Brand Stand

Where do you stand on brand?

The chances are that even if you don't consider yourself a Prada Princess, you are a Dyson Diva or a Kellogg's Queen. In fact many of us feel more at home with a trusted brand or label whether it's Louis Vuitton for all our luggage requirements or Heinz for all our baked bean ones. And this is what makes brand so valuable and brand image so important.

Burberry that quintessentially English brand became a victim of its own success when its ubiquitous check design was taken up by youths and yobs. Whether they wore real or fake it was hugely damaging and whilst sales soared the brand was damaged and has taken time and hard work to recover.

Designers of high end labels help the economy, last week London Fashion week bought huge revenue into the city and they push boundaries which is always a good thing.

Whilst most of us can't afford the hefty price tag of an Elie Saab evening gown or a Stella McCartney suit we can buy into their label by purchasing their fragrance ranges and in doing so buying a little bit of 'je ne se qua'. Even now I love entering a department store and taking in that intoxicating smell of perfume en-mass. Leaving a perfume counter, full of images of women I could never be, with a little bag with cord handles (the cord handles are very important) I'm sure I walk out a little taller, a little thinner, a little bit someone else.

A highly contested market, the likes of Chanel & Dior were amongst the first Haute Couture houses to
establish themselves as a Brand. But would their products be quite so desirable if instead of  Keira Knightly and Natalie Portman their products were endorsed by say Vanessa Feltz or Kerry Katona. And why are the expensive and subliminal TV and glossy magazine ad's so surreal, telling you nothing about the product? - It's because to coin a phase, 'they had us at hello'. Whilst we spray and sniff at the perfume counter, generally we've already made up our minds  based purely on the product image.

My worry with labels and the 'it's designer' school of thought is that sometimes personal style suffers as a result and we hide behind the brand. Somehow wearing top to
toe anything or buying into a designer or store exclusively seems a bit of a 'cop out'.  The most stylish women are those who know their style and mix designer with high street. High street with charity shop finds etc for a more personal look. Some people use the label as justification. I must look good because it's Prada, Top Shop, or whatever your label of choice is.

As a mother of teenagers (I was a child bride) I am concerned at how much emphasis is put on a label. It's a real shame that kids these days use a hoody or T shirt, emblazoned with what is basically their own personal product endorsement, as a confidence enhancement.  I always say to my kids the only time you should wear a 3 inch logo across your chest is if you are being paid to.

But then the mist of time rolls back and whilst there wasn't the label pressure of today I remember spraying myself profusely with Cote's Just Musk perfume, or Just Muck as my parents called it. Apparently musk is derived from the anal gland of deer, it's something to do with them attracting a mate. I used to douse myself in it to the extent that it is a wonder I wasn't dry humped everyday by Donna and Blitzen!

I remember my friend cutting the Fred Perry emblem off her dads old tennis shirt and sewing it onto her plain white polo.  My brother first drenched himself in Brut and then quickly climbed the greasy pole of  fragrance acceptability with Aramis (which is enjoying a resurgence  with a whole new generation of consumer). Indeed it was a wonder that there wasn't some kind of chemical explosion in our house.

However, although I can still look back at those days and can empathise with my children, I still feel it is my parental duty to utter those words 'how much' an a way that conveys both astonishment  and indignation in equal measure. It's by way of family tradition. I would, if my understanding was sufficient,  convert the cost of say a pair of Vans back into 'old money' despite the irrelevance, just to underpin that tradition.

It's true to say that I don't move in those circles where the latest 'It' bag comes into play, and lets face it the waiting list for a Hermes Birkin or Kelly is as important to the brand as who is seen with one on their arm. But I do rub shoulders with women who are not wearing their black dress they are wearing their Karen Millen etc. So perhaps in that vain we haven't really changed that much from the insecure teenagers we once were.

Now, given I know why and how this whole label culture thing works am I immune? Far from it. If I had the  chance I would strut around with my Louis Vuitton bag & Louboutin heels. After all as my daughter always says 'but mom it's designer.'

My Stand on Brand - buy in all you want. Just don't sell yourself short!

Swag Bag

Is it just me but I seem to have lost my 'swag' in the last few weeks. Sometimes, indeed most times, I'm a fairly confident, let em have it with both barrels kinda girl. But then it's as if some mist descends and I feel a little low, a little out of sorts. Not that I'm poorly it's just a Mojo loosing phenomenon.

Now, I blame everything on my hormones or as the years go by perhaps the lack of them, but although I do generally like to worship at the Alter of blame I'm not sure in this instance I can lay my lack of  swag at this particular door. However I take solace in the fact that it seems that it isn't just me. Friends, colleagues and celebrities seem to go through similar phases and this has got me thinking - where is my swag and how do I get it back?

We all do that thing when you're feeling like crap for no apparent reason.  We layer on the 'isn't life wonderful' persona with a trowel. Only to look like some kind of uber charged neurotic, smiling too widely and laughing in a way that could shatter glass and indeed your entire face. No, I can  'over season it' with the best of them, I want my proper swag back. Hormones, weather, post holiday blues W H A T  E V E R!

Now it may seem a little sadist at this point but take a look at these women photographed on the streets of New York yesterday around the various venues for NYFW. All are gorgeous, none of them seem to have any need to a reach for their 'swag deficiency tablets' and yet one of these fabulousee is having a swag induced uber neurotic moment and just 'over reaching it'. She seems super confident and yet it's all 'working too hard'.

Confidence is an elusive thing, whether we're talking style, business, sport etc. When its flying high it regenerates itself effortlessly. But when it is lacking it retreats into the realms of 'rocking horse poo'.

We are all attracted to confident people and whilst appearance has a lot to do with confidence,  it is confidence that makes people attractive rather than attractive people necessarily being confident.  We all know that the merest application of our favourite lipstick can get us through the toughest of days. (I wonder what the male equivalent of that is?) But what is it in our psyche that makes the difference?

Well, not having studied psychology, and excepting clinical depression, hormones and bad karma  I have decided that my psyche needs a good kick up the arse.  I'm done wasting my time worrying about my chipped pedicure (even tough I'm wearing knee high boots) and other insecurities too many and petty to list. I'm going out tonight with old friends to have a few drinks & a lot of laughs. There's no better cure for lack of swag than laughing at yourself and each other until your stomach hurts.

Easy? - well at least until the next time I feel more Bag than Swag!