Every now and then, a company takes a stand and in doing so, creates an entirely new experience, commodity or way of thinking.

I walked into (both digitally and at the mall!) a store called Lucy. They offer fitness apparel but they have picked up on an important need and turned it into a new commodity area: Everyday Active. The idea is that they offer fitness inspired apparel in active fabrics and silhouettes that are also perfect to wear even when you are not in a downward dog. In other words, it's street active!

You will find tanks for layering, trainer jackets and yoga pants too but you'll also find print and solid skirts, pretty and detailed tops and tunics and up to the moment accessories that can take these looks from Pilates to the pick up line at school. The sales staff knew just what that means in real time: You can be comfortable and you can look pulled together at all times. What's more, if you have a few moments between volunteering and watching your kid's soccer game, you can squeeze in a quick workout without loosing time in the locker room or needing to go out of your way. You are ready for anything.

On one hand it sounds sad that we have compressed out time to the point where getting changed for every one of our personalities and activities is no longer an option, but on the other hand, the concept of always looking active is a very attractive thing in our youth obsessed and fitness wanna-be lifestyles. And Lucy has nailed the trend on both fronts.

Are you looking for ways to maximize your product line? Consider applying the 'Lucy' principle to what you do! Offer multi-purpose, convertible, layerable or otherwise changeable looks in your mix. Not sure how? Ask us how!

I was captivated by a recent Wal-mart ad that elevates and equates shopping at the mass retailer with saving the earth. A bold PR stance to say the least! At the heart of their message though, there is some truth: If we all pick wisely when we do shop, we can make a difference to the impact our consumption has on the earth. This holds true for light bulbs, cars and shoes that light up, but what about fashion?

Fashion is fickle, and there is no customer more fickle than a Wal-mart customer! So getting a cash strapped consumer to part with cash for fashion is an art form that Wal-mart has again, mastered. Love it or hate it. They have given us a new reason to buy Danskin leggings, tree hugger tees and organic cotton pajamas, even if we didn't need them!

Their message is positive, uplifting and lasting, the fashions practical, pragmatic and simple. The hook is the concept of feeling-good while shopping, something most of us don't feel when parting with money. So what can we learn from Wal-mart's latest message? Feeling good = spending money.

So how can you infuse some positive vibes into your concepts, brand or line? First off, stand for something positive. Make one of your company's mission statements be 'Do Something Good'...and mean it. This powerful stance will permeate your company's culture and the mindsets of the individuals who work for you or with you. It will also spill over into your brand's identity! Then infuse your product line with goods or services that put your money where your mouth is. So that might mean organic, sustainable, clean, equitably produced, recycled, socially aware or even goods that are returnable for charitable donation and a second life. Or if these are impossible, be caught doing good as a company: run a relay for life, help fund a school art program or donate clothes to a shelter. Then educate your point of sales people with the values that your products espouse (or be sure to label well and tell a story with any point of sale materials you can). The goal is to transmit a feeling of comfort, sharing, and general do-goodism.

While tee shirts that talk the green talk are great, consumers now are expecting a broader stance, a true position on doing good; one that they can choose to take part in or not. The fact is that the exercise of recognizing a social need that begs to be fulfilled and doing so on the part of the consumer sends a powerful message about who you are and instills a confidence in you that simple brand flash tactics just can't compete with. Wal-mart has seized the opportunity...will you?.

Here are some photos of just some of the green products available at Walmart.com under the GREEN banner:

I was buzzing around the web and I came across this poignant image of a little girl with her arm over her face. The tagline reads: Please don't dress me like a teenager. OK, so the brand in question here is Little Me, who are pros in the infant and toddler business, but this conversation is not about them, it's about a possible 'about-face' in childrenswear thinking.

For a few seasons now fashion has been progressively aging up to where we think nothing of offering teen and even adult looks to newborns! Just think about the Kingsley tees and Juicy separates for toddlers; even I would have wanted some of those looks for myself!

If you are a new brand, you can come out of the gates being whoever you want to be and creating whatever you feel fills a niche or need in the marketplace. If you are an established brand, strong trends such as 'aging up' can create a push-pull dynamic: Do I push this new look onto my existing customers or do I pull away from it?

