Shopping on the move: a bus like no other

When Fashionista is not enjoying the luxury of travelling by car, she favours the humble bus to transport her around the Capital. Sure, its slower than London's underground, but she can while away time sitting in traffic gazing into shop windows and wishing she could jump off and buy the coveted item that she can see from a distance.

Well now, thanks to Alice Temperley's latest innovative marketing mission, being on a bus will no longer be an obstacle to on-the-spot shopping. By late February, Londoners will see an Alice Temperley bus driving through the Capital, targetting trendy London locations including - of course - Somerset House, the new home of London Fashion Week. The customised double decker bus will double as a mobile pop-up shop, showcasing the as-yet-unlaunched Alice by Temperley diffusion line.

Fashionista thinks this is a great idea. The obvious problem for any bricks and mortar store is that the brand is relying on passers by to, well, not pass by and to instead walk into the store. Success depends largely on location, and on ensuring that your store is based in the ideal place for your target consumer group. The upfront overheads can make the prospect of setting up shop a daunting one and a big risk: prime location rent; stock; staff fees; bills. The same can be true for a pop-up shop - together with the added complication that comes with lack of longevity: the difficulty in securing new customers as "word of mouth" advertising takes time to spread.

So now we get to the genius of the mobile pop-up shop. Instead of waiting for customers to come to the brand, the brand has decided to come to the customers. It is heding its bets and the new brand will literally be driven around London to targeted areas, showcased to a much broader range of consumers than would otherwise be the case with a stand alone store. And whilst the cost of customising a bus is likely to be considerable, the media attention and promotion that the Temperley house will undoubtedly receive will no doubt make such cost worthwhile.

Fashionista wonders whether it is time to top up her Oyster card in anticipation...

Celebrity fashion fame: more than 15 minutes?

Earlier this week, Justin Timberlake's fashion label "William Rast" made its London debut, with a pop-up shop in Selfridges. Rumour has it that Mr Timberlake took time out of his busy schedule to personally brief employees as to how his William Rast brand is to be worn and marketed.

Never before have we seen so many celebrities branching out into fashion - whether through brand collaborations (think: Kanye West designing trainers for Louis Vuitton and the news that Mr West is working for Gap to learn the ropes as an insider before branching out on his own); or as stand alone fashion brands (think: Nelly's "Apple Bottom Jeans" or P.Diddy's "Sean John"). It seems that celebrities are not content at being known for what they do. Is this part of today's cultural need to be loved by all, or is it savvy enterprise, maximising on a ready-made brand?

JT's news came hot on the heels of the news that Jennifer Lopez's "Sweetface" brand is to be shelved. Fashionista wonders whether it is harder or easier for celebrity fashion brands to survive?

It must be easier for celebrities to break into the fashion market than for the unknown "start from scratch" designer. The celebrity will have the PR and advertising crew; the financial muscle; the (helpful or not) media attention; the ready-made brand and a fan base ready to buy into any off-shoot product of their icon.

But it must also be easier to crash and burn. Not wanting to sound cynical, Fashionista can't help but ask: what happens when the celebrity "du jour" has had his or her 15 minutes of fame? Can what may at one minute be a highly covetable brand become un-cool the next? Fashionista would like to hear what her readers think of the merits or otherwise of celebrity brands. Can the celebrities compete with the serious players in the fashion market or will they be no more than temporary pop-up shops in an industry where the long-leased premises are those that go the distance?