BLOG ASSIGNMENT 2

Elements of a Good Story/Audience Analysis

UNUSUALNESS: Chicago Social: Fashion and Home Special – March 2008 “Where’s the Party?”

This piece is a brief description about a fashion statement made by an Obama fans. “Obama-mania has Chicago trendsetters drumming up recognition for the hometown candidate, from a street-based effort to spread the word to celeb-endorsed wearable statements.” Ray Noland, a graphic designer who works out of his apartment in Pilsen, crafted a series of inspirational, retro-looking Obama images which appeared as graffiti art around abandoned buildings in throughout the city. Noland sells t-shirts, or, as the piece states “some of the coolest political gear we have ever seen,” on his Web site www.gotellmama.org, raising funds for Obama’s campaign. This piece was published in the March 2008 Fashion and Home Special issue of the Chicago Social, a more up-scale and trendy in-city publication designed for a younger urban fashion, business, and public relations oriented audience. The unusualness lies in the fact that art (graffiti style), politics, and fashion collide, and the story, for the most part, is based here in Chicago.

UNUSUALNESS 2:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/sns-eco-fashion,0,1330773.story

This story was written for the Chicago Tribune and introduces/suggests the idea that the next time someone goes shopping for some clothing that they consider "going green" with it. "There are some clothes that are as sylish as they are eco-friendly." states Marta Waller (KTLA News) in the article. The tone of the article is laid back and probably written for a younger eco-conscious audience, including the Tribune reader audience. Part of the article reads:

"You might not think of bamboo as being luxurious and soft against your skin, but it is just that; soft, silky, breathable and very envrionmentally friendly. Bamboo is a highly sustainable fabric.

Making a choice to wear eco-friendly clothing doesn't mean dressing like a hippie from the 60's, unless that's the look you want. You can find whimsical designs in recycled cashmere as well as hemp- and- silk for evening ocassions. As Sharon Glasser of Whole Foods LifeSyle Store says 'It's elegant, you see it on the red carpet. It's not about being crunchy granola anymore.'"

At the end of the article the reader is provided with a list of places they can actually purchase "eco-friendly" clothing: "Here are some links to places to buy eco-friendly apparel and accessories:
wholefoodsmarket.com
deborahlindquist.com
kimwhitehandbags.com
bamboosa.com
mattandnat.com"

Overall, the article is an easy read and its main topic is current as most people have been exposed to some for of the "go green" movement through television, ads, articles, purchases, etc. It is unusual because it combines fashion with being eco-friendly, which makes it interesting as well.

PROMINENCE/IMPACT: Chicago Social: Fashion and Home Special – March 2008 “The truth About Marc – America’s Biggest Designer Brings His Fashionable Contradictions to Bucktown”

This is a longer more in-depth piece about Marc Jacobs opening his first store in Chicago, also including biographical information about the designer. The piece is well written and focused. The text is written in a way that keeps the reader interested. “After all,” says the author of Jacobs “this is the most important figure in American fashion, a man who lets Vogue editrix Anna Wintour cool her heels for hours before his runway shows and routinely gives the fashion elite the middle finger.” Though the piece is on the longer side, written for print, it can definitely be shortened to make a great Web story with sentences like the one mentioned previously. You don’t expect sentences like that, and when you see them you want to read more. The article offers background and current information about Jacob’s new store which just opened in Chicago, also mentioning future plans of the 2009 opening of the “Windy City Marc Jacobs Collection” store. Just like for the brief piece titled “Where’s the Party?” this article was written for the March 2008 Fashion and Home Special issue of the Chicago Social, a more up-scale and trendy in-city publication designed for a younger urban fashion, business, and public relations oriented audience. The impact here is that Marc Jacobs is known as a great fashion designer, and, in the midst of a fashion uprising in Chicago, he is opening big-time stores in the city. I assumed he would already have had a store here but I guess not. Apparently the fashion-oriented media is picking up on this story as if it is huge for the fashion industry/history of Chicago.


PROMINENCE/CONFLICT/CURRENCY/TIMELINESS/PROXIMITY:

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/people/831621,lafash030808.article

