Yuqi Cheng

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Purpose

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The fourth pillar of the fashion business is the purpose, and the main content of this pillar is wellbeing, which has six types: emotional, physical, financial, social, and subjective. Wellbeing is subjective and objective but also universally relevant. Human wellbeing is influenced by environmental factors and some experiences. Economic, health, education, etc. can affect our wellbeing. Happiness is also a way of knowing ourselves, for example, how we feel about ourselves; the quality of our relationships with others; and our sense of purpose. These psychological components are an essential part of who we are as people, including how we feel about negative and positive emotions. Simply put, happiness is about “how well we are doing” as individuals, communities and nations, and the sustainability of this for the future. Personal happiness is a significant level of satisfaction that we can define as our feelings about the value of what we do in life or the emotional experience we have every day (What Works Wellbeing, 2022). The two main pathways to wellbeing are hedonic wellbeing and eudaimonic wellbeing. Hedonic wellbeing is usually assessed by overall satisfaction with life. Subjective well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, and positive and negative effects are all examples of hedonism. Eudaimonic wellbeing is seeking and developing good relationships and shaping one’s surroundings to meet personal needs and desires (Ryff, Boylan and Kirsch, pp. 1-9)

(whartonhealthcare.org)

Wellbeing in the Fashion Industry for people, our appearance reflects how we want the world to see us, where we feel comfortable, and how we see ourselves. For example, people who wear white lab coat is seen as authority figure. Appearance plays an important role in people’s judgment of others. What customers think of store associates and how they perceive the products they buy because of their appearance is an important part of the customer experience and is a subconscious experience (Shaw, 2013)

(William Turner Lab Coat, White)

Every fashion company wants its customers to have a perfect shopping experience, so it is very important for companies to have a brand philosophy. This will help the company to achieve its future goals and let the customers know what the company is about. An important component of building a successful fashion brand is the vision statement. The vision statement is a description of what the company wants to achieve and how it wants to achieve it, as well as a description of the brand’s place in the world. It is also important for a brand to communicate why it exists and what it wants to achieve, as research shows that young consumers are now more concerned with the company’s vision than the products it sells. When a company has a very clear mission statement, it is very beneficial for the company to establish ethics and guidelines. If the company’s guidelines are not followed, others in the company may make choices that are different from the company’s goals. The company value reflects what the employee stands for, which is a sense of responsibility. Good values can help employees make the right decisions, and getting employees to make the right choices is all about setting the right company values. Brand proposition, also known as brand statement, is a statement about fashion company that shows the benefits of using a brand to consumers of the brand. Brand proposition can also connect with target audience groups, attract potential customers and build market interest (Heinilä, 2022)

（Heinilä, 2022)

Generation Z is unlike any other generation in that they are more socially conscious and socially responsible. generation z is the generation living in the digital age, they are diverse and the most educated generation. At the same time this generation avoids labeling themselves, they are very tolerant and take time to consider all their options before deciding to buy a product. Brands wanting to communicate their goals to Gen Z will need to employ a number of approaches. First, emphasize eye-catching visual content. Since Gen Zers are particularly fond of short videos, company marketers should incorporate visual platforms into their strategy, like Shake and Instagram stories. Secondly, brands need to create interactive content that allows them to better understand what they want and how to improve on their original shortcomings. The interactive content also helps customers make better shopping decisions and helps shoppers identify the style that matches their personality.

(Sprout Social, 2021)

Consumers have high expectations for brands to take a stand on social issues. It is prominent among Gen Z consumers, who believe that brands are meant to serve their communities and society. From championing diversity to raising awareness of social issues, brands need to put their beliefs and values in the public eye (Kim, 2021)

（Burton Snowboards, 2021)

Reference:

What Works Wellbeing (2022) What is Wellbeing? Available at: https://whatworkswellbeing.org/about-wellbeing/what-is-wellbeing/ [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Ryff, C. D., Boylan, J. M., and Kirsch, J. A. (27 October 2022) Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-Being. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/book/39523/chapter/339347669 (pp. 1-9) [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Fig 1, whartonhealthcare.org (2022) The Happiness Trend – A Healthy Pursuit or an Obsessive Quest? – Part 2. Available at: https://www.whartonhealthcare.org/the_happiness_trend_a_healthy_pursuit_or_an_obsessive_quest_2 [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Shaw, C. (October 14, 2013) DRESS FOR SUCCESS: THE WHITE LAB COAT EFFECT AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE. Available at: https://beyondphilosophy.com/dress-success-white-lab-coat-effect-subconscious-experience/ [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Heinilä, R., (2022) Company Values: Definition, Importance and Examples. Available at: https://haiilo.com/blog/the-importance-of-company-values/ [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Kim, k., (July 27, 2021) How to make sure you’re marketing to Gen Z the right way. Available at: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/marketing-to-gen-z/ [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Fig 2, Sprout Social (2021) Available at: https://twitter.com/SproutSocial/status/1409985913413844995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1409985913413844995%7Ctwgr%5Ec843d687a8420df628b92f475ac9dc14512a2e53%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsproutsocial.com%2Finsights%2Fmarketing-to-gen-z%2F [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

Fig 3, Burton Snowboards (2021) Available at: https://twitter.com/burtonsnowboard/status/1409587408379650064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1409587408379650064%7Ctwgr%5Ec843d687a8420df628b92f475ac9dc14512a2e53%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsproutsocial.com%2Finsights%2Fmarketing-to-gen-z%2F [Accessed: 27/10/2022]

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Profit

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This pillar is an important concern for every business. At the same time, a business must make profits in a way that takes the last two pillars into account. A business needs to be consistent in making a profit, but it is not encouraged to make a profit at all costs. This pillar appears under corporate governance under the economic, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. Good corporate governance practices encourage alignment of interests between a company’s shareholders, board of directors and management team. Such an approach gives consumers or investors confidence that the company’s systems are transparent and efficient. Companies should avoid engaging in illegal practices that harm society and the environment. It should also resolve conflicts of interest between stakeholders in a fair and transparent manner (Colson, 2022)

（fashionunited.com）

The largest retail markets in the world are China, the US, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. The US accounts for 24.67% of the total global economy, China has a share of 17.39%, Japan a share of 5.97%, Germany a share of 4.54% and the UK makes up 3.26%. China and the United States are the two largest apparel trading countries. China is the number one exporter of clothing, while the United States is second largest importer. According to Euromonitor and McKinsey, the fashion industry was $1.7 trillion and $2.5 trillion before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic was affected the fashion industry. Global apparel and footwear market size shrunks by 18.1% in 2020, according to Euromonitor. And McKinsey states that the fashion industry suffered a 20% decline in revenue in 2019-2020 (fashionunited.com）

（fashionunited.com）
（Posner, 2011)

The fashion market is segmented into specific divisions, so the company is able to better analyze market data and monitor business results more effectively. This chart gives the main markets and product sectors in which it is available, such as women’s wear, men’s wear, children’s wear and accessories (Posner, 2011, p. 10) But the key sectors of the industry of fashion designing are the production of textiles, designing of textiles, fashion designing and manufacturing, fashion marketing and media. In the textile industry, a large number of manufacturers produce different types of fabrics for the fashion industry. Natural fibres including wool, cotton, silk and linen are widely used in the fashion industry. Nowadays the whole of humanity is concerned about sustainability and eco-friendly textiles are very popular in the fashion industry. There are different design methods for different types of textiles. For example, textiles are coloured with a variety of fabric paints and pigments. With the addition of colour, many textiles are decorated or designed into creative embroideries and patterned paintings. The process of fashion marketing is simply managing the flow of merchandise from the initial design and selection for production to presenting the product to the retail customer in order to maximize the company’s sales and profits. Successful fashion marketing depends entirely on understanding the needs, choices and desires of customers and providing them with products that meet their needs. Finally, the media is a very good platform to promote and market the fashion brand in a way that gives it more visibility (Kumar, 2022)

(McKinsey & Company, 2022)

