Duquesa Marketing

www.DuquesaMarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact: Geoff Ficke

859-567-1609

gficke@msn.com

Duquesa Marketing Client Pedi-Protexx™ Launches at COSMOPROF Bologna to Great Acclaim

Retailers and Distributors from Over 60 Counties Flock to Secure Licensing opportunities to Secure Perfect Pedicure Protection

Florence, KY    Nancy Ficke, co-founder and General Manager of international, award winning Consumer Product Development and Branding consultancy Duquesa Marketing, announced today that over 60 major international distributors and retailers have approached her firm to secure distribution rights to Pedi-Protexx, a novel new pedicure accessory beauty product after viewing the line at COSMOPROF Bologna.

“We were overwhelmed at the rousing response to our client’s product and the unique features of the Pedi-Protexx”, said Ms. Ficke. “COSMOPROF Bologna is the largest, most prestigious beauty product show in the world, and the performance of Pedi-Protexx made it a standout in this mega-competitive milieu”.

“The interest in a simple, elegant product which aids in the application of a pedicure treatment was amazing”, said Alexis Bruning, V.P. of New Product Development for Duquesa
Marketing. “We were continually told that Pedi-Protexx was one of the most original, different products at COSMOPROF.

“In coming weeks we will be making a series of announcements as each country’s specific distribution deal is concluded”, said Nancy Ficke. “The interest in distributing this unique pedicure accessory is growing exponentially as a result of the impact the Pedi-Protexx generated last week at the Bologna show”.

Duquesa Marketing

www.duquesamarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Geoff Ficke

Murphy Underwear™ to Launch February 13-15, 2012 At MAGIC Show, Mandalay Bay, Stand #29099

Men’s Fashion Underwear Featuring Proprietary MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology Offers Totally New User Experience

Hattiesburg, MS   Boyd Murphy, creator of Murphy Underwear, announced today that his line of eco-polished cotton men’s underwear featuring MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology will be unveiled to the male haberdashery market at the upcoming MAGIC Show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

“We have spent a considerable amount of time and money incorporating barrier technology and quick-wicking weave into our garment that eliminates moisture and embarrassment for the first time while maximizing fit and shape”, said Mr. Murphy. “The MAGIC Show is a premiere platform for us to use to launch the line”.

“The product Boyd Murphy has perfected is to normal underwear as a Ferrari is to a Yugo”, said Geoff Ficke, President of Florence, KY based Duquesa Marketing, who have acted as
management consultants for the Murphy Underwear project. “There has never been a user experience that equals the fit, comfort and confidence that Murphy Underwear offers. The MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology will change the men’s undergarment category forever”.

“We will unveil our new web-site, pricing and sales promotions for retailers at the MAGIC Show”, said Mr. Murphy. “We are discussing sales coverage with several very interested and substantial sales representative organizations and look forward to interviewing other interested distributors at the show”.

Duquesa Marketing

www.duquesamarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Geoff Ficke

859-567-1609

Murphy Underwear Engages dP Design to Create Graphic Art for Spring-2012 Brand Launch

Premium Underwear Features MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology for Extra Confidence

Hattiesburg, MS  Boyd Murphy, creator of Murphy Underwear announced today that his Company has engaged the services of Cincinnati-based dP Design to create the visual Branding elements for the upcoming retail introduction of his line of luxury men’s briefs and boxer briefs enhanced with MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology.

“We reviewed many options presented by our Managing Consulting firm Duquesa Marketing”, said Mr. Murphy. “dP Design stood apart as a Graphics Arts firm with a unique understanding of our product and the fashion market we will be entering. We are excited to be working with Diana Puppin and her group”.

“My firm has worked on a number of luxury product launches with Duquesa Marketing”, said Diana Puppin, Pres. of dP Design.“When the Murphy Underwear project was presented by Nancy and Geoff Ficke we recognized that this product was so much more than just another men’s underwear item, but a real breakthrough in comfort and new barrier technologies”.

