Nicholas Figueroa

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Nicholas Figueroa ⋅ 2nd November 2022

The fourth pillar discussed in the fashion business is the purpose. The purpose is the notion of what a brand intends to provide its customers emotionally; this is what develops a company’s distinct audience through its uniqueness and long-term growth direction. Since the increase of Gen Z customers, companies that exhibit a strong concept and put it into action to create a difference in today’s society are favoured above brands that do not purpose ideas to help make a change.

Figure 1: Aziz. A, (2020). Forbes: The Power Of Purpose

The most crucial aspect is a brand’s philosophy, since if a brand can set its long-term vision from the beginning, the brand will follow through on that aim and make it the only purpose of the firm. This assists a brand in avoiding the trap of focusing just on profit while maintaining the primary aim in mind for the duration of its life. Nudie Jeans is an outstanding example of this because they specialise in high-quality jeans as well as environmentally conscious repair and cleaning services which aim to increase the product life(Gwilt. A, 2020).

It is critical to recognise that Nudie Jeans tries to encourage its customers to be environmentally conscious by giving discounts if they return their jeans after they have worn them out, which are then sold through their pre-loved program.

This links directly to the idea of brands sharing an economy with their consumers, this could lead to many sustainable benefits as they allow consumers to obtain clothes through renting, swapping and different methods of obtaining pre-owned products. Not only does it align with today’s fashion industry narrative of sustainability, but it also keeps more revenue and sales going back because the products will end up back with the same brand from whom they were purchased, allowing them to have more pre-owned items to offer.

Nudie Jeans, (2012) Introduction to reuse program.

A brand can no longer ignore the fact that Gen Z will have to become the target audience for many due to their increase in influence amongst the general population and the future of spending within various industries. This is in light of a large number of factors, one being the rise in social media usage and the acknowledgement of Gen Z on social and environmental issues present in today’s society (McKinsey, 2018).

There are numerous ways for a brand to communicate with its target audience but as Meyer. E, a Forbes council member, mentioned, one of them is the art of emotionally connecting with its consumers through storytelling by utilising its brand mission and vision to communicate its social or environmental goals (Meyer. E, 2018). EarthWeb reports that 62% of Generation Z social media users claim to use Instagram every day, it is apparent that brands should embrace the social media strategy when conveying their brand’s mission and vision through storytelling (Wise. J, 2022).

Reference list:

Figure 1: Aziz. A, (2020). Forbes: The Power Of Purpose: The 7 Elements Of A Great Purpose Statement (Part 2)

Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2020/02/18/the-power-of-purpose-the-7-elements-of-a-great-purpose-statement-paet-2/?sh=73447f0641b7

(Assessed, 30 October 2022)

Gwilt. A (2020) A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion, Bloomsbury Publishing

Available at: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=6234061

(Assessed, 30 October 2022)

Figure 2: Nudie Jeans, (2012) Introduction to reuse program.

Available at: https://www.nudiejeans.com/we-want-your-jeans-back/

(Assessed, 30 October 2022)

McKinsey (2018). ‘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, 30 October 2022).

Meyer. E, (2018). Forbes: How To Connect With Your Audience And Authentically Communicate Your Brand.

Available at:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/08/06/how-to-connect-with-your-audience-and-authentically-communicate-your-brand/?sh=1af30fcb7393

(Accessed, 30 October 2022).

Wise. J, (2022). Gen Z Social Media Usage Statistics 2022: The latest trends, Facts & Data, EarthWeb. Jason wise.

Available at: https://earthweb.com/gen-z-social-media-usage-statistics/

(Accessed, October 30 2022).

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Profit

Nicholas Figueroa ⋅ 30th October 2022

The four business pillars that are examined in the fashion industry are strengthened by “profit.” We can assume that a company’s main objective is to turn a profit, but as Gen z’s concern for the environment and social issues has grown over time, the fashion industry has had to change and adhere to these crucial factors in addition to its focus on profit in order to create a socially and environmentally developed fashion industry.

Fashion plays an enormous role in the economy due to the fact that everyone wears clothes, this leads to the fashion industry being regarded as “one of the world’s most important industries” which is said to drive a significant portion of the global economy (Mckinesy, 2017). The worldwide fashion market generated roughly 1.5 trillion US dollars in sales in 2021 and it said that it will rise to approximately 2 trillion dollars by 2026 (Statista, 2022).

