We love it when people say what they mean and mean what they say.  That’s why we enjoy freelance communications consultant/blogger Nathan Branch’s blog, which focuses on fashion and luxury, because “looking good is a trillion dollar industry.” Last week, I took the opportunity to talk with Nathan Branch about what makes him, and his insightful blog, worth publishing.

FMM: Let’s start with the question everyone asks, tell me about yourself? How did you get involved in retail; what’s your background?

Nathan Branch (NB): I grew up in a family of retailers. We had a multi-generational family department store in a rural town in Michigan where they stocked almost everything a small-town family could want: kitchen items, perfumes and cosmetics, women’s and children’s clothing, furniture and home accessories, linens and bath towels, etc.

The store was founded in 1877 and finally shut its doors in 1986, no longer able to compete against big box retailers and large shopping malls. Both my parents worked at the store, plus the majority of my aunts, uncles and cousins – I worked there myself from the age of fourteen through my first year of college, so I was raised in an environment where retail shop-talk occurred regularly around the dinner table, as well as being the topic of conversation at any holiday get-together.

Watching the family department store change from the bustling glory days of my childhood (where it was always packed with customers and was considered one of the best places to shop in the city) to the sad, empty-aisled ghost-store it became in the 1980’s was a first-hand look at how market forces beyond one’s control (in this instance, the explosion of new, convenient shopping malls and discount retailers which followed hot on the heels of the difficult stagflation economy of the 1970’s) can throw a wrench into any company’s best-laid plans.

FMM: I’ve read your unique approach to fashion news for over a year now. When I read your recaps and postings, at times I feel like I’m walking through your mind, other times like I’m voyeuristically looking in on a forbidden industry. What’s your method when composing these?

NB: First off, thank you for being a reader. I appreciate my readers, and am gratified that they consider what I’m doing to be unique. Interacting with readers in the comment section of my site (on Twitter and Facebook, too) is truly a pleasure.

But regarding my approach — it starts off with lots and lots (and lots) of web surfing. I have a Google Alerts folder that flows over with thousands of emails a week, I follow brands and fashion critics on Twitter and Facebook, I have a bookmarked list of fashion and luxury news sites, and I have a loyal group of email pals that send me links to articles they think I might find of interest.

So I basically binge read, and then zero-in on a topic when I start to see a pattern emerge. But my biggest concern is that the material presents a broader picture of the fashion industry rather than just who’s wearing what or which famous person is starring in so-and-so’s next ad campaign.

There’s an enormous amount of activity behind the scenes in the fashion, luxury and beauty industries, and these are multi upon multi-billion dollar industries that spread across the globe, so the ups and downs of the industry mirror the roller-coaster ride of the global economy as a whole.

Besides which, the cold, calculated salesmanship of dreams and fantasies fascinates me, and I figured that there must be a lot more people out there who would find it as interesting to read about as I do – but they only have time in their busy lives for the condensed version, thank you very much. So, voila! I oblige.

FMM: What got you started writing your blog in the manner you do, other than a passion for the luxury industry?

NB: I’d been casually following the business and finance aspect of the luxury industry for years, reading newspaper articles and magazine interviews about and with CEO’s and designers, but that was all during the rah-rah bling-bling years when designers could toss a bucket of sequins at a runway and suddenly they were the next big thing.

Then the cracks appeared in the global economy, the ground started to shake under every CEO’s feet and I quickly realized that this was going to be a very special time in the history of retail and manufacturing, that the luxury and fashion world had weathered recession and economic depression before, but never when manufacturing and distribution systems had been this globally far-flung and yet so tightly interwoven and interdependent.

Many brands and suppliers aren’t going to survive the present shakeup, though they’ll all certainly try their best.  When you have only 6% of consumers responsible for 70% of all luxury sales, the scramble for that very small demographic is going to get intense, if even somewhat hostile (the present LVMH and Hermes scuffle, for instance). I especially wanted to track and talk about that particular side of the story.

FMM:  Why did you add pictures of Sprinkles Cupcakes to your latest blog post?

