STREETWEAR THESIS
Client: Urban Monkey, India
Scope: Creative Direction, Research, Product Design, Graphic design
IN 2021, I UNDERTOOK A COMPREHENSIVE ONE-MONTH STUDY FOCUSED ON THE EXPLORATION OF STREETWEAR AND ITS CONSUMER BASE. AT THAT TIME, I WAS A FINAL-YEAR PRODUCT DESIGN STUDENT, AND THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT MARKED A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN MY ACADEMIC JOURNEY. THE EXPERIENCE WAS PARTICULARLY TRANSFORMATIVE, ALTERING MY PRECONCEPTIONS OF THE NATURE OF PRODUCT DESIGN. THIS INITIATIVE WAS CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH URBANMONKEY, SERVING AS MY INAUGURAL RESEARCH-BASED DESIGN PROJECT UPON JOINING THE ORGANIZATION.
THE STUDY NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO MY ACADEMIC PURSUITS BUT ALSO FUNDAMENTALLY INFLUENCED MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE NUANCED INTERSECTION BETWEEN DESIGN AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.
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THE DESI HIP-HOP CULTURE
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
INDIAN HIP-HOP, A GENRE OF POPULAR MUSIC THAT HAS FLOURISHED IN INDIA, SEAMLESSLY BLENDS THE RICH CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT WITH THE DYNAMIC ELEMENTS OF HIP-HOP. CHARACTERIZED BY THE FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS OF RAPPING, DJING, B-BOYING/B-GIRLING, AND GRAFFITI, THIS MUSICAL MOVEMENT ENCOMPASSES ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS BEATBOXING AND FASHION, INCLUDING STREETWEAR. THE SURGE IN INTEREST IN THE RAP GENRE IN INDIA, NOTABLY POST-2011, WITNESSED THE EMERGENCE OF NUMEROUS TALENTED ARTISTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
DEFINING STREETWEAR
THE CULTURE EXTENDS BEYOND MUSIC TO INCLUDE SKATEBOARDING, BEATBOXING, AND STREETWEAR ENTHUSIASM, REPRESENTING A VIBRANT UNDERGROUND HIP HOP SCENE. THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THIS CULTURAL PHENOMENON IS PRIMARILY YOUNG, WITH A DEMOGRAPHIC LARGELY UNDER THE AGE OF 25. THOSE CONNECTED TO OR ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS UNDERGROUND STREET CULTURE, INCLUDING RAP ENTHUSIASTS, BEATBOXERS, SKATEBOARDERS, AND STREETWEAR AFICIONADOS, FORM THE CORE AUDIENCE FOR THIS PROJECT.
INDIAN HIP-HOP HAS GAINED SIGNIFICANT MOMENTUM, PARTICULARLY IN THE SUBURBS OF MAJOR INDIAN CITIES, WITH COMMERCIALIZATION CONTRIBUTING TO THE GROWTH OF THE UNDERGROUND SCENE. INDEPENDENT ARTISTS ARE ESTABLISHING THEIR PRESENCE, CONTRIBUTING TO THE DIVERSITY OF INDIAN HIP HOP ACROSS VARIOUS LANGUAGES INCLUDING ODIA, PUNJABI, MARATHI, BENGALI, HINDI, MALAYALAM, TAMIL, TELUGU, BHOJPURI, AND MORE.
WE ASKED,
WHY DO YOU LIKE STREETWEAR?
that most (70%) consumer respondents like streetwear because it’s cool, while more than half (57%) consider comfortable clothes to be a key factor. Additionally, close to half (46%) place importance on exclusivity, while around a quarter value status symbol (27%) and community (24%).
SIMPLY PUT, STREETWEAR IS FASHIONABLE CASUAL CLOTHES SUCH AS T-SHIRTS, HOODIES, AND SNEAKERS.
WE ASKED,
WHICH BRAND REPRESENT STREETWEAR TO YOU?
consumer survey findings revealed
that (50%) OF people said supreme, (47%) said nike, (30%) said offwhite, (25%) said adidas, (20%) said bape, (15%) said stussy, (10%) said palace, and (5%) said carhartt and vetements.