Murphy Underwear, featuring MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology will be introduced to better retailers and haberdasheries during Spring-2012. A complete menu of launch activities, trade shows, sales promotions and special value packaging is being finalized and will be unveiled shortly.

Duquesa Marketing

www.duquesamarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

January 2, 2012

Contact:  Geoff Ficke

gficke@msn.com

Murphy Underwear Retail Launch Set for Upcoming Magic Show in Las Vegas February 13-15, 2012

Unique Advance in Comfort and Confidence Features MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology

Hattiesburg, MS    Boyd Murphy, creator of Murphy Underwear announced today that his line of luxury men’s briefs and boxer briefs will be introduced at the Magic Show, Las Vegas Convention Center, February 13-15, 2012. Magic Show is the premiere trade expo for male fashion and accessory products.

“Murphy Underwear is excited to announce that our advanced comfort and confidence inspired products will be launched at this February’s Magic Show”, said Mr. Murphy. “As designers of a true luxury product we wanted to launch at a show known for presenting the finest in male fashion and grooming products and that defines what the Magic Show is all about”.

“We advised our client Murphy Underwear that the Magic Show was the best possible American venue for introducing their line”, said Geoff Ficke, President of Florence, KY based Duquesa Marketing, managing consultants for the Murphy Underwear project. “The products have so many upscale comfort, design, and new barrier technologies that we are confident the discriminating Magic Show attendees will recognize these unique features and benefits and offer Murphy Underwear to their customers”.

Murphy Underwear features their proprietary MX-P Anti-Microbial Moisture Barrier Technology. Pricing, sales promotion and value sets will be announced at the Magic Show. The product will be available in three designer colors, and two styles: briefs and boxer briefs. The Company is in the process of assembling Manufacturers Rep sales coverage on an exclusive territorial basis.

Duquesa Marketing, Inc.

www.DuquesaMarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

November 4, 2011

Contact:  Geoff Ficke 

BvonM LLC Appoints Defined by Design to Produce Graphic Arts Elements for Pedi-Flip Cosmetic Accessory

Novel New Line to Be Introduced to Retail Beauty  Trade in Spring-2012 at Major International Venue 

Alexandria, VA   Dr. Barbara von Mettenhiem, creator of Pedi-Flip announced today that her Beauty Product design atelier BvonM LLC has contracted the services of Melbourne, FL based Defined by Design to create essential Branding and Graphic Art visual elements for a Spring-2012 international market introduction.   

“I collaborated with my Managing Consultants at Duquesa Marketing to review a number of candidates for creative design work”, said Dr. Von Mettenheim. “Pedi-Flip is a product that performs a specific, necessary task, but it also has a good bit of fun and whimsy attached to the design. Linda Walding immediately grasped my vision and is a wonderful addition to our team”. 

“When my work product was being reviewed by Geoff Ficke of Duquesa Marketing and Dr. Barbara von Mettenheim I became very appreciative of the diligence they exercised in considering all of the submissions,”, said Linda Walding, President of Defined by Design. “I was of course thrilled to be selected to work on this interesting, exciting project”. 

“My specialty is creativity and product design”, said Dr. Von Mettenheim. “I am fortunate to have Duquesa Marketing acting as my Managing Consultants and Defined by Design handling Graphic Art. This gives me the freedom to concentrate on areas where I can be most productive”.

Duquesa Marketing, Inc.

www.duquesamarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

October 20, 2011

Contact:  Geoff Ficke

859-567-1609

gficke@msn.com

dP Design Engaged by Armenicus Life, Inc. to Create Graphic Art Visuals for Spring-2012 Product Launch

Novel Line of Jewelry Accessory Products to Be Introduced to Retailers in United States and International Markets

White Plains, NY  Armenicus Life, Inc., a Consumer Product consortium, announced today that is has retained the services of Cincinnati, OH based dP Design to create a full package of custom Graphic Art elements for the Spring-2012 retail introduction of its Jewelry Accessory line.   

