It's Friday again so it's time for a round up of five things you need to know this week from the worlds of digital, brands and the occasional interesting fact. So here's this week's Friday Five:
Is £50 a Month the Key to Smiling Staff?
On average we spend approximately a third of our week at work. Here at Folk we think that if you're going to dedicate that much time to something it should be something you actually look forward to when you wake up in the morning. So we started to ask ourselves what we could do to make working wonderful.
The Friday Five: 1st Edition
Folk S/S 2013 Lookbook
There's nothing we love more at Folk then fashion. So we created our very own look book showcasing our recent launches along with an interview with our friend and talented artist Stuart Semple plus a few other interesting stories all beautifully printed and bound by our friends at Dayfold print. Launched at our fashion week Folk in the Smoke, this exclusive book was limited to 100 copies so, sadly we can't give them all away but if you tweet us with the hashtag #FolkDigital we might just make an exception ;)
Vine: Fashion's New Favourite
Folk in the Smoke
It's just over a week until our much anticipated Folk in the Smoke event. Being dedicated followers (and occasionally wearers) of fashion, we're putting on our glad rags to celebrate London Fashion Week. On the 21st February we're taking to the Stand Gallery in London to celebrate all things digital, e-commerce and of course style. A few tickets remain so don't forget to RSVP here today http://folkdigital.eventbrite.com/
Expect great guests, great music and great 'Fash Offs'. Fashion Week wouldn't be Fashion Week without a goodie bag so come along for Dorset inspired treats and great conversation over a glass of wine.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Folk Speaks at the Spring Fair
The Spring Fair is one of the largest retail trade exhibition in the UK and from the 3rd- 7th of February, 12 product areas in the home and gift industry will bring thousands of buyers all under one roof. We're lucky enough that our very own Paul Sheehy will be heading to the Spring Fair to talk about all things e-commerce. He'll be giving his speech on 'Managing an e-commerce business: Tips and techniques to improve your site' from 12.30-13.15 on Wednesday 6th February on the e-commerce and social media stage.
If you happen to be visiting, be sure to stop by and hear what he has to say.
Better yet, drop us a line and tell us how he did.
Look forward to meeting you there!
Happy Birthday Folk!
The big day is finally here...we're the big 1-0 today and to celebrate we've launched this new website! It's been a long old process getting this site done but we're very proud of all the hard work and team work that's gone into making it. For those of you who read this blog a few months ago you would have heard all about the website launch that almost was. The decision to not launch that site makes today's launch all the more special. This website is designed to be a personal journey. For you to discover Folk in a way that you control and ultimately lets you take a voyage of discovery into what makes us who we are.
We hope you love this new site just as much as we do. To those of you who have made the last ten years as special as they have been thank you for everything. There are lots of exciting things on the horizon here at Folk and today all we can hope for is that the next ten years are just as wonderful.
E.Tautz A/W 2013
With the world's focus on London Menswear Fashion week we felt it was only right to send two of our most stylish folk along to check it out. In their most dapper attire, Tom and Oli mingled with the a-list of the fashion world at the E. Tautz show. Here's what they thought: Autumn / Winter 2013
LONDON COLLECTION : Mens
From the 2 E.Tautz shows that I've attended, I enjoy puzzling out where inspiration came from for the collections as much as the clothes themselves. Patrick Grant has an extremely diligent approach to researching and finding things that shouldn't inspire, then pulling it together to make something quite extraordinary.
For AW13 his inspiration is the "dourness" of Scottish Highlands, presumably from his searches to find that perfect cloth. The introduction reads "The Scottish Isles are riddled with sentimentality good and bad, blessed with but hamstrung by tradition, filled with ugliness and wonder, deeply fissured". There's reference to naff gift shop tea trays and teenagers with trackie bottoms tucked into socks, it's beginning to sound like he's fixed on the observations of Alex Turner through his iPod.
The collection focused mainly drab greys, reflective of the Scottish winter oceans, offset with striking, bold oranges of long forgotten rusted old farm machinery.
The E.Tautz style we've come to appreciate of slim, jacked up trousers and sharply cut jackets were present, but gave way to the headline acts of oversized trousers and overcoats large enough to camp out in. Loose is the new slim-fit and if you're brave enough, (and come next winter, I think we might be) tuck your trousers into your socks for a fresh take on plus fours or, what East 17's Brian Harvey introduced in 94. But this is what's so great about E. Tautz designs - they push you, but not so far that you wouldn't ever consider it.
Lots of tartan and checked tweeds stood out, but belying the typical E. Tautz sense of humour we're familiar with, was still that attention to detail and quality. Combine that with an unwavering commitment to using only UK suppliers and it makes Patrick's a menswear label that's ever original and never short of surprises.
Festive Knit Sales Jump
Traditionally the kind of gift you receive from your grandmother as a mortified teenager, the Christmas jumper has always been somewhat of a fashion faux pas. Yet winter 2012 has undoubtedly been the season of the bad jumper. This festive fun fuelled by celebrities and the public alike has quickly become so celebrated they become they even had a day in their honour earlier in 2012.
But what does it mean for retail? 10,000 were sold in two weeks alone at Asda, at their peak New Look were selling one Christmas jumper every minute - what it demonstrates is that retail is sometimes your next sale comes from somewhere you never expected.
Similarly the controversial yet humble onesie is experiencing record sales, looking to be one of the most gifted items this Christmas- who would have ever thought that wearing what is effectively a giant baby grow would ever be trend worthy?
Being reactive to trends is key in retail to reaping the financial rewards when an opportunity arises. That and remembering that eventually everything comes back into style...well almost everything.