PURPOSE

When new garments are brought into circulation or a new fashion brand emerges, a fundamental question is presented; what purpose will these serve? How can they benefit society? and why should consumers invest their money in them? Ideally, brands should have no problem answering these questions because these answers make up brand philosophy and decipher the purpose being fulfilled.

It’s important for brands to recognize the value of their products’ potential. Clothing is multifaceted and of so much more importance to society than is often recognized. In 2012 an experiment was carried out at Northwestern University in the US to test participants’ performance on a test whilst wearing lab coats associated with different things. It turned out that participants wearing the lab coats who were told it was a doctor’s coat, performed the task with heightened attention compared to those that were told it was a painter’s coat or those just looking at the coat. (Adam & Galinsky, 2012) This kind of recognition that clothes can affect one’s performance is also demonstrated through the 2010 study which asked flight attendants to answer questions about different uniform concepts. The varied responses to each one show how things like fit and fabric can affect someone’s confidence and competence at work. (Santos et al, 2010) This may even be a factor as to why some high fashion brands have staff wear a uniform. (Woodward, 2017)

Besides contributing to the well-being of consumers, fashion also has the potential to contribute to the environment through innovative designs and creative thinking. Not only is there almost a limitless catalog of things that can be made into wearable garments, (Corner, 2014) like sportswear brand On’s new trainers made from captured carbon emissions, (Chhabra, 2022) but brands can also use ‘art thinking’ (Whitaker, 2018) in business structures to consider what they can do. An excellent example of this in practice is Tentree, a fashion brand that plants 10 trees for every item purchased. (Morgan, 2020)

With Gen Z becoming one of the largest and most profitable consumer groups, it has become critical in 2022 that retailers connect with them. Gen Z expects brands to be purpose-driven and sustainable in order to connect with them on an emotional level. According to payment solution provider Afterpay, brands succeeding at this perform better. (BOF team, 2020) In order for brands to communicate their purpose to this generation, authenticity is key. Brand purpose has to be more than just a marketing strategy or a declaration, it is an action-based statement. (Fromm, 2019)

Reference list:

Adam, H., & Galinsky, A. (2012) Enclothed cognition, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Volume 48, Issue 4. pp 918-925.

Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103112000200

(Accessed: 6 November 2022)

BOF Team (2020)  ‘How to Communicate and Connect with Gen Z Consumers’ businessoffashion.com

Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/afterpay-communicate-and-connect-with-gen-z-consumers/

(Accessed: 6^th November 2022)

Chhabra, E. (2022) ‘ Swiss Footwear Brand Develops A Running Shoe Made From Carbon Emissions’ Forbes.com

Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/eshachhabra/2022/09/26/swiss-footwear-brand-develops-a-running-shoe-made-from-carbon-emissions/?sh=524e482c4bdd

(Accessed: 1^st November 2022)

Corner, F. (2014) Why Fashion Matters. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 2

Available at: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1449157&query_desc=

(Accessed: 1^st November, 2022)

Fromm, J. (2019) ‘Gen Z And The Three Elements Of Purpose Brands’ forbes.com

Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2019/07/26/gen-z-and-the-three-elements-of-purpose-brands/?sh=4ff2562f37e3

(Accessed: 1^st November 2022)

Harrington, D. (2012) Enclothed cognition. The Situationist Staff. Thesituationist.wordpress.com

Available at: https://thesituationist.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/enclothed-cognition/

(Accessed: 6^th November)

Morgan, B. (2020) ’11 Fashion Companies Leading The Way In Sustainability’ Forbes.com

Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2020/02/24/11-fashion-companies-leading-the-way-in-sustainability/?sh=4a6910ce6dba

(Accessed: 6^th November 2022)

Santos, M. et al. (2010) Flight Attendant Uniform Concept Preference Study Using Kansei Ergonomics. International conference on kansei engineering and emotion research.

Available at: https://www.repository.utl.pt/bitstream/10400.5/5485/55/3.FLIGHT%20ATTENDANT%20UNIFORM%20CONCEPT%20PREFERENCE%20STUDY%20USING%20KANSEI%20ERGONOMICS_KEER2010.pdf

(Accessed: 6^thNovember 2022)

Tentree (nd) ‘About Tentree’

Available at: https://www.tentree.com/pages/about

(Accessed: 6^th November 2022)

Whitaker, A. (2018). ‘An interview with Amy Whitaker, speaker at Meaning 2018’ Meaningconference.co.uk

Available at: https://meaningconference.co.uk/blog/bridging-gap-between-art-business

(Accessed: 31 October 2022)

Woodward, D. (2017) ‘A brief history of the staff jacket’ dazeddigital.com

Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/35633/1/a-brief-history-of-the-staff-jacket-comme-des-garcons-margiela-labcoat-supreme#:~:text=To%20this%20day%2C%20all%20Margiela,to%20sign%20off%20all%20house

(Accessed: 6^th November 2022)