The fashion industry is dealing with new constraints, such as the impact of Covid-19 and economic transformation, and companies must introduce new innovative models and value strategies to meet the challenges of future business models. “Don’t let innovation stop, because this could be the window of opportunity,” retail futurist Doug Stephens cautioned in March 2020. “Use this time to reinvent how you do what you do, bring consumers new alternatives, new value, and in the process even reinvent your own brand.” Successful fashion companies will embrace new technologies over the long term, starting with their operating models and recruitment strategies. Companies should recruit more talent across geographies, seek out top talent internationally, and set up teams away from headquarters to attract talent. Fashion brands also need to operate flexibly throughout the value chain, adapting quickly to consumer trends and needs. For example, designers and salespeople should make decisions quickly and guide brands toward a demand-driven model through 3D technology, virtual sampling and artificial intelligence. Production-side, successful contingency plans were implemented during the outbreak-such as shifting production to Turkey when mainland China was under embargo-to increase supply chain flexibility and better prepare for future shocks. Brands should also innovate their products by integrating emerging consumer trends. For example, Chinese brand Cosmo Lady developed an antibacterial intimate wear line that capitalises on a niche product concept, a move that drove its share price up 21 percent (McKinsey & Company, 2022, pp. 32-34). The challenge in the future will be how to use the power of social media to do good: put consumer pressure on enterprises to eliminate their impact on society and the environment, put pressure on governments to enact better laws to protect workers and the environment, and let consumers buy less rather than more (Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2015).

For some enterprises, the boundary between business and creativity is blurred, which can help them enter a new height. For example, Coca-Cola often defines itself as art itself; The recent cooperation with Kath has proved their unique attraction. The introduction of art into the business portfolio can enhance the stock of any brand.“Increasingly, companies are noted by rating agencies or investment analysts on elements beyond P&L: social responsibility, ethics, sustainability,” says Vadim Grigorian. To some extent, anything related to art and culture is assimilated with commerce. BMW’s art car project began in 1975, when Herv é Poulain, a French racing driver and auctioneer, commissioned American artist and friend Alexander Calder to draw the first BMW art car （Davidson, 2022)

Reference:

Colson, D. (2 February 2022). The Three Pillars of Sustainability: Economic, Social And Environment. Available at: https://www.transformationholdings.com/corporate-sustainability/3-pillars-sustainability/ [Accessed: 20/10/2022]

fashionunited.com (2022). Global Fashion Industry Statistics. Available at: https://fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics [Accessed: 20/10/2022]

Posner, H. (2011). Marketing Fashion. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=1876102 [Accessed: 21/10/2022]

Kumar, M. (MAY 20, 2022). FASHION INDUSTRY AND ITS KEY SECTORS. Available at: https://www.techpublishnow.com/fashion-industry-and-its-key-sectors/ [Accessed: 21/10/2022]

McKinsey & Company (2020). The State of Fashion 2020 Coronavirus Update. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Retail/Our%20Insights/Its%20time%20to%20rewire%20the%20fashion%20system%20State%20of%20Fashion%20coronavirus%20update/The-State-of-Fashion-2020-Coronavirus-Update-final.pdf [Accessed: 22/10/2022]

Hethorn, J., & Ulasewicz, C. (eds). (2015). Sustainable Fashion: What’s Next? A Conversation about Issues, Practices and Possibilities. New York: Bloomsbury. Available at: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1161923 [Accessed: 23/10/2022]

Davidson, J. (2022). From Silicon Valley offices to Warhol’s posthumous dominance, business and art’s long relationship is stronger than ever… Available at: https://www.we-heart.com/2018/10/18/business-and-art-a-valuable-relationship/ [Accessed: 24/10/2022]

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People

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The second pillar in the fashion business is “People”. This pillar is also known as the Social pillar. The social pillar cares about implementing social welfare measures. For example, companies are less likely to be profitable if they lack the support of their employees, the communities in which they operate and other stakeholders. Businesses benefit when they care about the welfare of their employees. In order to improve employee welfare, companies should set flexible working hours and provide adequate leave. In addition, companies offer reasonable salaries, and they should also provide adequate learning and development opportunities to improve the skills of their employees. Finally, governments and organizations need to be vigilant in eliminating unfair practices such as child labour and exploitation of workers in the production and supply chain (Colson, 2022).

