Purpose
The final pillar regarding Fashion Business, purpose, builds the inherent foundation to any business. Who they are, what it stands for, what it aims to change. Being driven by a purpose allows a brand to “connect their purpose to consumer values and human needs” (Journal of Brand Strategy, 2017). In short, brand philosophy is the ‘preservation of ethical content, with a utilitarian root’ (Modern Business Philosophy, accessed October 2022). Brand philosophy outlines the mission, vision and value proposition set out by the founder of a business. Founder of Undercover, a fashion brand bridging the gap between streetwear and high fashion, Jun Takahashi is motivated by their motto, “We make noise, not clothes.” (Highsnobiety, 2019) The motto derives from Undercover’s nature and foundation. Takahashi drew inspiration from Vivienne Westwood and the culture surrounding punk rock. “It was natural for me to interpret music or movies that I grew up with […] So, I decided to make clothes that are not merely beautiful; I wanted to interpret culture into fashion.” (Takahashi, BoF, 2015). A visionary start to a brand allows it to grow true to itself, true to its foundations. A study conducted shows that over half (54%) of teenagers falling into Generation Z state they have ‘deliberately purchased or stopped using a brand because of its ethics’. Appealing to Gen Z morals is what brands are seeking, as they are the number one consumers, taking up a third of the population. Linking to a previous pillar, the more consumers feel that they are seen and heard by brands, the more likely they are to purchase thus creating more profit for brands. In more recent years, brands have made it their mission to be more eco-aware, following the rising spike in sustainability. American fashion brand Noah has taken a stance toward ‘the appalling practices of the fashion industry’, addressing the state of the industry on their website. Additionally, Noah stated that in 2019 they joined 1% for the Planet, ‘pledging 1% of our annual sales to a global network of grassroots environmental nonprofits’ (Noahny.com, Accessed October 2022) Reviewing the norm and adapting to the digital nature of almost everything now, brands have begun to utilise social media to convey their mission to their consumers, as seen with Noah.
Hsu, C.-K.(J. (2017) Selling products by selling brand purpose, HSTalks. Available at: https://hstalks.com/article/522/selling-products-by-selling-brand-purpose/?business (Accessed: November 3, 2022).
Golik, N.V. (no date) Modern Business Philosophy: The brand as a phenomenon of culture. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Izvekov-Arkady/publication/327540239_Modern_business_philosophy_The_brand_as_a_phenomenon_of_culture/links/5ca738b4a6fdcca26dff5d5e/Modern-business-philosophy-The-brand-as-a-phenomenon-of-culture.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed: November 3, 2022).
Foley, W.B.G (2019) How Jun Takahashi went from punk outsider to one of the world’s most influential designers, Highsnobiety. Available at: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/jun-takahashi-history/#:~:text=UNDERCOVER%20is%20driven%20by%20the,spirit%20of%20rebellion%20in%20fashion (Accessed: November 3, 2022).
Rabkin, E. (2021) Jun Takahashi, undercover’s elegant punk, The Business of Fashion. The Business of Fashion. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/jun-takahashi-undercovers-elegant-punk/ (Accessed: November 3, 2022).
Sweeney, E. (2018) Study: Majority of teens consider a brand’s ethics when making purchasing decisions, Marketing Dive. Available at: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/study-majority-of-teens-consider-a-brands-ethics-when-making-purchasing-d/531812/ (Accessed: November 4, 2022).
About Noah (no date) Noah. Available at: https://noahny.com/pages/about (Accessed: November 4, 2022).