BRANDING PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE REALM OF STREETWEAR FASHION. IT INVOLVES THE INTRICATE PROCESS OF NOT MERELY MARKETING A PRODUCT BUT CULTIVATING AN ENTIRE CULTURAL IDENTITY. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE ESSENCE OF STREETWEAR IS NOT SOLELY CONFINED TO THE MERCHANDISE ITSELF;
RATHER, IT HINGES UPON THE ESTABLISHMENT AND PROPAGATION OF A VIBRANT AND DISTINCTIVE CULTURAL NARRATIVE. IN ESSENCE, THE CULTURE BECOMES THE FOCAL POINT AND GUIDING MODEL, WITH THE ACTUAL PRODUCTS SERVING AS A NATURAL BYPRODUCT OF THIS OVERARCHING ETHOS.
THE DEVELOPMENT
WITH INSTAGRAM, THE CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN AMPLIFIED. CONSUMERS FIND THE BRAND'S PAGE, LEARN WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BRAND RIGHT NOW, AND CONNECT WITH IT BY SHARING POSTS AND LEAVING COMMENTS. THEY CAN ALSO MESSAGE YOU DIRECTLY IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. YOU CAN INCLUDE YOUR WEBSITE IN YOUR BIO SO THAT THEY MAY SIMPLY REACH IT. OR YOU CAN TAG YOUR PRODUCTS TO THE POST AND PEOPLE CAN CLICK ON THE POST/TAG, AND GO TO THE INSTAGRAM SHOP AND BUY.
IT IS ABOUT USING THE POWER OF SCARCITY AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY. THE KEY TO THE GAME IS OBVIOUS: LAUNCH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS, BUT VERY FEW OF EACH.
THE TRADITIONAL EQUATION IS ALTERED:
THE SUPPLY STOPS SATISFYING THE DEMAND.
IF YOU HAVE NOT GOT THE PRODUCT, YOUR ONLY OPTION IS TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE EXCLUSIVE NICHE OR ENTER THE RESALE MARKET.
AND THE RESELL MARKET IS AN IMPORTANT PLUS FOR THE BRAND. SOME PRODUCT COME TO INCREASE THEIR PRICE BY 1000%
THEY KNOW THAT PEOPLE WILL BUY THE SAME PRODUCT, BECAUSE A POWERFUL SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN HAS PRECEDED THEM: INFLUENCERS AND CELEBRITIES HAVE COME TOGETHER TO DELAY THE EXAGGERATION. THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT LIMITED PRODUCT, AND MILLIONS OFF FOLLOWERS BEGIN TO WANT TO JOIN IN THE ENJOYMENT OF THAT EXCLUSIVITY.
HOW STREETWEAR COMMUNICATES & SELL?
A GRAPHIC BANK IS A COLLECTION OF DESIGN THAT IS MADE CONSIDERING THE BRANDING PART OF THE COMPANY.
CREATED BRANDING VARIANTS, THAT COULD BE USED AS BRANDING FOR THE COMPANY, THE DESIGNS COULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO DIFFERENT MEDIUMS AND IN DIFFERENT MATERIALS.EXECUTED BRIEF IN A VERY HOLISTIC WAY POSSIBLE.
MARKETING
Knowing the audience is important for running a successful campaign. Selecting the right audience and understanding what makes them tick is necessary to promote and sell the products to them.
WHAT DO THEY LOOK FOR IN THE ADVERTISEMENT?
STREETWEAR ENTHUSIAST ARE ATTRACTED TOWARD THE ABSTRACT AESTHETIC,THEY WANT MINIMAL YET AESTHETIC CINEMATICS, ALSO AT THE SAME TIME THEY LOOK FOR THE MATERIALS, QUALITY, DETAILS OF THE PEACE, HOW THE MODEL HAS STYLED THE PEACE IN THE ADVERTISEMENT IS A BIG FACTOR.
ATTRIBUTES:
ABSTRACT YET MINIMAL SET DESIGN
MINIMAL VIBE OF THE VIDEO
MATERIAL, QUALITY, DETAILS, AND PRICE OF THE PRODUCT
THE ADVERTISMENT
THE ADVERTISEMENT EMBODIES THE BRAND’S INDIVIDUALITY. WHICH IS THE UNDERGROUND HIP-HOP CULTURE’S REBELLIOUS, COOL YOUTH.