(Inclusion Europe, 2022)

When it comes to Gen Z, many people first think of a variation on the stereotype that “young people spend too much time on their phones. However, Gen Z is becoming an increasingly important part of the workforce. In terms of purchasing power and disposable income, Gen Z is becoming increasingly influential. With the impact of COVID-19, people have experienced a recession. The effects of the recession lasted for years and severely impacted the job market. This ripple effect on attitudes toward higher education and the popularity of specific disciplines, products or services. Today’s Gen Z are more likely to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) disciplines. This has led to Gen Z’s strong belief in social causes and corporate responsibility (Bewicke, 2022).

(Bewicke, 2022)

Brands need to focus more on personalized experiences and rewards to engage Gen Z. Gen Z wants to see the value of what they buy. If brands combine special offers and rewards with social media, they can better reach Gen Z’s target audience. Also, Gen Z is very interested in social media and some influencers. Giving relevant influencers their unique referral code and sharing it with their followers is a highly promising promotional marketing campaign (Bewicke, 2022). Gen Z is more interested in the concept of metaverse and more open to metaverse and its related new technologies. 61.6% of Gen Z say they are familiar with the concept of metaverse, compared to 39.5% of Millennials. Brands and retailers should take full advantage of this phenomenon now to make their promotions （Bespoke and Moran, 2022)

The fashion brand ‘The Reformation’ is a great example of how to respond to diversity. In last year’s report, The Reformation joined the Fair Labor Association in 2021, and they are committed to expanding programs that support workers and protect their rights with the support and cooperation of labour associations and their members. They advocate for basic sustenance and self-sufficiency for all workers. The Reformation completed a significant pay increase in 2021 and will continue this work in 2022 and beyond. In early 2022, The Reformation partnered with Mathison, a platform for diversity hiring and retention. Mathison has a lot to offer their teams in learning, best practice development, and practical recruiting support to ensure they’re reaching a more diverse workforce. Also in the supply chain, they work with a very large number of partners to ensure corporate transparency so that the company remains responsible and sustainable in its values. This guarantees fair labour rights, such as the prohibition of child labour and forced labour, among others （thereformation.com).

(thereformation.com)

If a fashion company wants to be successful, it needs to first connect its employees to meaningful work, and secondly ensure that the company creates a very strong sense of belonging. This is the only way to know the values and perspectives of company’s employees. Understand what employees really experience and feel in their personal and professional lives, and build a positive strategy to respond to their true feelings and experiences internally. At the same time companies need to increase the pipeline of diverse talent and increase senior representation within the company. Secondly, efforts to address the skills gap of employees are very important for companies, and diversity talent recruitment has always been a challenge for companies. Therefore, companies need to expand the scope of recruiting diverse talent by partnering with some external companies and organizations. In e-commerce, companies are more interested in finding employees with a combination of fashion and technology backgrounds. The fashion industry is a very international industry, and in order to interact with consumers, companies need to reach out to more native speakers than ever before, as well as communicate with fashion talent from different places （McKinsey & Company, 2022, pp. 109-111)

Reference:

Colson, D. (2 February 2022) The Three Pillars of Sustainability: Economic, Social And Environment. Available at: https://www.transformationholdings.com/corporate-sustainability/3-pillars-sustainability/ (Accessed: 12 Oct 2022)

Fig 1, Inclusion Europe. (2022) The European Pillar of Social Rights Available at: http://www.inclusion-europe.eu/social-pillar/ (Accessed: 12 Oct 2022)

Bewicke, H. (12 September 2022) Gen Z consumer behaviour: What you need to know. Available at: https://www.talon.one/blog/gen-z-consumer-behavior-what-you-need-to-know (Accessed: 12 Oct 2022)

thereformation.com (2022) THE SUSTAINBILITY REPORT: 2021 YEAR IN REVIEW. Available at: https://www.thereformation.com/sustainability-report-q4.html (Accessed: 16 Oct 2022)

McKinsey & Company (2022) The State of Fashion 2022. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/state%20of%20fashion/2022/the-state-of-fashion-2022.pdf (Accessed: 16 Oct 2022)

Bespoke, D and Moran, G. (2022) Gen Z and Millennials 2022. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022 (Accessed: 16 Oct 2022)

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Planet

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The first of the pillars discussed within the fashion business context is ‘Planet’. The pillar, also known as the Environmental Pillar, is one of the elements of sustainable development. The environmental pillar advocates improving air and water quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing resource waste. The natural environment affects the quality of health of humans, animals, and plants (Colson, 2022). The fashion industry creates a number of problems, such as child labor and inhumane working conditions as well as environmental issues. Between 2 and 8 percent of the world’s carbon emissions are generated by the fashion industry. Textile dyeing is also the second largest source of water pollution in the world, requiring about 2,000 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans (UNEP，2018).