“Our Managing Consultants for the project, Duquesa Marketing, have used dP Design for a number of upscale fashion projects”, said Dr. Anna Kazanchyan, founder and CEO of Armenicus Life. “We needed a Graphic Arts firm that could provide a full menu of services, have strong creative instincts and be able to maintain the launch timeline that we have set. dP Design is a great fit on all fronts”. 

“I have worked on a number of fashion projects with Nancy and Geoff Ficke and their Duquesa Marketing team”, said Diana Puppin, President of dP Design. “They are very enthusiastic about the Armenicus Life project and Anna has given me  solid direction to take in creating the Branding visuals”. 

“The purpose of every Consumer Product that Armenicus Life introduces is to address simple problems people face in everyday life”, said Dr. Kazanchyan. “We have an aggressive schedule of follow-up launches that will roll-out over the next 18 months”.

Duquesa Marketing, Inc.

www.duquesamarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release

October 17, 2011

Contact:  Geoff Ficke

859-567-1609

Duquesa Marketing to Act as Managing Consultants for Development of New Jewelry Accessory Product Line 

Firm to Handle Product Development, Branding, Marketing and Spring-2012 Retail Market Launch for Armenicus Life, Inc. Creations 

Florence, KY   Nancy Ficke, General Manager of award winning international Consumer Product and Branding firm Duquesa Marketing announced today that her group has been contracted to act as Managing Consultants for the new line of jewelry accessory products created by Armenicus Life, Inc. of White Plains, NY. 

“Dr. Anna Kazanchyan, founder of Armenicus Life and inventor/designer of its products, approached us with her simple, elegant solutions for problems every woman with a wide assortment of jewelry confronts”, said Mrs. Ficke. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to manage the development and launch of this useful, fashion forward line”. 

“The Armenicus team develops concepts that provide “Solutions that Simplify”, said Geoff Ficke, President of Duquesa Marketing. “The jewelry accessory products are only the first in a robust pipeline of products on which we will collaborate to bring to market”. 

Duquesa Marketing is a one-stop, turnkey service provider for Inventors, Entrepreneurs, Small and Micro-Businesses and Multi-Nationals that market Consumer Products. For over 40 years the Company has worked with clients from around the world to bring their ideas to retail markets and consumers.

by: Geoff Ficke

The Nearly Forgotten Fashion Pioneer Who Changed the Way Women Dressed 

Mention the name Chanel and virtually every woman, and most men immediately have a mental picture of the famous logo, eponymous boutiques, couture fashion and famous Fragrances created several generations ago by the fashion doyen Coco Chanel. Ms. Chanel’s professional and personal life has been well-documented in books and movies. Though she has been deceased for many years the Chanel Brand has been protected, nurtured and managed to ever greater heights and is considered one of the most successful luxury goods franchises in history.

Christian Dior and Coco Chanel alone among their contemporaries from the first half of the 20^th century remain household names. There was another creative fashion artist however who was considered by the connoisseurs of that time to have been their superior in talent, vision and success. Her name was Elsa Schiaparelli and for all of her fame and accolades she is largely forgotten today.  

Elsa Schiaparelli was born to an aristocratic Roman family in 1890. Her world as a child was full of books, music, the arts and rich, successful people. As a young Philosophy student at the University of Rome she wrote a fairly scandalous book of erotic poems that enraged her conservative family and they shipped her off to a convent where she promptly went on a hunger strike. She left the convent and undertook a lifestyle change by attempting to leave behind the luxury she had always enjoyed and becoming a Bohemian. Her goal was to be an artist and she delved deeply into Surrealism. 

After living a simple life devoted to art and study in New York City and London, young Elsa finally moved to Paris. There she was invited to attend a ball but had nothing to wear. She simply bought some fabric and made a type of wrap dress for herself. She became close to Modernist artists Man Roy and Marcel Duchamp. They, along with the most famous French Couturier of the early 20^th century, Paul Poiret, encouraged her to start to design clothes. 

