These Manolo Blahniks Look Like A Racecar…: "
Meet the Leather Heart Sandal
See you in 2010…
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The hidden meaning of the hidden Starbucks logo
The hidden meaning of the hidden Starbucks logo: "
– Bryant Simon is professor of history and director of American Studies at Temple University. He is the author of “Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks”. The views expressed are his own. –
Last week, Roy Street Coffee and Tea, located at the corners of Roy Street and Broadway in Seattle, opened. This is another one of those stealth Starbucks – Starbucks stores without the Starbucks name over the front door – the coffee giant has been opening in its hometown and in London as of late. Like the other shops of this new vintage, this one is appointed with antique-style furniture, retro lighting, and a distressed looking table top salvaged from an old ship.
The rough-hewed interiors of these not Starbucks Starbucks haven’t really mattered to the journalists and bloggers who have been writing about them. They talk only about the naming patterns in Starbucks’ most recent branding strategy.
To them, the names of the stores represent a brand crisis. Quite rightly, they point out, when a brand hides its own identity, it is in some ways admitting defeat, saying that its name – a central part of any brand – has lost value. When it comes to Starbucks, all of this is true, but the question is why? Why has the Starbucks brand lost so much value that it has to hide from customers and act like a small business? The answer to these questions rests with communities and consumers, what they care about and desire the most these days.
Over the last several years, a quiet but decided shift in buying patterns has taken place. Really, there is something of a velvet revolt or a quiet rejection of brands going on.
In the early years of this century, the then mayor of Baltimore Martin O’Malley begged Starbucks to come to his city. He thought these big name stores would lend his de-industrializing hometown a much needed upper-middle-class sheen. Same with the residents of Landsdowne, Pennsylvania. In 2004, the town had several mom and pops diners and coffee shops. One day, though, a team of local residents lined up in three rows of forty in an empty lot where a 7-11 used to be. When the photographer gave them the sign, they turned over the letters. Their message read: “Got Location! Need Starbucks!” Afterwards, the Greater Lansdowne Civic Association sent this “visual petition” to Starbucks headquarters. Landsdowne never got a Starbucks, but Benicia, California and a lot of other towns got plenty of Starbucks.
By 2007, Benicia didn’t want them anymore. When Starbucks tried to open a fifth store in the northern California coastal town some residents balked. “It’s a serious problem,” a former city councilor and owner of an independent coffee house, told the Contra Costa Times (By Danielle Samaniego, “Benicia Looks at Limiting Chain Stores,” Contra Costa Times, Feb. 16, 2007). “People need to wake up to it,” she proclaimed, “When you drive through a town and everything is so homogenized that you can’t tell where you are anymore, that’s a problem.” She had an idea. Limit the number of chains. Ban them even. Encourage, instead, small, one-of-a-kind businesses. Soon her idea gained the support of local officials looking for ways to curtail the opening of more chain stores without violating state and federal laws. When the city council started to debate a ban on all “formula” businesses, a city official told the Contra Costa Times, “it’s about protecting the unique character of the commercial areas of Benicia, and there’s nothing unique about a store that has the same look and style, not just here, but everywhere.” (By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen, “Officials Look at Ways to Prevent Starbucks Overflow,” Contra Costa Times, Feb. 9, 2007)
BRAND AVOIDANCE
This wasn’t just about Starbucks. This was about a growing resistance to brands, and their dominance of the landscape, symbolized by Starbucks. With their feet and their purchases, individual consumers are revolting as well. Scholars have started to call this trend, “brand avoidance,” as consumers worried about the larger social and economic impact of brands on society look for other options, even if those options cost a bit more. In growing numbers, buyers are choosing the local over the brand, the farmers market over the supermarket, the Main Street strip over the mall. Same with coffee.
While Starbucks closed down outlets in 2008, citing the New Recession as the cause, independent coffee houses, the Seattle Times noted, brought in new customers and they didn’t cut prices. Over the last few years, in fact, the number of independent coffee houses in the U.S. has jumped past the number of chain store outlets, and now represent 54 percent of the coffee market.
How can we explain these consumer choices and the growth of these smaller business sectors? Consumers, just like the towns they live in, are starting to think that going to the branded store – to Starbucks or Cosi or Chipotle – costs too much. It makes them look too ordinary and too much like everyone else.
This is what those not Starbucks Starbucks stores tacitly acknowledge. By hiding their logos, they speak to the growing appeal of the locally owned small businesses. (Remember the stealth Starbucks stores are individually designed and named after the streets they are on – the places themselves.)
Apparently the experiment isn’t working. A former Starbucks insider said that Seattle’s 15th Ave. Coffee and Tea – the first of the new not Starbucks stores (its website, by the way, is called www.streetlevelcoffee.com) – is doing only a third of the business of the regular green-logoed Starbucks store that used be at that site.
Perhaps consumer really do want something more than branded artifice; they want something genuinely local.
The revolt against sameness may actually be real, too real for a fake Starbucks. And certainly this growing rejection of brands presents an opportunity for entrepreneurs and small business owners to create something authentically local for their customers.
"Sunday, November 1, 2009
Opening Ceremony 2009 Fall/Winter Footwear Collection
Opening Ceremony 2009 Fall/Winter Footwear Collection: "
Opening Ceremony continue on a path of diversity for their footwear with some new drops this month. The collection of footwear is marked mostly by some classic silhouettes albeit the Opening Ceremony touch is more apparent over some models with buckle details among other elements of design. The collection is available now at Opening Ceremony and select retailers.