This recent Sun Times article is a great source because it encompasses conflict, currency, timeliness, prominence, and proximity. It mentions that Chicago’s fashion week and states that established fashion designers such as Sue Wong are not too fond of the fact that the celebrity-gone-fashion designer trend has taken over. The Hill’s star Lauren Conrad, Niki Hilton, Hilary Duff, Penelope Cruz, the Pussycat Dolls and for the kids, the annoying Hannah Montanta have released their own fashion lines. Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Hilary Duff have infiltrated the perfume market. The article states “So as Fashion Week gets under way Sunday, the spotlight turns to the likes of ‘‘The Hills’’ star Lauren Conrad, Nicky Hilton and the Pussycat Dolls.
Yes, the Pussycat Dolls.
Hey, it’s just Hollywood, right?
Wong, for one, calls the emerging trend ‘‘absolutely bogus.’’
But Smashbox co-founder Davis Factor says the week ‘‘is for everybody,’’ from established designers to show biz types. Even the burlesque-inspired singing girl group.
‘‘Sure, every celebrity and his brother wants to be a fashion designer,’’ said Wong, who has been designing since 1968. ‘‘It’s not like anybody can pick it up and do it. It’s a science. You need to know fit and construction.’”
The major conflict here is between established fashion designers who consider themselves experienced and talented, vs. celebrities whose professions are singing and acting. Hilary Duff does it all. The acting, the singing, the clothes line, the perfume, and even school and arts and crafts supplies. This article is one of the better ones I found, and understandably so since it belongs to the Sun Times. The piece offers a wide range of information involving the fashion industry. ‘‘The Hollywood writers strike affected the season 25 percent. More of the designers are watching their money. Sales are down. Fashion shows are expensive. And many designers don’t have collections ready yet,’’

PROXIMITY:

http://themidwasteland.com/main/

The Midwasteland (Your Destination for Fashion, Lifestyle and Culture in the Midwest) is a blog spot designed for younger/college aged people. On the main page there is an interview video with one of Marc Jacob’s business partners, talking about the first Mark Jacobs store opened in Chicago. I noticed a rather funny pole asking “who has the best style?” rating Chicago New York and Los Angeles. Though Chicago is not known for fashion as much as are the other cities, it was no surprise that the Chicago-based poll resulted in 61% for the city. There is also an upcoming events section featuring fashion happenings in Chicago and around the Mid West.

CURRENCY:
http://www.chicagofashionweek.com/home.html

This piece is an introduction to Chicago’s Fashion week presented by MasterCard. It describes the event as “much talked about, and highly anticipated…in the local and national fashion industry.” The bi-annual event started in 2006 and has continued to provide aspiring fashion designers a chance to present their original designs, describing the event as a platform for national and international buyers, affirming Chicago’s global status as a major fashion force.” Another interesting element is that students are invited to join in the Chicago fashion program. The Chicago fashion week program is attempting to involve a younger audience of aspiring fashion designers by giving them “unparalleled visibility in the fashion community through the event titled “The New Generation.” A click to the link http://www.chicagofashionweek.com/designers.html offers a short description of the “New Generation” event which “offers college students from Illinois an opportunity to showcase their emerging talent while offering guests a sneak peak at future design stars.”

CONFLICT/PROXIMITY:

http://www.chicagofashiondesigners.com/time.html

I found this Time Magazine in partnership with CNN on chicagofashiondesigners.com. It's title says a lot: "Can Chicago Become a Fashion Capital?
Don't laugh. Mayor Daley is trying to make the Windy City a center of design on a par with New York or L.A." In fact, the title is what made me jump to the article in the first place.

The article was written last June, but it provides a non-current view point and is useful in comparing any progress Chicago has made in the fashion industry in the past couple months.

The article began with an interesting lead: "The city of Chicago is famous for many things — frigid windy winters, fine architecture, the hapless Cubs, to name a few — but high fashion is not one of them. For most people, what usually comes to mind when thinking of fashion in the City of Big Shoulders is baseball caps and khakis. But Mayor Richard M. Daley thinks he can change all that. Daley recently announced the creation of a Fashion Advisory Council, a city-backed coalition of local designers and industry champions who will promote fashion growth. By nurturing designers, the city hopes to bolster its retail economy, gain tourism dollars and heighten its image as a world-class city."

The article was written for a very popular source and therefore has a wide array of audiences. The read was easy, pretty laid back, it poked fun at our city, but also offered some very basic facts:

"To help realize that dream, Daley has created the position of director of fashion arts and events in his administration. Melissa Turner, who recently took that job, will act as liaison between the council and local fashion organizations, design schools, designers and the community, and will prepare for September's Fashion Focus, a 10-day fashion blowout based in Millennium Park."

Furthermore, the article provides the reader with the point of view of established designers:
"Some established designers, however, are skeptical of the city's attempts to help them much in the next few years. "I love Chicago, but the industry is quite challenging," says Maria Pinto, a council member and life-long Chicago resident. "The resources are in other places, the buyers are all in New York; it's been tempting [to move] at times." She says she hasn't noticed things getting smoother for her business lately, but she hopes the Fashion Advisory Council will help start-up companies. "They might have a little easier time getting launched, and the city can surely have an impact on that." If all goes as planned, it could soon be the other way around, with the designers leaving their mark on Chicago."

This is an example of conflict between the designers and the city program. Is it good enough to keep them from leaving?

I would say this article is similar to the articles of the Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune. They are all informative and, because they are not hard news, they can be written in a lighter, more fun tone.