo Repost application, she says.
Also, Lemons-Ryhal suggests using a specific description of what you do when creating social media profiles. “Put what you want people to buy from you,” she said. “Say the same thing in a different way across all your social media sites using the same keywords.” When people search for that term, it will improve your Google rankings.
Instagram is a powerful marketing tool with a visual focus that is perfect for apparel decorators. “Think of it like a highway that can lead you anywhere,” Lemons-Ryhal says. “At the end of the day, it’s how many orders can I get?”
STITCHES WANTS TO MAKE
OVER YOUR SHOP
Are you a family-owned shop that can’t get anything done because you’re always squabbling with your siblings? Is your production workflow and shop layout such a nightmare that your orders are habitually late or lost? Are your employees unmotivated and not getting the job done? If any of these (or other) dilemmas sound like your shop, we want to hear all about it. We’ll choose the shop most in need of a makeover and send Joyce Jagger, the industry-famous Embroidery Coach, to your shop for two days of tough love and a total overhaul of your processes. Jagger will review your shop top to bottom and get your people and processes in line. Click here to read about our first “Can This Shop Be Saved?” installment.
If you want to apply for this awesome opportunity, email Editor Nicole Rollender at nrollender@asicentral.com and tell us about your shop dilemmas; we’d also like you to make a short video on your smartphone and email it to us so we can see your shop’s personalities and layout. Don’t delay! Email us by February 27 to be considered. |
FASHION WEEK: EPSON DIGITAL COUTURE EVENT
Epson wants to be part of the future of fashion. The printer manufacturer helped to kick off New York Fashion Week with a “Digital Couture” event last week, showcasing the capabilities of its SureColor dye sublimation printers with mini-collections presented by 11 up-and-coming designers from the Americas. Held at a spacious, concrete-floored studio a few blocks from the city’s Meatpacking District, the show featured vivid colors and crisp design with apparel that ranged from dreamy, flowing dresses to high-concept, zipper-laden unisex looks.
The packed show marks a major push into the fashion industry for Epson, according to Mark Radogna, an executive in the company’s commercial imaging group. “Polyester is actually a very big part of the fashion industry,” Radogna says. Sublimation inkjet printers, like Epson’s, use special dyes and transfer papers, which are heat-pressed onto polyester garments, bonding to the manmade fibers for color-rich designs that don’t flake or fade. “Fashion designers are able to see their vision right away, going from concept to cut and sew in the same day,” Radogna adds. “We’re hoping to bring short-run, high-end fashion production back to the U.S. The technology is so easy now.”
The designers featured at Epson’s show raved about the possibilities afforded by sublimation technology. Maggie Barry, a Los Angeles designer who has created custom pieces for celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Naomi Campbell, loves the modern look and versatility of polyester fabrics and the soft hand of the sublimated prints. “It’s really the future,” she says. Barry married fashion and function in her “Space Tribe” collection, her standout piece a high-necked, full-skirted black dress, splashed with a bright orange, yellow and blue soundwave-like pattern.
Chilean designer Marco Antonio Farias says sublimation freed him to indulge in each passing inspiration, rather than limiting him to a rigid theme. “It was chaotic in a way,” he said through a translator. “I was able to translate my emotions with sublimation.” His collection included a flowing blue gown dotted with large poppies, its trailing, gauzy sleeves also decorated with the red flower.
Venezuela-born Leonor Silva, a designer who studied in Paris and has worked for Hugo Boss and Carolina Herrera, delighted in the precision of Epson’s sublimation printers. Among her three looks was a black trompe l’oeil print, mimicking the intricate look of lace on a stiff, white dress. She says she “made it edgy” by giving the faux-lace a skull and flower motif.
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