Ms. Schiaparelli started her first couture house but it quickly failed by 1926. In 1927 she tried again and launched a collection featuring trompe l’oeil images on sweaters that became the rage. She was featured in Vogue. Her business exploded with the introduction of “pour le sport” line including spectacular linen dresses, bathing suits and ski wear. In 1931 she opened the Schiap Shop on the Place Vendome. The same year the tennis player Lili de Alvarez created a sensation when she played Wimbledon wearing Elsa Schiaparelli’s “divided skirt, the forerunner of shorts. The new shop included an Evening Wear department that became famous and added greatly the House success. 

Elsa Schiaparelli is credited with many firsts in the fashion world. These include: 

Graphic Knitwear

Color Coordinated Zippers

Whimsical Brooch-like Buttons

Culottes

Arab Breeches

Embroidered Shirts

Wrapped Turbans

PomPom Ribbed Hats

Barbaric Belts

Wedge Espadrille Shoes

Mix-and-Match Sportswear

The Runway Show

Androgynous Fashion Models 

Her work was heavily influenced by the famous Modernist artists of the day including Dada, Fini, Cocteau, Oppenheim and Giacometti. It was the wild Catalan Surrealist sensation Salvador Dali that would exert the most vivid effects on Elsa Schiaparelli’s work. This effect can be easily seen in her Lamb Cutlet hat and the 1936 suit with pockets simulating a chest of drawers. The famous Lobster Dress, Tear Dress, Shoe Hat and Skeleton Dress were classic pieces that included trend setting fabric, tailoring cues, effects and surrealistic images that made the wearer appear to be dressed in artwork. 

The House of Schiaparelli produced garments and accessories that were considered more than Couture Fashion, but unique pieces of wearable art. The House was retained to design costumes for movie productions including Topaze (1933), Moulin Rouge (1952) and for Mae West in Every Day Is a Holiday (1937). 

The bodice figure of Mae West is the silhouette that Schiaparelli used to create the flacon for her signature Perfume Shocking. The “Shocking Pink” used to dress the Fragrances unit carton became so famous and distinctive that it is known to this day as “shocking pink” in pantone books. Through the 1930’s and 1940’s the House of Schiaparelli introduced a number of successful Fragrance Collections for men and women. 

In 1934 Time Magazine placed Madame Schiaparelli at the top of the fashion world. Of her great rival Coco Chanel Time stated, “Chanel has assembled a fortune estimated at $15 million in the United States while being not at present in the most dominant influence in fashion”. Time went on to note that every little garment house on 7^th Avenue was making replica versions of every collection that Elsa Schiaparelli produced. 

Chanel was a traditionalist. Owing to the influences of Modern and Surreal art Schiaparelli was an experimentalist. She was the first to experiment with acrylic, rayon jersey, cellophane and a new fiber called Fildifer. This was the first use of synthetics in Couture. 

In the 1970’s Diane von Furstenburg burst onto the fashion scene with her iconic wrap dress. Schiaparelli had created the wrap dress 50 years earlier, the same for Issey Miyake’s pleats and wrinkles skirts which she had first designed in the 1930’s. 

The introduction of the Runway Fashion Show alone would have cemented Elsa Schiaparelli’s place at the pinnacle of Haute Couture history. The Branding and Marketing Strategies that this pioneer created are still used by leading Fashion Houses to this day. The inclusion of whimsy, anything goes and the co-mingling of a variety of colors, shapes and fabrics in her stunning pieces were revolutionary and have never been matched. 

By the end of World War II the fashion scene had changed significantly. The clientele that had made Elsa Schiaparelli rich, famous and a trend setter had changed as well. The world had experienced a terrible trauma. The sort of energy and imagination that was inspired by Modernism and Surrealism was not highly valued. Practical became a cornerstone of Fashion in the 1950’s. The House of Schiaparelli closed in 1954 and Ms. Schiaparelli spent the last 20 years of her life in Paris and her seaside mansion in Tunisia. 

