Olivia Jade Lower

wk/ 29th July

This week has been full of unexpected turns, therefore I felt it appropriate to update this in my IFCP blog. Having been in contact with the teams at Condé Nast Contract Publishing for the best part of 9 months now I was invited to interview for a potential position that might arise when I finish my course at CNC. During this interview I was asked to complete a task to a brief the team were working on that week. I was given 4 days to complete this for Condé Nast’s Publishing Editor in Chief and this therefore has pushed my time scale for IFCP back.

It was beneficial for what I am working on for my IFCP, working to a publishers brief and in the space of the 4 days I was able to create a digital strategies document and a pitch deck as well as develop a creative idea myself for the collaboration the team are working on.

I had some amazing feedback from the team after sending my work over! That they are actually going to present the idea to the brand to see which they prefer. Really great feedback and I look forward to any future prospects!
While conducting this project in such a short space of time I did conduct some primary research that could be beneficial for my IFCP book for Swarovski as well as helping me understand that a digital strategy is also just as crucial for print publishing, and this is something that I want to bring into my project.

Dissertation Research

For my dissertation topic, as mentioned earlier, I am looking into consumer relationships to branded publications- with spesific look into Salt by Swarovski. This had led me to create my creative outcome around the brand using my findings.

This week has been really productive in getting some key research for both projects, having had a meeting with Editor in Chief of Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Darius is also Editor in Chief of Salt magazine for Swarovski and publisher of all their previous coffee table books.

He gave a really interesting interview as well as this I told him of my idea for the book and he gave some great feedback. See the interview transcript below- this will be really useful in backing up all my IFCP ideas!

Flat Plan

Planning the content of Emergence through a flat plan. Following a meeting with Hannah, she advised me with some more ideas for editorials such as craftsmanship, foundation philanthropy and interviews as well as foreword ideas. Here is some mapped out ideas:

I really want the book to of a good quality and thick enough to look of industry standard- I currently have the idea to conduct 3 shoots however I might raise this to 4 in order to create a substantial weight.

Research – Nomad Book Store, Fulham

Going into book stores and looking for different types of sizes, covers, textures and page thickness to see what would work best for my book.

I really liked the printing of the words on this book, the use of spot UV and Foil was really effective and gave an extra touch to a simple cover. This has given me the idea to use this when I create my wording- silver would look effective for the use of crystal.

Reaching out: Anoushka Luxury

In my quest to find emerging and young brands that utilise Swarovski crystals within their work I came across London/Dorset based brand Anoushka Luxury. I reached out to the brand explaining my project and what I am looking for. I got a great response saying they would love to collaborate and gain further imagery for their brand.

Once we had chatted upon the fact we both originate from the same area of the UK, Olivia, the owner of the brand agreed to send some pieces up to shoot!

Anoushka Luxury was founded under the idea that the founding sisters were looking for affordable, luxury and classy pieces so they created the brand. The pieces use only Swarovski crystals and utilise a varied amount of colours in their work.

I look forward to getting sent the pieces to shoot for the book!

Ref: (Anoushka,n,d)

Generating Ideas

This week I have been brain storming ideas for the fashion shoots that will go into the publications. I have managed to get in contact with an emerging brand that uses Swarovski Crystals, Anoushka Luxury. I am currently in contact with them in choosing pieces and organising them to send them to me to shoot.

(tabithaglaysher,2019)
(Thatsitmagazine, 2018)

Having been in contact with them I have created some mood boards around the colours and pieces that they have.

I want each shoot within the book to be based around a colour theme, so that when a reader flicks trough the pages they are very colourful expressing the idea of young creatives utilising the brand.

Writing my brief

I have began the final project of my degree at Condé Nast, this sounds so scary however I couldn’t be more excited to get creating and utilising my favourite aspects of my degree to design a project.

Today I wrote my own brief, which was an odd sensation having been given many a brief during my two years, putting one together was an indication that it is coming to an end.

This week I presented my proposal for my final project, which currently, is a luxury collectable coffee table book for the brand Swarovski. I also propose to submit a collection of images, a promotional video and a media kit for the launch of the designed publication. The reasoning behind this project is pushed forward by my dissertation topic of how branded print media communicates and forms loyalty to the consumer: with a case study into SALT magazine by Swarovski. The reason I have focused upon SALT magazine is due to it’s luxury stance within the publications sector, it is a publication that focuses on communicating the brand and its work rather than selling in an invasive manor. SALT is published by Condé Nast and during my dissertation I have conducted research into the readers of the magazine as well as the editor in chief of SALT and Condé Nast Publishing to develop an understanding of how branded publications communicate to the consumer and what kind of attitudes and aspirations they develop in the consumers mind to form loyalty.

With my focus on Swarovski and SALT I then was motivated to create a collectors publication for the brand – inspired by consumer behaviour theories and connections to printed publications, for my final IFCP project I then aim to create a luxury, collectors item for the brand.

Image Ref: (Alexandru Boghian,nd)