NB: Well, that was kind of my own inside joke — mostly because the blog post is a back and forth email conversation between myself and fragrance video-blogger Katie Puckrik.  The conversation centers around my search for a rich, sweet, decadent perfume, so I used the Sprinkles cupcakes photo to differentiate the emails that were mine from Katie’s, while also reinforcing the idea of the Sugar quest.

FMM: What are three marketing trends that you predict gaining momentum in 2011?

NB: Great, you want me to play marketing psychic. Just don’t quote me on any of this at the end of 2011, okay? Unless I’m spot-on about any or all of them, in which case, quote away!

Low-Wattage Celebrity (or The Compact-Fluorescents of Endorsement): I would expect to see a wider pool of celebrity endorsements, stretching the traditional definition of “celebrity” to include bloggers, YouTube sensations and even locally/regionally popular personalities for more targeted ad campaigns. This already started in 2010, but as more and more brands and retailers are establishing a greater presence on a wider geographical sprawl (online included), this means the one size (or one celebrity) fits all marketing approach won’t be as effective a tool anymore. Besides, a savvy brand could likely afford one thousand Jane Aldridge equivalents for the price of one Uma Thurman, and that’s what I’d call a value purchase.

Baby Boomer Models: Tom Ford just styled a jewelry advertising spread for French Vogue that featured senior citizen models in the throes of passion. I expect we’ll see a lot more of this, as a good chunk of the wealth in the world is controlled by the middle-aged demographic and a lot of brands will come to recognize the wisdom in directly appealing to this age group. Along that same line, we might see a wave of older models hit the high-fashion catwalks and print ads in 2011. Not just the sprinkling we saw in 2010, but a full-on wave.

House Parties: Remember Avon and Tupperware parties? Yeah, neither do I, but I’ve read about them and think that the whole social-network house party method of introducing consumers to new products within the comfort of a trusted friend’s home might just be poised for a comeback. But I’m not talking multi-level marketing schemes – instead, we could see a widespread use of local taste-makers to introduce new brands and products into their established social circles.

Think MAC sponsored slumber-parties at the prom queen’s pad, or an Armani Beauty rep co-hosting a wine and cheese spread at a community bigwig’s home, complete with a buffet of products for all the invitees to test and little gift bags on the way out the door. No pressure to buy, just a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere to encourage product testing and shoptalk. Nothing woos new customers like a pressure-free charm offensive.

FMM: What is one marketing trend you detest?

NB: Celebrity perfumes. The vast majority of them are cheap and awful, which makes the whole endeavor a hideously cynical exploitation of a fan’s genuine sense of goodwill toward his/her favorite star, performer, debutante, whatever. There are exceptions, as always. Etat Libre d’Orange “Like This” is a celebrity fragrance (Tilda Swinton, in this case) that’s arty, unusual and high quality. If all celebrity perfumes were as high quality and creative, I’d happily climb aboard the celebuscent train in a second.

FMM: Now tell me three things you’ve never answered in an interview: Tell me about two situations related to fashion (you may change names to protect privacy) and something totally random.

NB: I’m usually the interviewer instead of the interviewee, so this leaves the answer field wide open! But okay, here goes:

Fashion Situation #1: My mom wore Pendleton suits when I was a child (in bitterly cold Michigan winters), so I have a nostalgic fondness for the Pendleton label and am ridiculously thrilled with its recent resurgence in popularity.

Fashion Situation #2: I worked briefly as a sales assistant at a boutique men’s clothing store in Michigan. The owner sent me to Chicago as an “intern” on a Fall Season buying trip with one of the managers, and it was then that I got a taste of how difficult it can be to predict consumer wants, tastes and/or needs.

We ended up placing orders for what both of us hoped would be a stock of interesting, trendy merchandise that would help the store compete with its mall counterparts, yet the merchandise we brought in didn’t satisfy the shop’s already existing customers, and the store was too small and niche to successfully rope in a gaggle of new ones.  Talk about an eye-opening experience.

I still suffer twinges of pain when I walk into stores that have big “Sale” signs posted everywhere — I personally know the frustration and second-guessing behind those racks of unsold merchandise.

Something totally random: The Jurong Bird Park in Singapore is one of the saddest places on Earth.