Coco Chanel famously despised Elsa Schiaparelli. Ms. Chanel once said that Schiaparelli made art, not clothes. She disparagingly referred to her as that “Italian Artiste”. Elsa Schiaparelli, born to aristocracy and luxury, never took the bait. If she had negative thoughts about her rival they were well hidden. 

Any student researching the history of the development of Couture Fashion in the 20th century will recognize the design breakthroughs that were created by Elsa Schiaparelli and are present everywhere in today’s female clothing scene. This creative body of work changed the world of fashion forever. Though largely forgotten today, this pioneer has left an amazing artistic and inventive legacy.

by: Geoff Ficke

John Fairchild, founder and owner of the fashion publishing empire Fairchild Communications, is considered the arbiter of 20th century style and taste in the fashion, beauty and design world. His many publications provided the last word on the history, trends and forward looking direction that these notoriously fickle categories would follow. Mr. Fairchild was a visionary in a world of creative geniuses and risk takers.

In his 1989 book, Chic Savages, Mr. Fairchild observed the following: “Fashion is a sub-art and is not intellectual. Fashion is a business and operates best when born out of instincts. Fashion appeals to the senses and comes from gut feeling…true fashion comes straight out of the jungle”.

This quote, which summarizes John Fairchild’s observations of the creative instincts essential to become a successful cosmetic, fashion or design entrepreneur are applicable to any form of entrepreneurial endeavor. Any widget invented to fill a market void requires a certain cunning instinct on the part of the creator to not only visualize a product, but to create the thing in reality, sell and market the piece, and fully commercialize their unique creative drive.

The world of high fashion is built on product exclusivity. Most people would love to own a Ferrari, Balenciaga gown or a Rolex, even though it is not realistic given their personal financial circumstance. We aspire to these luxuries. We know of these, and many other limited distribution, high end fashionable brands.

Recently I read a history of the rise and fall of the iconic Ungaro house of fashion. Ungaro, in the 1970’s and 1980’s was one of the leading haute couture brands in the world. Ungaro fashion ensembles were extremely successful in this ultra-competitive, stratospherically priced space. Ungaro himself came to exemplify the ideal of the uber-creative Italian fashion genius. The family was ultra-successful in licensing the brand name to dozens of products including cosmetics, fragrance, bags, jewelry and household goods.

There was a constant look and feel to all goods that carried the Ungaro label. They were of the highest quality, sold only in a few of the best stores, exuded artisan craftsmanship and offered the gorgeous Ugaro-look that emanated from the fashion houses couture lines. Ungaro was the ultimate aspiration-al brand. The more expensive and exclusive the distribution the more consumers sought and desired Ungaro products.

In the mid-1990’s, at the height of the bubble for luxury acquisitions, Ungaro was sold. The family gave up creative control, was paid handsomely and believed that the new investment bankers that had bought the firm would continue the traditions that they had employed to make the brand a world-wide phenomenon. They were soon to be proven wrong on every count.

The new owners brought in a new design team and began to apply modern finance and cost control measures to production and to control overheads. In order to support the debt service incurred in the purchase greater sales volumes needed to be achieved. The result was a classic push-pull between the creative side of the business and the operations side. The need for more sales meant the need for more distribution which began to diminish the exclusivity that had been so important in building Ungaro.

These business pressures resulted in a constant churn on the creative design team and ultimately a lack of direction and loss of the styling edginess that made a garment an Ungaro. Retailers, and more importantly consumers, started to notice these changes and walked away from new Ungaro collections. The family looked on in dismay as sales plummeted from hundreds of millions of dollars in the 1980’s to only a few million dollars at the turn of the 21st century.

Ultimately the House of Ungaro has been bought by a Silicon Valley, tech industry multi-millionaire with no, nada, zero fashion industry experience. The brand was purchased for 85 million dollars and the descent has only accelerated. The outlook, especially in the current economy, is grim for Ungaro.