It is also important to understand that with such large numbers that the fashion industry produces, it’s all thanks to clothes manufacturing. The apparel manufacturing sector holds the fifth-highest employment position internationally, according to IBISWorld (IBISWorld, 2022). An example of this would be Vietnam, The textile sector in the nation employs 3 million people, making it one of the major industries in its economic growth. The sector contributes 16% of the nation’s total GDP and employs nearly 5% of the labour force overall and around 12% of the industrial workers (Marshall, 2022).

Figure 2: Vietnam textile factory. “Vietnam’s Textile & Apparel is giving a great momentum at their economy and at the life of people” (Akter. A, 2018)

Covid was a crucial event for companies to learn how to stay competitive in unpredictable economic times. Figure 3 shows, for example, a rise in the number of individuals who purchase online more than before the epidemic and a drop in the number of people who buy less online than before. This helps brand owners recognise that they must stay up with demand and ensure that their businesses can compete with other brands that specialise in selling online.

Figure 3: Statista, (2021). Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-related percentage shift in internet transactions from March 2020 to February 2021 in the United Kingdom.

Creative directors over the years have lost acknowledgement for their creative works, this is due to the ignoramus influx of marketing that has taken over the fashion industry over the last couple of years. This is a result of social media’s rapid growth and the new fashion industry consumers’ reliance on it. In light of this, creative directors need to devise strategies for expanding their access to the fashion industry’s commercial market. Creative directors like JWadernson working with Uniqlo are a brilliant example of this. JWadernson is a luxury fashion label that emphasises the use of vibrant colours to allow people to express themselves, whereas Uniqlo caters to the general public by curating essential pieces to be more affordable and comfortable. Through this partnership, JWanderson was able to reach a wider segment of the fashion-related commerce industry, which helped him stay competitive and get more exposure.

Reference list:

Figure 1: Kent. S, (2020)

Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/responsible-fashion-business-sustainability-planet-future/

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

Amed, I. (2016) The State of Fashion 2017, McKinsey & Co.

Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Retail/Our%20Insights/The%20state%20of%20fashion/The-state-of-fashion-2017-McK-BoF-report.pdf

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

Smith.P, (2022) Global apparel market, Statista.

Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/apparel-market-worldwide/#topicHeader__wrapper

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

IBISWorld, (2022) Global Biggest Industries by Employment in 2022

Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com/global/industry-trends/biggest-industries-by-employment/

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

Marshall.D, (2022) Immago textile industry in Vietnam, Immago.

Available at: https://immago.com/immago-textile-industry-vietnam/

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

Figure 2: Akter. A, (2018) Figure 2

Available at: https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/vietnamese-textile-apparel-industry-moving-towards-us50-billion-2020/

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

Figure 3: Percentage change in online purchases due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United Kingdom from March 2020 to February 2021. Statista, (2021)

Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1230225/changes-in-online-buying-among-uk-consumers-since-covid-19/

[Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

Figure 4: Uniqlo, (2022)Available at: https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/contents/collaboration/jwanderson/22fw/ [Accessed Oct 28, 2022].

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People

Nicholas Figueroa ⋅ 16th October 2022

In terms of the fashion industry, the ‘People’ pillar taught by Fashion business alludes to the foundation of the industry as without consumers, there would be no industry. Consumers/ ‘people’ produce trends, which enable businesses to forecast the future direction and form of the fashion industry. ‘People’ represent themselves through fashion, whether it is to display uniqueness or to convey their values and views (Mckinsey, 2018).

Figure 1: (Drapers, 2022) – In the next 12 months, will shop online for clothes, accessories and shoes…

The youngest generation, generation Z born within the years 1997- 2010 has been the most knowledgeable generation to date about the value of diversity and sustainability (Meola, 2022). Gen Z has, for instance, taken matters into their own hands, as 46.8% of them appear to stop buying from brands that don’t promote diversity or sustainability (Drapers, 2022). This gives brands valuable data on what they should be doing to grasp the attention of Gen Z which is to be more inclusive and acknowledge the needs to be more sustainable.

Figure 2: (Gucci, 2018) – Milan fashion week Gucci runway.

