PEOPLE
‘People’ as a pillar concerns diversity and equity, regardless of characteristics such as race, sexuality and ability. The importance of such inclusion was highlighted by McKinsey & Co., who found that companies with greater gender diversity outperformed those with less representation by 48% (McKinsey, 2020, p.3).
Consumers make up demographics such as Generation Z, born between 1995-2010, and millennials (McKinsey, 2018). Gen Z is synonymous with creative self-expression and campaigning for causes they believe in, such as climate action and racial justices. They are also prominent in digital media; 50.3% of this demographic use TikTok, compared to 25.7% of millennials using the popular media app (Moran, 2022). This has led to brands adapting their strategies to now appeal to younger customers, who value sustainability and originality in everything they wear, purchase, and do, as supported by Drapers’ finding that 57.7% of Gen Z and millennial consumers believe environmental and ethical sustainability to be ‘fairly or very important’ (Moran, 2022).
One example of a brand successfully attracting Gen Z is Heaven by Marc Jacobs. ‘With prices mostly under $400’ (Biondi, 2022), Heaven is a more affordable product range than the Marc Jacobs brand itself. It is an accessible yet aspirational brand; quality and design are not compromised, in return for a range reminiscent of 90’s rave culture and maximalism. To further resonate with Gen Z, Heaven taps relevant pop culture figures for its advertising, such as Olivia Rodrigo and Steve Lacy. Their authentic approach to curating a nostalgic and eclectic image has enabled Gen Z to experiment with their looks and express their individualities in Heaven (Francis and Hoefel, 2018, p.4).
Pressure from #MeToo and TIME’S UP movements has forced other brands to embrace greater diversity. Companies such as Victoria’s Secret have faced backlash for claims of sexism and exclusivity in their branding, most notably in their Fashion Shows and ‘Angels’. Consequently, the VS Collective was conceived and is made up of plus-size, LGBT and ethnically diverse brand ambassadors. Despite the rebrand, many consumers criticised the company’s dissolution of their previously glamorous image. This led to accusations that Victoria’s Secret only reserved fashionable elements, such as the Fantasy Bra, for their monocultural marketing, thus suggesting that only slim, Caucasian women are attractive and worthy of such adornments. Victoria’s Secret exemplifies how some brands only consider front-of-house diversity without overhauling every aspect of business. Such inattentive decision-making can make consumers feel tokenised and therefore less emotionally invested in the brand and its product offer (Mitterfellner, 2019, p.141).
In order for a fashion brand to be successful, they must champion diversity and inclusivity as key business values rather than buzzwords and trends. Representation is only beneficial when minorities are portrayed in a positive and empowered light (Corner, 2014), as seen in Cartier’s Pasha Watch Campaign for example. It is vital that more diverse teams are integrated throughout all levels of business, in order to produce greater successes for the people working there, and those they represent in society.
REFERENCES:
Biondi, A. (2022) The designer of Marc Jacobs’ Heaven line is playing with pop culture. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/758d43a0-7890-48b3-9166-c2a28f4eb0f7
[Accessed 12 October 2022]
Corner, F. (2014) Why Fashion Matters. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=5878041
[Accessed 12 October]
Dolan, K., Dixon-Fyle, S., Hunt, V., Prince, S. (2020) McKinsey & Co., Diversity wins. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf
[Accessed 12 October 2022]
Francis, T., Hoefel, F. (2018) McKinsey & Co., ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Consumer%20Packaged%20Goods/Our%20Insights/True%20Gen%20Generation%20Z%20and%20its%20implications%20for%20companies/Generation-Z-and-its-implication-for-companies.pdf
[Accessed 10 October 2022]
Mitterfellner, O. (2019) Fashion Marketing and Communication: Theory and Practice Across the Fashion Industry. Available at: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1450606
[Accessed 12 October 2022]
Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022
[Accessed 10 October 2022]