(Gueye, 2021)

In order to solve these environmental problems, some trailblazers have created a circular economy for fashion. The circular economy offers more opportunities for the fashion industry to respond to new customer needs while having more opportunities for growth. In order to achieve this, the fashion industry needs to shift from a take-make-waste model towards a reuse-based model. So the fashion industry needs to first create new business models that increase the reuse of clothing, followed by using safe and renewable materials and finally finding ways to turn old clothes into new ones (Gueye, 2021). The reuse-based model in the fashion industry is sustainability. One of the most famous definitions of sustainability in fashion comes from scholars Janet Hethorn and Connie Ulasewicz, who argue that sustainable things and processes in fashion should also be “environmentally sound, socially just and equitable, culturally respectful, humane, and economically viable”(ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY, 2022).

The design strategy of many eco-friendly brands is to use the life cycle of the product. For example, minimizing waste output throughout the life cycle of a garment. Design and production teams can look for ways to reduce resource waste when designing (Gwilt, 2020). The United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The number 15 SDGs is Life on Land which is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss(United Nation). The UN SDGs has relevance to and an impact on the fashion industry. The very famous fashion brand Stella Mccartney believes that the future of fashion is circular and many of our favorite clothes will not go to waste. They use renewable materials. When considering materials from a circular economy perspective, they are divided into two categories: technical materials and biological materials. Stella Mccarney uses technical materials from non-renewable sources, they are inorganic or synthetic materials made by humans. They can be used many times without any loss of quality. Biological materials come from renewable resources. They are natural fibers that, under the right conditions, can be safely broken down into the natural environment, such as soil, water, etc., and do not negatively affect it – providing food for bacteria and microbial life (stellamccartney.com)

Reference:

Colson, D. (2 Ferbruary 2022) The Three Pillars of Sustainability: Economic, Social And Environment. Available at: https://www.transformationholdings.com/corporate-sustainability/3-pillars-sustainability/ (Accessed: 07 Oct 2022)

Fig 1, Gueye, S. (22 June 2021) The trends and trailblazers creating a circular economy for fashion. Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/articles/the-trends-and-trailblazers-creating-a-circular-economy-for-fashion (Accessed: 04 Oct 2022)

Gueye, S. (22 June 2021) The trends and trailblazers creating a circular economy for fashion. Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/articles/the-trends-and-trailblazers-creating-a-circular-economy-for-fashion (Accessed: 04 Oct 2022)

Gwilt, A. (09 June 2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. Available at: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1452042&query_desc= (Accessed: 08 Oct 2022)

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY (9 June 2022) What Is Sustainability in the Fashion Industry? Available at: https://www.stkate.edu/newswire/news/sustainability-in-fashion-industry (Accessed: 06 Oct 2022)

stellamccartney.com. Circularity. Available at: https://www.stellamccartney.com/gb/en/sustainability/circularity-2.html (Accessed: 08 Oct 2022)

UNEP (28 June 2021) Putting the brakes on fast fashion. Available at: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/putting-brakes-fast-fashion (Accessed: 07 Oct 2022)

United Nation. THE 17 GOALS. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals#goals (Accessed: 08 Oct 2022)

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A favourite fashion brand

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My favourite fashion brand is Vivienne Westwood. In 1971, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren opened a small boutique called Let it Rock at 430 Kings Road, Chelsea in London. Vivienne Westwood opened another London boutique on Davies Street in 1988. In 1986 the orb logo was first used to symbolize taking tradition into the future. First of all, the logo is Saturn. Saturn is one of my favourite planets. Saturn means tradition and conservative. But Vivienne Westwood is not. Moreover, I really like the shape of Vivienne Westwood’s suit.

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