Friday, March 11, 2016

Creative burnout and its diminishing effects on the creative process

Designing a line for a season tasks designers with the daunting exercise of creating a ludicrous amount of clothing to show on the runway with a fair portion of the line never making it into production. The arbitrary cycle of creation and destruction regarding both clothing samples as well as designs for garments has largely been accepted as the norm for many well established fashion houses. These designs, created for the sole purpose of being sent down the runway, are then archived into the label’s history and are likely never used again. It’s easy to surmise that designers would feel a healthy amount of creative burnout after experiencing this exhausting cycle season after season.

This issue is further compounded due to a commercial shift from bi-annual collections to a multitude of seasons in a year. I recently had a lengthy discussion with Paul Shkordoff, co-owner and co-buyer of Working Title, about his thoughts on this issue.

“We’ve moved away from just simply two seasons [fall/winter and spring/summer] to add pre-spring, resort, spring, summer, pre-fall, fall, winter, holiday – something like that. It’s not just the number of pieces per season, it’s the number of pieces per season multiplied by the number of seasons in a year. This is what a lot of designers are talking about when they burnout.”

One would imagine that as a designer or even as a design team, it would be extremely difficult to keep up with the creative demand expected by company shareholders or the industry norms. Looking at Comme des Garçon’s showings for Fall/Winter 2016, the audience is treated with over 70 looks split between the Homme Plus and Shirt sub-lines. Robert Geller showed over 30 looks and relative newcomer John Elliot showed 36 looks. Breaking it down further, each look is separated into upwards of five to six individual garments with little crossover between styles.
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"It’s not just the number of pieces per season, it’s the number of pieces per season multiplied by the number of seasons in a year. This is what a lot of designers are talking about when they burnout."
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A recent example of the effects of creative burnout culminated in world-renowned fashion designer, Raf Simons, parting ways with Dior after three and a half years of collaboration. Simons worked with Dior while so working his personal label. In his 2015 Business of Fashion interview surrounding his exit, the Belgian designer revealed that he only had one design team while working on six collections a year. “There is no more thinking time,” Simons complains. “And I don’t want to do collections where I’m not thinking.”

The industry culture surrounding fashion shows in general must be analyzed as well, with a number of brands or designers regarding the fashion show with as much importance as the pieces in the collection itself. The spectacle and showmanship these shows provide to the media and public alike further solidifies the brand’s image. It is essentially the most expensive promotion expense incurred and it happens twice a year. “Having to juggle that [fashion shows] on top of making samples and making sure production is okay – it’s another big issue. In terms of adding that on top of getting pieces ready for the show; the whole endeavor is tiring and stressful,” Paul muses. 

At this point in our conversation, I was beginning to think of the effects of creative burnout from a consumer perspective. The definition of consumer in this scenario not necessarily meaning the end user, but as a consumer at some point along the fashion supply chain. I asked Paul if as a buyer, he was able to tell if a brand he was working with was experiencing the effects of creative burnout.

“A lot of times it shows in the quality of the pieces, where a lot of designs aren’t well thought out and pieces don’t end up as they should be. The easiest way to tell is if you see pieces that lack inspiration or lack the inspiration that they usually have. Often a designer will just recycle pieces because they’ve got nothing left, these are common ones.”

Paul’s answer implicates the creative burnout is experienced by others along the supply chain as well; it isn’t exciting to enter a showroom and see iterations of the same collection every season. Just like as an end-consumer, it isn’t exciting to buy the same iterations of the same collection every season. It almost feels like the industry has buried itself in a hole, especially in regards to how the current logistical process of luxury fashion works. The generally accepted notion is that labels have six months in advance to create and show an entire collection before working on the next. Retailers then place orders six months in advance in showrooms where samples are placed physically and within the next season the merchandise will arrive.

The industry has confined itself to work within such a rigid schedule that changing it at its core is an endeavor that’s frightening to tackle. To uproot the commercial foundation that the fashion industry has built itself on could spell disaster not only for the fashion houses but for retail stores as well. “Part of the reason there is that [six month] calendar,” Paul tells me,  “is so stores can plan their buy and budget it and put things together, but so that brands also have enough lead time to make all the product.”

