Universal Works

In one of Simons lectures, we got taught about the Nottingham based brand, "Universal works", that he really loved. I was particularly interested in this brand because i see that it has great potential, not just as men's wear but also to expand into Women's- maybe adapting to be a more unisex brand. I think that women are really looking towards mens casual style in a way, using it as inspiration in their own way. For example, women dressing in sports wear and dressing it up with heels to add a touch of their own.

Simon taught us about the routes of the brand and why it adopts the particular style that it does. The main piece of clothing that the brand stocks is the bakers jacket, a vital garment that presents their brands communication. The founders father was a baker, so this style was adopted to represent the clothing that he would often wear. Since we are looking into story telling and brands, i thought this was really important to mention because the brand has clear routes which help it resonate with its consumers.

What i really like about this brand is the variety of ways you can wear the clothing, dressing it up with a tie, wearing it in layers- under a blazer or over a plain t-shirt. This is something that really appealed to me, due to a project where i studied Vivienne Westwood. Westwood said to buy one item of clothing that you really like, instead of buying lots of items- "don't invest in fashion but invest in the world". Westwood said this in order to be sustainable, fashion and its production causes so much waste which is harmful to our environment. I think that Universal Works is a brand that could really help to send this message, all of their items of clothing correlate together- so why not buy a few items of great quality that you can wear over and over, in various combinations, whilst being more environmentally friendly???

The collection also has a specific colour palette, providing mostly netural colours and navy's- which all combine really well together- another positive to the local brand.

The brand started from just a kitchen table and is now working up to becoming universal- stocking in LA, South Korea, with its main network being in Nottingham. I personally love that the clothing brand stays completely true to itself, saying that they only work with factories that they trust and are proud to be associated with. They have also continued their heritage to create true clothing of the best fit, to the best quality, never over complicating their designs. This to be screams great potential for an increased expansion, mostly to the older generation in my eyes. I think that their clothing range does fit an older generation as opposed to the kids of today kicking it about in tracksuits. But who knows? I think with the right marketing and endorsement, this brand could became the future of clothing- especially with the way it can be environmentally friendly!

Thankyou for reading,

Millie xo

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