Zhuyu Tian

People is one of the four pillars of fashion industry. People and the fashion industry are closely linked, they support and influence each other. Fashion plays a multi-purpose role in people’s lives.People use fashion to express themselves (McKinsey 2018 ‘True Gen’) and understand the other person’s background and culture. Different age groups have different consumer behaviours, and the Gen Z is more adept at identifying and creating new fashion trends through social media.

For most fashion companies, millennials now represent a broad group of consumers. Gen Z consumers live in an age of technology and social media and are more aware of what they want and how to get it.They use social media to get inspired, research products and connect with their favourite brands. In the US, 60% of Gen Z use Instagram to discover new brands, products and services（Apptus.com.2022.Generation Z). In addition to this, Gen Z consumers are more likely to buy sustainable, high-quality products. According to a report by First Insight, 73% of Gen Z consumers are willing to pay 10% more for sustainable products.

Fashion brands should put sustainability at the forefront to appeal to Gen Z， because Gen Z consumers care deeply about the planet. In fact, three quarters of people believe sustainability is more important than brand names when it comes to buying（Rand，D，2002）.Gen Z is the first minority-majority generation, and as such their views on diversity and inclusion are markedly different from those of past generations. An example from Pew Research shows that 62% of Gen Z believe that increased diversity is good for society. Their views on diversity also extend to everyday consumption. Of the 630 Americans surveyed, nearly 80% of Gen Z believe that brands must address diversity and inclusion（Carrasco，M，2022）.Mara Hoffman founded her luxury fashion brand in 2000 and has spent the last five years incorporating sustainable and ethical approaches into her fashion business, such as using sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton and hemp, natural and low toxicity dyes and transparency in the supply chain（Perez，D，2022）. The Mara Hoffman also offers sizes from XXS all the way up to 2X (20), so that more women are no longer restricted by their body size and can access some of its great designs.

Brands are at the service of human beings. Consumers often give great input, so a key skill for fashion brands to succeed is to have an inclusive mindset, to communicate well with consumers, to take suggestions and continuously improve.

Bibliography:

2022. [online] 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 16 October 2022].

Apptus.com. 2022. Generation Z: Online Shopping Habits and Behaviour [2022]. [online] Available at: <https://www.apptus.com/blog/generation-z-online-shopping-habits/> [Accessed 15 October 2022].

Rand, D., 2022. Generation Z consumer behavior: What brands need to know. [online] The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience. Available at: <https://www.the-future-of-commerce.com/2022/07/04/generation-z-consumer-behavior-what-brands-need-to-know/> [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Carrasco, M., 2022. Council Post: Gen Z: Brands Need To Prioritize DEI And Gender Liberation. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/03/01/gen-z-brands-need-to-prioritize-dei-and-gender-liberation/?sh=5676004674ab> [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Perez, D., 2022. 8 Ethical Fashion Brands Celebrating Diversity, Inclusivity and Body Positivity. [online] Eco Warrior Princess. Available at: <https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2019/03/8-ethical-fashion-brands-diversity-inclusivity-body-positivity/> [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Sustainability basically refers to the capacity to use resources in a way that meets the requirements of the present without interfering with the ability of future generations to satisfy their own needs. Humanity is very important to the earth because it is where it depends for survival and development. The growth of the fashion business not only depends on the environment, but also significantly affects it. Organizational Finance Institute 2022 One of the four pillars of sustainable development, along with people, purpose, and profit, is the planet. A production and consumption paradigm known as the “circular economy” emphasises sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling old goods for as long as possible. As a result, product lifespans are prolonged. In actuality, this implies that waste is minimised. The materials of a product will be preserved as economically as feasible once it has reached the end of its useful life. These can be successfully applied repeatedly, adding value. (2022, European Parliament) The circular economy’s main principles are shared by the fashion industry, where apparel is created to be restorative and regenerative in order to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. The value of using fabrics, clothing, and fibres is maximised in such a system, and after usage, they are immediately put back into the cycle, never to be wasted. An appealing illustration of a system in which the fashion industry uses the circular economy is the “new textile economy.” (2022, MacArthur E.

Only the oil business produces more pollution globally than the fashion industry. The harm that the fashion industry contributes to the environment increases as it develops. Given that it plays a significant role in climate change, the fashion industry needs to be held accountable for adopting more sustainable practises. To use an illustration: The apparel industry is responsible for 20% of all industrial wastewater contamination worldwide (Drew D, 2022) 10% of human carbon emissions come from the creation of clothing, which pollutes rivers and streams and depletes water supplies. Additionally, 85% of textiles are disposed of in landfills annually, and some materials leak significant amounts of microplastic into the oceans (UNECE, 2018). As a result, a move toward a more sustainable fashion business might have a profoundly good effect on both people and the environment. Fashion has made use of climate action An American firm called Patagonia makes outdoor gear. In its most recent apparel collection, the brand uses 87% recycled materials, and all of the cotton is 100% organically farmed. Patagonia’s Fair Trade programme employs over 64,000 people, and the company doesn’t participate in quick fashion; instead, it produces enduring designs and goods. (2022; Patagonia.com)

The fashion business emits over 2.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, or about 4% of all emissions, which contributes to climate change. Fashion’s effect on the climate issue is related to water, chemicals, deforestation, textile waste, microplastics, and other factors in addition to carbon emissions. (Gwilt, 2020) Given that warming is anticipated to have an impact on the supply of requirements like fresh water, food security, and energy, there is a clear connection between climate change and sustainable development. One of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, Sustainable Development Goal 13 focuses on climate action.

Given the social and environmental effects of the climate catastrophe and its enormous impact on the world, environmental data gathering is a critical concern for the global fashion business and is routine practise in many sectors. The supply chain for the fashion industry as a whole needs to be more forthright and upfront about the effects of unsustainable production and consumption on the environment.

Reference:

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Drew, D. and Yehounme, G., 2022. The Apparel Industry’s Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics. [online]World Resources Institute. Available at: <https://www.wri.org/insights/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

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Patagonia[online] Available at：<https://www.patagonia.com/our-responsibility-programs.html> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

Gwilt，A.(2020).A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London:Fairchild Books(e-book).

Fashion Revolution. 2022. ACTION REQUIRED: 10 Global Goals That Will Change Fashion – Fashion Revolution. [online] Available at: <https://www.fashionrevolution.org/zine-6-action-required/> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

Lemaire was founded in 1995 by designers Christophe Lemaire and Sarah- Linh Tran. Its founder, Christophe Lemaire, was formerly the creative director of Hermès and focuses on minimalist design.
Born in France in 1965, Lemaire has been described as a philosopher of fashion who specialises in combining tradition with understatement, elegance and practicality are Lemaire’s hallmarks. The brand focuses on low-saturation colours such as khaki, white, black, grey or straw, simplifying the design to reflect Lemaire’s minimalist sensibility. Christophe Lemaire once said, “Find the clothes that suit you best, that are comfortable, confident, sexy, good-looking, happy, and then hang them up like old friends.” This makes me think that clothes can be truly practical and not be wasted, and that you will definitely find a piece of your own at Lemaire.
In terms of garment construction, the Lemaire silhouette is simple but layered, and this is where the details appeal to me. Layering clothes with different functions gives the impression of being sometimes light and sometimes wrapped, which makes me think that being spontaneous is truly free.