People

‘People’ are one of the pillars of sustainability that are explored at LCF, and they are significant in the process of implementing sustainable practices. People are not only the designers who are creating & sourcing products/materials but they are also the consumers of these products. In order to become more sustainable, people have the social responsibility to make the conscious effort to sensibly produce and consume clothing (Hethorn, J., & Ulasewicz, C. 2015).

Gen Z are the currently the dominant consumers, accounting for 40% of global consumers (McKinsey 2019). Gen Z are focused on three things when consuming (Francis & Hoefel 2018). Firstly, they focus on access rather than possession. For instance, their main concern is the access of services and goods such as subscriptions and streaming etc. Unlimited access to these services has become a new form of consumption for this generation. The second focus point for them is individuality. Gen Z thrives off self-expression and values originality. As a result of this they consume products that they believe will establish them from the crowd e.g. the rise of personalised products and customisations. Lastly, Gen Z consumption is anchored on ethics. When investing in products, they expect their favourite brands to be ethically conscious. This includes factors such as being environmentally friendly or promoting diversity. Brands should use these 3 focal points if they want to attract Gen Z as their consumers. 

Brands can also attract the gen Z demographic by using other methods such as social media marketing. 50.3% of Gen Z use tiktok (Moran 2022), this makes it easier for brands to reach consumers. The rise of social media has made marketing simpler as many brands are using influencers to promote their products. Consumers are more likely to purchase products they’ve seen worn by online public figures as it seems more accessible for them to purchase. In 2022, it has been recorded that 60% of Gen Z buy via social media. (Moran 2022).

As Gen Z push for more representation and diversity within fashion, it is important that brands prove they are intentional with their efforts to be inclusive and create a space for everyone to feel valued. Fashion brands need this skill to be successful as for the last few decades, the fashion industry was only centred around people with Eurocentric features. Some brands have done well in showcasing diversity in their products. For example, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna has succeeded in producing products for different skin tones and responding positively to diversity. They are a clear example of how inclusivity can lead to success. 

References:

Hethorn, J., & Ulasewicz, C. (Eds.). (2015). Connecting with people on sustainable practices.

McKinsey (2019) The influence of ‘woke’ consumers of fashion

McKinsey (2019) ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies 

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022