Investment bankers and technology barons are great at asset utilization, reading balance sheets and designing software to make life easier. But entering the fashion jungles as described by John Fairchild is a completely different universe requiring a completely different set of creative skills.

The instinct for design and fashion greatness possessed by Ungaro, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Charles Revson, Pininfarina, Enzo Ferrari or Harry Winston is not transferrable like the ability to read a blue print or follow a schematic outline in manufacturing. It comes from the gut, and appeals to the senses in ways that are not easily described. The rise and fall of the House of Ungaro is a cautionary tale that all entrepreneurs can and should learn from. Vision is a rare and beautiful thing that cannot be readily manufactured.

by: Geoff Ficke

One of the most illuminating professional experiences of my life was my first visit to the elegant center of British Bespoke male haberdashery, Saville Row in London’s exclusive Mayfair district. I was a young man, just starting my career in the international cosmetic business and, while knowing of the worldwide reputation for excellence of English hand tailored gentleman’s clothing, I had never experienced this level of quality and artisan craftsmanship. I was building my wardrobe from off the rack suits purchased from American department stores.

On my very first visit to London in the early 1970’s, I was most anxious to window shop the famous little alley known worldwide as Saville Row. Tucked inauspiciously behind the much more commercial and busy Regent Street, the languid pace and understated elegance of the short street was a shock. It seemed almost as if the tailors and shop proprietors were trying to avoid successful commercialization. The shops were small, signage was petite and inauspicious and window displays were presented as simply as possible. The full focus was on the vast array bolts of cloth in endless colors, patterns and weights, classic tailoring and quality bespoke customization.

I was mesmerized but dared not enter a single establishment. The next day, at breakfast, my English distributor asked what I had done and seen during my free day in London. I described my walking tour of the amazing cities streets and my fascination, in particular, with Saville Row. My agent asked if I was going to make an appointment for a fitting with one of the tailor’s. “Of course not”, I replied “Saville Row level of bespoke tailoring is a little out of my range”.

For the next hour my agent became my tutor on the fine points of owning a quality British gentleman’s suit of clothing. He insisted that it was not a daunting experience or pretentious for a young American to enjoy what English gentlemen took for granted when assembling their wardrobes. More importantly, while the bespoke suit may cost more initially, it will provide much better value because the superior custom fit, quality fabric and hand craftsmanship will insure that the suit will wear much longer and provide a much better fit than any off the rack garment ever could. He suggested we make an appointment with his Saville Row tailor, and so we did.

The term “bespoke” is so very British. It simply means “to be spoken for”. In other words a bespoke suit is built solely for a specific client’s unique body shape and personal preferences. Saville Row tailors keep meticulous records of every client’s sizes, styling preferences, cloth and color choices and accessories. Each fitting is treated as the most important fitting the tailor will ever perform, because it actually is!

My first bespoke suit was tailored for me at No. 1 Saville Row, the famous address of Gieves & Hawkes. This, most famous, and typically British institution traces its origins to the late 1700’s. The firm is the holder of numerous royal warrants and has served customers ranging from Napoleon Bonaparte, to Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, to David Beckham. After 250 years in business in London, Gieves & Hawkes still tailors less than 1000 suits each year.

The shop has had many offers to mass produce a line of suits and sportswear that could be sold internationally in huge volumes. The owners have stringently avoided taking this route. The Gieves & Hawkes brand, so assiduously and painstakingly nurtured and harvested for generations, is not to be tinkered with.

We live in a world where millions of consumers can, and do, enjoy the fruits of mass production, economies of scale and international distribution logistics that make these products affordable and readily available. This is a blessing for all of us. However, it is a comforting thought, that old world, hand crafted, prideful products, such as the bespoke tailored gentleman’s clothing lovingly sewn by Gieves & Hawkes, and other Saville Row firms are still on offer to those who wish to choose quality over quantity.