The purpose of any fashion look book is to show off a model, a clothing line or a style, through a collection of photos. The purpose of my look book will be to promote my brand and show off my collection- Providing detail pictures of the garments and styling ideas.
Some important rules to follow are... keeping it simple. You want the outfit to be the star of the show, therefore a simple background needs to be used- one that doesn't distract you from the clothing.
The layout and collage of the photos should also be simple- too many pictures on a page will be distracting and will compete against each other. It’s more powerful and impactful to use a single photo on each page.
Example look books-
I have researched into how I should set up my look book and have started to look into other bridal labels and how they layout their look books. This will give me some indication of what is needed and what looks good. I think I will look into other evening wear look books and alternative styles so I can incorporate a bit of both into my own look book.
- Temperley London's Bridal digital look book is pretty straightforward- A single picture of each look is photographed and when you click on the image more information is provided that explains the details within the look. Prices are not shown. Front, Back and 1-2 detail pictures are provided.
-Astra Bridal is a bridal boutique that stocks bridal gowns made by brands. The picture above shows an example of a look book for one of the brands they stock. Again images are shown that give an overall look of the body and some detail. With a little text that explains the look. On this one- Fabric details are given and the colour and size its available in.
Example of front page ideas for bridal look books- Showing the name of the brand/collection- and maybe a blurb about the collection.
Look books began as print publications, but are now used by many stylists, fashion designers, and ecommerce sites to show off their collections online. Look books offer a collection of photos and/or videos used to display products. It is a rich visual experience that guides your customers through your collections. Some things to include in them are.....https://www.readz.com/create-lookbook
- A capturing Cover page: The cover page is the main attention grabber of your look book. It’s vital that the page is visually appealing and sets the tone for your look. It should feature a captivating image, the brand name, and the title and date of your collection.
- Smart navigation: Simple and intuitive navigation is essential to a positive shopping experience. Shoppers should be able to move from page to page seamlessly, without interruption. Make your navigational elements obvious and uniform throughout.
- Engaging, quality visuals: Visuals are the meat of your look book. Every photo and visual element should be professionally taken and superior in quality. Every aspect of the photo matters. Lighting, props, stage, accessories, styling, colour, clarity, etc. The most important and main purpose of a look book is to show off a product through the photo. See that the images convey a consistent theme, and are laid out in a logical way that tells your story.
-Attractive product descriptions: Get creative with your product descriptions. Craft copy that is both informative and intriguing. But keep text to a minimum. The descriptions should make sense for the collection and your brand. Your product descriptions should be 30-60 words long. For details on a look book, most retailers will try and keep as little words as possible to stray away from distractions. However, a customer should be able to know what product they’re looking at. If you would like to include words or a short description, you should try and create a narrative to follow the theme/concept of the look book. What is also helpful is naming the products. This way the product is personalised and easily remembered by the customer rather than having to memorise numbers.
Contact options: Offer shoppers multiple ways to interact with you. Display contact info, link to your social media accounts, and incorporate an email sign-up form. This is a great way to collect shopper information, which you can follow up with.
I decided I wanted a very simple but effective looking look book that focused on each body singularly and as a group- providing multiple body shots and close up detail shots. I wanted to include the RRP and the fabric compositions and give credit to the photographers, models and make-up artists.
Examples of some of my look book pages