I inquired about further difficulties stores may face if brands did away with the schedule altogether. “For a store,” he continues, “it makes it very difficult because we aren’t working on that [untraditional] calendar so we can’t budget any money for a brand that is sort of in between buying calendars.”

All this isn’t to say that a shift in the core schedule wouldn’t work. After all, a good way to keep customers buying product year-round is to continually get new product in. Paul reiterates my point, saying “one of the goals of retail is to have product coming year round, as opposed to it being stagnant – ideally you want a steady flow of product, that’s how you keep customers coming back.”
He continues, outlining the ideal situation that could be the result of this shift. “Given that situation, there’s a way to work around it. It will require a lot of work and planning – if all these different brands want to work on different calendars and somehow it ends up being so that you have product year-round – it’ll be a large shift in how things work but I don’t think it’s impossible.”

This begs the question; whose responsibility is it to pave the way for this change in industry culture? To shift away from the rigidity and outright excess that causes creative burnout? Surely it would fall in the hands of younger and newer labels to break this mold. An already established fashion house would never dream of altering the formulaic systems that have proven to be commercially successful, albeit creatively volatile.

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"If all these different brands want to work on different calendars and somehow it ends up being so that you have product year-round – it’ll be a large shift in how things work but I don’t think it’s impossible."
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Surprisingly enough, Burberry spearheaded such a shift in traditional industry standards by announcing a change in their business model wherein they will show both menswear and womenswear collections twice a year, but without the six month incubatory period normally associated with shows. This means that the shown collection will immediately be available to purchase online and in Burberry stores, appealing to a more consumer centric culture. The implications of Burberry’s change in their business model is immense; one of the oldest and most recognized fashion houses in the world is open to experiment with the formula.

It is this openness to experimentation that I believe will lead to an overhaul of the industry standards. While creative burnout is impossible to fully eliminate, its effects on designers, consumers, and everyone in between can be diminished if such rigid structures weren’t in play.






‘Cause I Got A Blank Page Baby

FASHION magazine’s Associate Designer, Nicole Schaeffer, on her cool career, the digital fashion industry, and the ultimate intimidator.


