Fashion brands: branding style from Armani to Zara

Once a luxury that only the elite could afford, fashion is now accessible to everyone. High street brands such as Zara, Topshop and H&M have put garments worthy of Prada and Gucci within the reach of students' pockets. Massive media attention has turned designers such as Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney into brands in their own right. Sports brands such as Nike and Adidas have changed the image of their brands from practical sports wear to 'hip' fashion - attracting customers to their products who have no interest in sport.

How has this transformation happened? Fashion Brands explores the popularization of fashion and explains how marketers and branding experts have turned clothes and accessories into objects of desire. It examines how the use of advertising and the media has altered our fashion 'sense' and looks at how store design influences what we buy.