"Old flower" plays a pivotal role in the cultural value composition of fashion brands. On the one hand, it is an indispensable classic imprint in the gene pool of major brands, and it is also the most intuitive memory point that the brand can provide to consumers; on the other hand, the design of "old flowers" has also become one of the usual ways for brands to create explosive models.
Louis Vuitton created in 1896
Monogram is widely used in all types of bags
In the era of attention economy, fashion brands continue to innovate and interpret "old flowers": taking the cooperation of LV x Supreme as an example, luxury goods attract Generation Z trend fashion enthusiasts with the collision of street fashion culture, Burberry also grabs the attention of young consumers with TB "new and old flowers" logos and products with strong visual stimulation; the "old flowers" in designer brands are frequently extraordinary, such as Marine Serre The Crescent Pattern has become a cult favourite for maverick fashion enthusiasts; the Jouy print, which continues to appear in large numbers on Dior's clothing, bags and home products, is becoming the brand's new logo that is no less recognizable than Dior Oblique; in October 2021, MCM transformed the two-dimensional classic pattern into a new print cubic monogram of three-dimensional symbols, both to celebrate the brand's 45th anniversary and to convey the brand's message of entering the new generation of Metaverse. Local Chinese brands are also trying to establish their own visual and value identities by launching "old flowers".
The innovation and interpretation of "old flowers"
The investment and expectation of fashion brands in the operation of "old flowers" are obvious to all. Especially when faced with the unpredictable Generation Z, "old flowers" have become one of the main points of their bet. But does the Gen Z "old flower mania" imagined by fashion brands really exist? Will these self-employed young people really be captured by the "old and new flowers" who can't get out of poverty?
In the upcoming new issue of Z Lab, WWD China is asking Gen Z questions on behalf of the fashion industry through Z by HardCandy:
● In the eyes of Generation Z, what is the meaning and charm of "old flowers"?
● What are the "new and old flowers" that are deeply loved by the younger generation?
● What new "old flower" gameplay has won the favor of the younger generation?
● What is the most up-to-date "old flower" in recent years?
……
Entrusted with WWD China, Z by HardCandy found four typical Gen Z fashion stakeholders whose perspectives may provide real and vivid answers to the above questions.
Humboldt – CEO and Creative Director of Rimula Menswear
We have a group of products, a 15-year-old child likes to buy four in one go, and the Internet celebrity grandpa Kang Kang looks very good.
It shows that the current good single product, its age span will actually be very large. Whether the current brand is embracing young people, sometimes it is better to do too much action than to make the product good enough and move people's hearts. Now with the change of the entire market and the entire rhythm of life, more often we are talking about "young" is already a mentality, and good products are the core.
Jane Zhang— Co-founder of FWS Pattern Design
I believe that the "old" of the old flower is no way to cut a short path. We can't do what others have been doing for hundreds of years at once, but we won't be limited to some new brands to do some new experiments. For example, a new way to design your own logo or a representative type of flowers and plants makes people remember the feeling of the brand at a glance. Recognition becomes a unique marker.
Marco— founder of the Mackyo brand
From the perspective of products, old flowers are more intuitive for consumers to understand the brand and stimulate consumer desire. Therefore, after the secondary creation of the original old flower, the brand created a lot of "new" old flowers. Young people's acceptance of old flowers is very strong, with the help of the influence of circle culture. Make the old flower usher in a "new" vitality. Recently, I have seen some products that are not limited to trends and artistic innovations based on old flowers. Although this represents new trends and new possibilities. But just a slight change in the foundation is too cheesy.
Fiona—Founder & Designer of CLEAR TO RAIN
The reason why "old flower" is called old flower is that old flower is a "very old school" thing. It's just a brand signature thing. If there is no logo on the expression of old flowers, it needs to have a very strong brand DNA to interpret, such as checks, checkerboards. It has a longevity thing. Of course, old flowers also need to be constantly innovating, and this innovation should be unlimited, more advanced and more pioneering.
Youth is a state of mind, and a good product is the core. In order to compete for the huge consumer group of millennials and even Generation Z, the brand has embarked on the road of rejuvenation one after another, sparing no effort to actively integrate into the most popular circle culture among young people today - when stars such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B wear "old flower" Fendi on social media, young people around the world have entered the search box. The large-scale use of "old flowers" is also a means of promotion for luxury brands to cope with the era of circle culture. Whether you want to dress like a moving billboard or not, the "exclusive logo" of the old flower really wins over Generation Z and the young people, creating new glory. After all, "old flower" has never had the meaning of "old", but more of a metaphor for the enduring renewal brought about by the accumulation and inheritance of the brand spirit.
All the details of this issue of Z Lab will be released on March 24 on the Z Generation exclusive IP Z by HardCandy official WeChat subscription account (ID: HardCandy HardCandy Youth) and the omni-media channel of the same name
Whether you are Gen Z in the sense of age, or any generation with the spirit of Gen Z, we look forward to and welcome your attention and discussion!
Written by Elvin Lightning
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Produced elvin/Henry images on the web