No one handwrites anymore. Long gone are the days of penmanship and the swift looping together of letters with the stroke of a feather—ahem—okay, pen. In the January 2016 issue of Canadian Business magazine, handwriting expert Carole Tovels explains, “by using the computer constantly you’re not using your handwriting skills anymore…you’re losing your flexibility and legibility, and your ease of writing”. Screens, keyboards, and touchpads now dominate and their functions are integral to the lives of billions of people around the globe to communicate and carry out day-to-day activities. We are waking up with our smartphones, tablets, and laptops, going to sleep with them, taking them into the shower with us, and panicking at the nightmarish thought of going a day without them.
Navigating the first stages of a career can be just as frightening as separation from the devices that have virtually become an extension of the human body. In our fast-paced, hyper-connected world, we feel lost without the instant gratification of obscenely fast information at our fingertips, and the outcome of the future is no exception. For young people entering the workforce there is no guarantee of what tomorrow will bring, and neither Siri nor Cortana can provide any certainty.
Thankfully we are not alone. And sometimes, we are in the exceptional company of those who inspire us to make our own impact on the industry we are tiptoeing or blazing into. This issue, we caught up with Nicole Schaeffer, a cool-as-they-come Torontonian and FASHION magazine’s Associate Designer. A resume lit up by a Bachelor of Design from Ryerson University, internships at FLARE magazine, The Society, and Narrative PR, the latter two of which she also worked at, on top of her current design role at Canada’s number one fashion and beauty magazine, tells us that she not only makes paper look good, but looks really good on paper. With her equal love of both writing and designing, we’re willing to bet she has pretty fancy handwriting too.
Lucky for us, we’ve exchanged notes of our own kind with Schaeffer, and been given a sneak peak into the behind-the-scenes of her highly coveted position. A typical day starts with a digital team meeting where current news and fresh ideas for web posts are shared. “If we are in production for the magazine (2.5 weeks a month) my focus is on designing pages; taking editors copy and laying it out on the page, along with selecting art that will make it the most compelling. When we’re not in production, we’re shooting products that will be featured in the next issue with our in-house photographer, as well as banking images and GIFs for Instagram,” she says.
In line with the most striking of handwritten words, she calls the career path that led her to where she is “anything but linear”. The now savvy FASHION magazine associate describes learning how the magazine was put together in the first few weeks on the job as “foreign territory”, due to a lack of professional design experience. Though she shares that with a poised optimism, a belief in seizing opportunities, and a proven initiative to seek out new ones, all of her positions have landed her in her current job with a well-rounded skill set.
Schaeffer’s experience represents the reality of entering the Canadian job market in which, “Employers do not expect students and new grads to have a lot of work experience”, though they are, “drawn to applicants who have some real-world experience”, as reported by Virginia Galt in The Globe and Mail (November 27, 2015).  Galt highlights the importance of leveraging all part-time work, summer jobs, volunteer work, and personal connections for those making the transition from colleges and universities into the competitive workforce. As well, The Globe writers Don Drummond, Ross Finnie, and Harvey Weingarten report individuals joining the workforce now “will likely have many jobs and several careers before they retire,” raising the importance of general competencies that “provide the fundamental and foundational skills that are transferable across jobs” (October 20, 2015).
Diversification of your skills is especially critical for graduating students as industries evolve to meet the needs of consumers. In the fashion industry, there’s been a significant shift in power in recent years, largely attributed to the rise of celebrity culture, fashion bloggers, fast-fashion retailers, and smartphones, as examined by Karen Von Hahn in “R.I.P. Tide”, in the March 2016 issue of FASHION magazine.
Our it-girl comments, “Everyone is desperately trying to determine which way the tide is going to go. If trends are dead, and fashion weeks are dead, then is the consumer, and not content, king? I don’t think anyone knows right now, but it is my belief that there will always be a place for a long-lead, thoroughly researched articles and beautifully laid-out pages. We live in such a digital age, the premium placed on something tangible like print has made it rarer than ever—that has to count for something, doesn’t it?” In adaptation to the rapidly changing activities of the industry and consumer engagement with print and digital media, Schaeffer describes that she and her team are looking to provide content for whoever their readers are, be that in print, online, or on social.

For young aspiring fashion students, the FASHION magazine designer advises, “The road is long, and not as glamorous as it seems. Salaries are not lucrative. You will have multiple internships. You will need to take criticism and work independently without direction. Your successes will not always be acknowledged. Everyone in this industry is not here for the accolades, but because they love it—they eat, breathe, and sleep fashion.”

Searching for a job and stepping out from the comforts of classrooms into the “real world”, no matter the industry, can feel intimidating, but we all start somewhere. Schaeffer’s ultimate intimidator? A blank page. “Where to start? Nothing makes me procrastinate more than a blank page,” she says. “However, if you can force yourself to put something on the page, regardless of whether it works or not, you at least have a foothold you can build on.” You cannot forecast, control, or Google the future, and you’ll never know if you never try, so put your pen to paper and, “Just keep going and revise later. Revising is always easier than building”.


Hayley's Got Game

Canadian designer Hayley Elsaesser is struttin’ through The 6ix with her clothes.


Hayley Elsaesser is a very busy woman, and rightfully so. I felt blessed that she had time for me whilst hectically prepping for her fourth World Mastercard Fashion Week show – which was a last minute decision – in Toronto last March. Elsaesser is a Canadian designer based in Toronto. Like many designers, she started from the bottom.

For the longest time, Elsaesser knew that fashion was her thing. “Ever since I was a kid I loved putting together fun outfits. And for some reason I’ve always been drawn to unique and out of the ordinary clothes,” she says. “It was always what I would spend my allowance on, and my first job was working retail. I’ve always loved fashion.”