The question becomes: How does an established brand (or license for that matter) deal with market mood swings? They dig their heels in for the long term and stick to what they know...and they choose to do that well. That means they stick to their company's core values and they resist the temptation to be someone they are not. Then they back it up by putting their money where their mouth is. They talk up their position in every aspect of their branding and on every occasion they can.

Now, is the market ready for an about face from tiny teens back to Little Me's? Like every other trend, we are bound to swing back to a more traditional look in infant's and toddler clothing. But don't count on it being a rehash of stale kids looks . Expect the after-effects of the aging-up to be reflected in tomorrow's prints, silhouettes and themes. Infant and toddler looks will be kid friendly but with a layer of intelligence that will come from having experienced aging up and from having had to cater to moms and dads who wanted to see their taste and style reflected in their children. Precious, timeless, vintage, handed down and clever will be the adjectives that consumers and trend voyeurs will be echoing next. Trends such as Grandma's Closet and Crafty are in-line with this burgeoning movement towards traditional looks with flare, and you can be sure that more of this type of look is headed your way.

How does traditional sit with your core consumer? WIll you make changes to your look to be in step with this trend? Or will you stick to what you know? Blog me back!

My newest musical hero is a Muslim, African American rapper with a Mexican name who sings about skateboarding...

I was first introduced to Lupe Fiasco by my kids, naturally. They burned a disk of 'cool' music for me for Christmas (because my favorites such as Styx and Boston are so not cool...). I immediately gravitated to one song called 'Kick-Push'. What sold me was a rap lyrical quality overlaid with intelligent music and sung by someone whose honesty and integrity just jumper out of my mac. So I did some digging on the singer and I was blown away by what was coming together on this and other tracks by the same artist.

What Lupe Fiasco represents is a new generation of musicians who really tell it like it is and who dare to uncover the dark underbelly of our drug and sex infected culture. He fuses skate with hip-hop and he grafts steamy 70's style melodies with a heavy tale of the price of 'coke' culture. He digs science magazines and calls himself a nerd. Even Jay-Z has to concede that Fiasco is a breath of fresh air. And did I mention he is a devout Muslim? Why is Lupe Fiasco the topic of my blog? Because he is the first, and hopefully not the last of his kind. He just might be THE rapper that elevates the genre and makes it acceptable to parents who until now have fought hard against the offensive lyrics and content that rap brought to our kids. And he is the poster child for FUSION. Fusion is a lifestyle trend where more than one distinct element are grafted to one another without any part of the equation losing out. He proves that one person can be many things, and all of them can be positive.

Fiasco's future is bright with his clothing line Righteous Kung Fu (think Bathing Ape) on deck and some RBK shoes to his name. He plans to show his line in Singapore and Malaysia, prefering museum type venues to typical clothing outlets. We will be wtching Fiasco closely to see where his unique message pops up next and to see how his particular 'brand' of music, advocacy, integrity and intelligence seeps into the young men's and boys market. Check out his blog at: www.righteouskungfu.blogspot.com

And see some images of Lupe Fiasco, his toys and his shoes!

Where to begin? The geniuses at Nike strike again with a line targeted to the 12-20 boarding crowd. The moniker is simple enough...It blends the name (Nike) with what could be construed as a tech-geek reference to an 'updated' version of what is (6.0). The merchandise feels like a mix of the irreverent humor of Napoleon Dynamite, geek goodies like calculator belts, anti jock references and pretty tame sportswear and shoes.

One look at the team players and you realize that pubescent kids are the target market. Nike is clearly aiming at the younger guys in the hopes of nabbing them before they head off into the pricier territory of such brands as Krew, Element and Emerica. Leveraging the Nike muscle is the deal; mom is still the one spending here so the merch has to stand up. The goods are cool enough that the kids can get turned on. Anti bad guy lingo makes them have the feel of a 'conscious' product that stands up against something bad...another coup. Anyone who caters to this market should know that the consciousness and loyalty of a 12 year old runs real deep; something Nike clearly figured out a while back. Finally, the logo is fabulous; its two inclined skateboards and the Nike swoosh create a smirking monster face; too cool.... Check out Nike 6.0 on their myspace at (get this..illvill!!!) www.myspace.com/illvill and also at Active ride shops online and at www.nike.com/nke6/