See more at Opening Ceremony 2009 Fall/Winter Footwear Collection
© extremeugene for Hypebeast, 2009. |
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Lacoste Wool Mannish Hat Collection
Lacoste Wool Mannish Hat Collection: "
Aside from its apparel and footwear designs, Lacoste produces a well-received collection of accessories, made apparent by its latest collection of mannish hats created in five new colorways. The hats featuring classy wool construction in subtle color tones with a woven band and trademark Lacoste embroidered logo. Available at ripe Japan.
© L.A. Ruano for Hypebeast, 2009. |
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A Bathing Ape (BAPE) – Bapex Watches
A Bathing Ape (BAPE) – Bapex Watches: "
A Bathing Ape (BAPE) have just dropped three new versions of their staple Bapex watch. They come in a gold, silver and matte black colorways, constructed with all metal casings and wrist bands. Branded with the familiar BAPE logo on the twelve o’clock position while the (R) logo is placed on the six o’clock position and Made by Human on top of it. Source
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Beautiful Music
The homie Dam Funk, who just dropped a debut album which you need to buy, created a mix for Clae’s new blog, The Amusement, which contains 13 songs of the boogie funk that Dam has been known to spin @ his concerts and other live shoes. DL this shit NOW.
Download: Dam Funk x Clae Beautiful Music 4 Beautiful People and vibe out.
(first spotted @ dubFrequency)
"Friday, October 16, 2009
Latino farmers' discrimination suit back in court
Latino farmers' discrimination suit back in court: "A group of Latino farmers is scheduled to return to federal court Thursday to argue that the government has discriminated against them in providing loans, disaster relief and other financial aid.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cop: DQM’s Fall Fleece
For the uninitiated Dave’s Quality Meats needs a pause. For everybody else in the know, a pause is not needed because it’s a known fact that DQM always brings it hard…again, no pauses. In a day when everything is so vibrant & fluorescent, it’s good to see toned down, quality materials. I’ve taken a personal liking to the heavyweight crewnecks with eagle, which put me in the mind of Lo of old, that shit that always had the ducks & mallards worked into the print and the dry goods motif.
For more details & ordering info, slide over to the DQM website.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Designer Narciso Rodriguez Releasing His New Line On E-Bay….
Designer Narciso Rodriguez Releasing His New Line On E-Bay….: "
Not sure about this one!! The up an coming designer will be releasing a new line exclusively through the online auction house that we rarely still visit which will range from $60 to $350.
Would you buy designer clothes from eBay???
"
GQ China’s First Magazine Cover!
GQ China’s First Magazine Cover!: "
GQ China magazine just launched… and here is the first cover ever for October 2009.
The Fashion Spot
"Wave the magic wand to flip to the next channel
Wave the magic wand to flip to the next channel: "
Reimagined with inspiration from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, the boring old TV remote control can now be replaced with a far more entertaining object. Like the Wii remote, the Kymera Magic Wand contains an accelerometer, allowing its holder to use gestures instead of pushing buttons.
By putting the wand in learning mode and 'commanding' it with a regular remote control, the Kymera can be programmed to learn up to 13 gestures: rotate clockwise to turn up the volume, for example, or flick right to switch to the next channel. Since the Kymera uses the widely accepted magical powers of infrared technology, it can be programmed to control not just televisions, but also DVRs, stereo sets, laptops (presenting a slide presentation will suddenly become a lot more fun) and other IR-friendly equipment.
The Wand Company—which is based in the UK—created a website that will enchant its audience as much as the product does, presenting it on aged paper pages and with illustrations and wording to match the wand's magical qualities. Currently only available online, the Kymera sells for GBP 49.95 and is shipped worldwide. (Packaged, we should add, in a 'faux dragonhide box line with Chinese silk brocade'.)
The obvious business opportunity here is to try to get hold of distribution rights, although The Wand Company has already received a great deal of trade interest and states that it will only be selling from its own website for the foreseeable future. The big picture opportunity isn't as easy to execute, but is equally obvious: take an everyday object and turn in into something extraordinary and delightful, and customers will line up at your door.
Website: www.thewandcompany.com
Contact: info@thewandcompany.com
Monday, October 12, 2009
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED: Amber Rose Edition
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED: Amber Rose Edition: "
Posted by: PiperMckei
Now Amber, we here at GlobalGrind.com have nestled your image closely in our hearts, and we are all routing for you! But in the Fashion section we feel like it’s our duty to guide and help those that don’t always get it, and well… YOU’VE ALL BEEN WARNED….
Now I’m all about self expression and the idea of uniquely embracing a look and making it your own, and though we feel that 54.11’s/ Aerobics/Freestyles should have been left in the late 80’s early 90’s, with a lot of the other fashion faux paus this error birthed, we get that YOU like it. And Amber since WE like you, We found you some alternatives to these Neon Eye Bright monstrosities you been rocking around Manhattan. Now with the crisp air of Fall looming lets at least get some fall colors going…
So to Amber Rose and all those that follow her, lets either force these shoes into oblivion or tone the color waves down……… Your boo said it best Amber “Reebok baby, you need to try some new things” Kanye West- Run this Town
"
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