According to Elsaesser, she started making her own clothes as a teenager out of necessity living in a small town of Cambridge, Ontario. Eventually, she decided to move to Australia and study fashion at Queensland University of Technology to broaden her inspiration and creativity. “I found the style [in Australia] to be more fun and exciting,” she says.

This proved to be a great move for her. After she graduated and launched her label in 2013, she immediately debuted for Australia’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in early 2014. Later that year, Elsaesser went back home and also had her first show in her hometown Toronto, in which she won Fashion Magazine’s Best Emerging Designer award.

In the three years since her label launched, Elsaesser has built a reputation for herself. Her use of vivid colours and incredibly quirky prints like glowing poodles, deadly slushies, and eight balls wearing cowboy hats on a variety of silhouettes are just a few examples of Elsaesser’s wild imagination. This has led to a cult following and a rise of a brand that only keeps growing.

In addition, her shows have consistently wowed and are always one of the most anticipated shows in Toronto’s World Mastercard Fashion Week. Already, Elsaesser has strongly made an impact in the Toronto fashion industry; and she continues to keep going.


On top of the cult following, Elsaesser’s clothing has caught the attention of celebrities, especially Katy Perry who has numerously worn Elsaesser’s clothes including Madonna’s Bitch I’m Madonna music video. “It is a bit surreal. The first time I saw Katy wearing my clothes at Coachella it took a few minutes to sink in,” she says. “It’s really amazing to see someone that you would never dream would even know your name wearing your stuff on multiple occasions,” she adds.

“For me though, it’s actually more exciting seeing normal people in real life [wearing my clothes]. That’s a huge treat for me.

Elsaesser’s motto is more is more. She believes that fashion is a powerful tool to bring out one’s bright side and to not be afraid of who you really are. “Growing up I was incredibly shy and used fashion as somewhat of an icebreaker. It was also a great way of showing my unique personality without having to speak,” she says. “I love how fashion has such an ability to bring people together, give a person more confidence, and just be so transformative. I think people who wear fun and bold clothing have more fun, but also attract positivity!” With her label, Elsaesser hopes that her clothing lets her customers make their own statement, expressing individuality.


As we all know, diversity has been an on-going issue in the fashion industry. The problem is always addressed, but rarely any significant action is taken. Elsaesser is one of those rarities.

Besides the bright colours and prints in her clothing, Elsaesser is also known for diversity in race, size, gender, and age on her runway. One of her models is her aunt, who is in her 70s. “To me [diversity in fashion] just means a realistic expression of our city and my customer. Diversity is celebrating more than one idea of beauty rather than one cookie cutter,” she says. Elsaesser herself does not have a size two figure and she confidently sports rainbow highlights in her jet-black hair. She does not give a damn.

            Like a true Canadian, she takes pride in where she comes from. Toronto fashion, however, is known for its neutral and dark clothing, thanks to the minimalism movement that the country has fully adapted. Elsaesser does not only believe in individuality and diversity, but with her label, she is breaking those Toronto fashion stereotypes. It is no question that Elsaesser’s clothing is the complete opposite of minimalism.

When asked if she was bothered that in comparison to other fashion cities, Toronto is considered boring when it comes to fashion,

            Yes, this really frustrates me. This is the reason I decided to go study fashion in Australia where they love colour and to have fun with clothes. I spent a semester studying fashion in Vancouver and I was told my clothes weren’t commercial. Clearly this wasn’t correct, and I knew it. I think [in Toronto] people are often afraid to be the first, and are more focused on following trends. I can really respect people who aren’t afraid to stand out and be different.

            Toronto is such a diverse and colourful city; it should be represented that way in fashion. When asked if she wishes to bring a colourful, livelier, and fun side to the Toronto fashion industry, “Absolutely,” she says. “I think it’s about time some colour is injected here. The label has been so well received here I think it’s only a matter of time!”

