It’s always stumped me when people ask “what is your target market” and not in a Duh– idonoo kind of way, but more like a “why are they asking me that?”
As a creative I’ve noticed other brands look to me for design ideas. They find my work free whether it’s through the press or trend forecasters present my ideas packaged in a way that is palatable for brands like Bebe. Brands who don’t have a real person’s name.
The truth is sometimes when I’m designing, I might think: this is for someone who (does blank) or this is for a person to wear to a specific themed event such as the Met Museum Costume Institute Gala. But I’m not like up in that persons business like “here’s their income and here’s their age and they currently do this for a living.” Probably that is to my detriment but so what!
Why? I think it’s none of my business where their money comes from. Also it’s something else: people who fit into these boxes are dull to me. If the box exists, somebody already found it and filled it with junk fashion. The formula has already fizzled, if you will. If you ask me, that box is heading straight to a landfill.
None of that has anything to do with the creative process. I’m over here making something beautiful and lasting with integrity, and I believe there are people who want that. They want to feel beautiful. Also they want to live uniquely and discover special things. For them dressing, and the acquisition of art or clothing, is an emotional process and they see how ethics come into play.
An artist may think of who is interested in their work, but once it becomes only about the buyer, the work loses significance, and subsequently value. That’s why the clearly defined “target market” never worked for me. I don’t identify my clients this way. What happens as a result is a collaboration, with trust, empathy and respect to each involved. By wearing the clothing they express a message that is both mine and theirs.