There are two different ways that brands tend to approach inclusivity the first one being more problematic due to the fact that it gears towards culture appropriation, an example of this would be Gucci’s “Indy full turban”, This sparked controversy on social media and was perceived as disrespect to Sikhism. The turban is regarded as a religious article by practising Sihks, and Gucci made the decision to make money off of it by charging $790 for it (Ilichi, 2019). Conversely, companies like ASOS received more good press on social media for their efforts to promote change by correctly catering to Gen Z’s requirements. In 2010, ASOS debuted their plus-size selection and “In the 42 weeks to January 17 sales at Asos grew 38%, with UK sales growing 25% year-on-year and its burgeoning international business up 102%.” This supports the data that Gen Z is more likely to buy products from companies who change their brand to be more inclusive(Drapers, 2010).

Figure 3: (ASOS, 2017) – Introduction to plus and tall size clothing range for men.

In order to succeed and appeal to the Gen Z generation, brands must be able to satisfy numerous requirements: Being inclusive is essential, being conscious of how important differences in appearance and recognition of cultures are for creating loyal consumers. However companies should also make sure that every aspect of their online presence is optimised for the greatest possible user experience. This is due to the fact that 31.3% of Gen Z customers would continue to purchase online and 35.9% would increase their online shopping compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic (Drapers, 2022), which goes to show how important a social media/online presence is to Gen Z.

Reference list:

Francis & Hoefel ,2018. ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey&Company.

[Accessed Oct 15, 2022].

Meola, 2022. Generation Z News: Latest characteristics, research, and facts.

Available at: https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/generation-z-facts/

[Accessed Oct 15, 2022].

Drapers, 2022. Gen Z and Millennials 2022.

Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022

[Accessed Oct 15, 2022].

Ilichi, 2019. Gucci Accused of Cultural Appropriation Over ‘Indy Turban’.

Available at: https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/gucci-indy-turban-cultural-appropriation-backlash-1203132880/

[Accessed Oct 15, 2022].

Drapers, 2010. Asos launches plus-size range.

Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/topics/digital-and-tech/asos-launches-plus-size-range

[Accessed Oct 15, 2022].

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Planet

Nicholas Figueroa ⋅ 9th October 2022

The idea of ‘Planet’ refers to the four pillars which are studied in the London College Of Fashion, it shows the importance of sustainability regarding our environment and resources in order for all habitants to experience a better life in the future. As we know “Fashion certainly ranks among the world’s dirtiest sectors” (Kent, 2019) for that reason the four pillars concept was developed to help organisations and consumers recognise the extent of the harm we are causing.

Figure 1: Contaminated river in China – “unrelenting discharge of untreated wastewater from the dyes, heavy metals and other toxicants of surrounding clothes factories.” (MacDermott, 2019)

The concept of a circular economy, which businesses might embrace to produce less waste, is centred on making products more environmentally friendly while also prolonging the product life cycle. Following the five R’s—refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and then recycle—is a great approach for businesses and consumers to uphold a circular economy. Landfill trash will be reduced by incorporating this technique into company waste reduction and recycling initiatives (Bell, 2020). Unfortunately, prior to the idea of a circular economy, currently we ‘take, make, dispose’. Natural resources from the earth are used as raw materials to make products that are sold, and after those products are used, we discard them, which results in a large number of landfills. The idea of a circular economy allows us to understand what we are doing wrong and follow a simple step by step process (Taylor, 2020)

Figure 2: Circular Economy within Fashion, (Lablaco circular fashion report, Vogue Business, 2020)

Sustainability in regards to fashion is a broad term used to describe processes taken to make products and participants aim for a carbon-neutral fashion sector without compromising animal welfare and social justice (Alves, 2022). Levis is an example of a fashion business using sustainable practices as they took the initiative to look for different solutions to counter conventional cotton issues, for example they are using organic cotton instead to greatly reduce the harmful pesticides and fertilisers which have been proven to cause harm to humans in many different ways, from wearing to the washing process.(Levis Sustainability report – sustainable fibres, 2021)

Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are outlined by the United Nations, with the fourteenth goal, “Life Below Water,” being one of them. The world’s waterways are heavily impacted by the fashion industry’s pollution. This is detrimental to both sea life and the people who rely on rivers for their everyday needs. Additionally, research shows that washing synthetic fibres contributes to about 35% of the microplastics dumped into the ocean. (Bannigan & Donnelly, 2021). As a result of the United Nations boosting awareness of Life Below Water, the fashion industry has fortunately taken the matter into consideration and is currently looking at ways to reduce the damage being done to the ocean by synthetic materials, processes like laser cutting, material coatings, and fabric pre-washing can be employed to decrease the release of microfibers over the course of the garment’s lifetime.