Elsaesser now runs her flagship store on 695 Queen Street West, a very suitable location for her label. The store’s spunky atmosphere perfectly represents Elsaesser’s world. OmbrĂ© fixtures, bright yellow insect printed wallpaper, a neon sign of her name, eight ball cushions, stuffed dogs wearing Elsaesser sweaters, and a wide range of music from Drake to Nirvana to ABBA and Blondie blasting all day.


The store, in addition to her staff always bring a warm welcome and treat you as if you’re like family or a friend who they haven’t seen in ages. Elsaesser’s label is only three years old, and already her game plan has proven to be a winning one.

Cookie Cutter Bloggers



Isn’t everyone tired with looking at cookie cutter style from these fashion bloggers on social media? Do you notice some of the styles have such close resemblance that you can’t even recognize who is who? Sadly, this is the case and it’s very boring and bland. Nothing in their style makes it interesting when it is supposed to be exciting, questionable, and fun to look at.

There is one problem from a random viewer’s perspective like myself and maybe you as well.  Did you know some of these famous fashion bloggers are sponsored by a great number of brands with different styles?

These trendy fashion bloggers are wearing sponsored products no matter whether they like their style or not.  Brand sponsorship money can be lucrative and enticing.  Some fashion bloggers would quit their normal jobs or schooling to pursue on marketing themselves even further to build their portfolio.

A majority of fashion bloggers, I am certain that they do have fashion sense, understanding, and knowledge in fashion based on their own-curated taste, which is a pleasure to see for normal people. I mean that’s how they became famous, right? But after they gain more popularity and when being reached by these sponsors, it’s not easy for them to refuse free products and the money, even though the fashion brand’s images, styles don’t go along well with their own unique style. That’s how the fashion bloggers’ world works these days; you get paid to wear clothes.

With social media, they became more famous all over the world and they are considered as celebrities in the fashion circles.

There is one fashion blogger that I absolutely enjoy looking at her style, written articles and learning so much about fashion from.  It’s Leandra Medine who is a founder of the website “The Man Repeller”.  She’s also a writer, a fashion blogger and a considered a game changer in fashion industry. Her blog has become an inspiring fashion website that post a lot of content to read, see and even a podcast that’s fashion- related. I particularly like that she has a good sense of humor and quirkiness about fashion that is always treated so seriously.

Leandra Medine definitely has her own style that is very unique and distinctive. I would say she is such a genius at mix-match. Her outfits are never boring but fun and stylish at the same time. She has different ways of putting things together and they always turn out very nicely. What I like about her is that she doesn’t just feature the products or items from sponsors meaninglessly; she is the woman who speaks up her voice and tells the public her honest and critical opinions on fashion trends.

According to the interview with Marie Claire, September 10. 2015. She claimed that she wants to connect with her readers through fashion. “I think fundamentally Man Repeller is a voice for women to connect with; they can come and try it on for size and be a part of it, and if it works for them, they take it with them. Of course the site is going to be bigger than I am, that's realistic if we're talking about Man Repeller as an attitude and not just the pastime of a single person. A really good piece of advice that I got from a friend was, don't cater your instinct to the people around you.”

She also gave an advice to fashion newbies who try to incorporate bolder pieces into their wardrobe "That comes down to confidence, which is also about honesty. So don't integrate anything into your wardrobe that's going to make you feel hugely uncomfortable when you leave home. Get the comfort thing down first–baby steps. If you love a huge shoulder-padded jacket, but you know you can't leave home without it because it's just going to make you feel uncomfortable, try putting tissues inside one of your shirts first. Ease yourself into the pool." This pretty much sums up what she thinks about fashion. She always tells you shouldn’t think about what others feel about how you dress, but be your authentic self.

This is why Leandra has been honored in Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business" and Business Insider's "Most Inspiring Innovators and Entrepreneurs Under 40," and twice named to Forbes' "30 under 30."

As a fashion student, she is the best example and the most inspirational person in fashion industry and I attain so much information from The Man Repeller website. I strongly recommend to all fashion students to read her site at lease once a week.  Her website contains so much information that is helpful, informative but fun as well. Every time when I read about her article and gives me the feeling how this person loves what she does and that could be the best feeling in one’s life.