This final major
project has been the perfect ending to my time at London College of Fashion.
There were a few projects along the way that I did not necessarily enjoy, but
this task was my favourite by far. It took quite a while for my idea to
develop, which proved to be frustrating at the time for me. After receiving
very valuable feedback from both my course director and my family, I finally
decided and properly developed my idea. As I became inspired, more creative
ideas came to mind to help shape the overall concept of my business. I decided
to create a fully merchandised mobile truck, selling high-end fashion, bearing
well-known and respected designer names, to the women of Los Angeles.
My brother has
been a huge asset for me throughout this process. He has created a business on
his own, which has now turned into a multi-million dollar venture. He has
brought on two of his closest friends and together they have created a service,
desirable to the masses. He gave me valuable information that helped him along
the way. He also showed me business models, financial plans and PowerPoint’s
that he created for his company. This helped me focus on what was important and
what needed to be properly researched for the final business plan.
I started
researching and creating tables and charts of information in Excel. When I was
stuck on a certain concept, I would simply move on and go back to that concept
when I had more information. This proved to be very helpful for the duration of
my project, helping immensely with time management. As I researched more, I
really understood a demand in the market for a business like this. There are,
however, a few mobile fashion trucks in Los Angeles currently, but none bearing
an individual concept with a high-end selection of clothing coming from unique
designers. This gave me further inspiration to think about the idea of actually
starting this business myself.
As time went on
and creativity was of abundance, I was getting massive amounts of work done in
a short period of time. I woke up early every morning and finished at least 1-2
hours of work every single day. Some days I would work all day until I had to
leave for work at 4pm. I enjoyed every minute of the process. I finished the
research, including SWOT, PESTEL, 4 P’s, SOSTAC, Porter’s 5 Forces, and many
more. I then started the writing process. I wrote until I needed to develop a
financial plan. I then took about a week researching and developing a financial
plan and sales forecast that was fully rationalised and justified. Once that
was completed, I finished the 3500-word report.
The promotional
video was one of the most eye opening experiences throughout this project. I
was very intimidated to film and edit a video. I reached out to a few people to
help with the procedure, but none were completely right for the job. I decided
to step out of my comfort zone and create the entire video on my own. I used a
few of my girl friends as actors, along with myself and we ended up filming it
at a juice, coffee and food truck along the river, to incorporate the mobile
truck idea. I set up a meeting and discussed filming at the truck with the
owner to make sure I wouldn’t have any issues on the day. It worked out
beautifully, and the owner even wanted a copy for himself. My brother then
encouraged me to watch some tutorials online about iMovie. He assured me that
the program was very easy and that I could teach myself along the way. After
watching the tutorials and playing around with the program, I began the editing
process, which took about 2 days. I absolutely loved it! I am so inspired to
take more videos in my everyday life and create more interesting films.
The final
accumulation of all of my work has been the most surprisingly tedious effort so
far. It has taken me 3-4 full days to develop the perfect format, finish proper
referencing and a bibliography, get the report proofread, and tie up any loose
ends throughout. With great time management through the entire seven weeks that
I was given, I exceeded my expectations greatly. I had no stresses in regards
to time and I was able to research properly at a slow pace, to create the best
work that I could produce. I have honestly never been so pleased with any
project that I’ve done in my entire academic career thus far.
This project has
ultimately been inspiration and motivation for me to decide what my next step
in life will be. I have decided to turn this idea into a reality and start Mode
of Movement upon my return to Los Angeles. My previous plan was to move to New
York and get a job at a fashion company in the marketing and promotion fields.
I had a few interviews already lined up and was moving forward with
accommodation details. My brother has told me that he would possibly like to
invest and help me start the company for a three-month duration to see how it
will work. With his help, along with a few other ideas that I have to raise
capital, I have decided to take the huge risk of moving back to Los Angeles to
start Mode of Movement. I am so grateful for the opportunity that this project
has provided for me, and I hope that the work that I have produced will
reflect.
