Leyou Zhang

About Leyou Zhang

Posts by Leyou Zhang:

Purpose

⋅

As the last of the four pillars of the fashion industry, purpose is the idea put forward by suppliers to represent what they want to bring to all consumers apart from profit, the idea that makes a brand unique and thus has its own audience. Nowadays, consumers are more likely to prefer a brand that puts forward a strong idea and implements it, while making a positive impact on the world.

Copyright © 2013-2022 Brand New Purpose LLC.

Here comes another concept, brand philosophy which can split it into mission, vision, value. The mission determines the destination the brand will reach, the vision is the means by which they will execute it, and the value represents the reason for starting the journey. But purpose has a more important meaning, “By clarifying your purpose, you help people understand how your brand serves them and their world” ( Salva, 2018).

“New research into Generation Z in the US reveals that it’s time for businesses to ‘confess’ more openly that their sustainability and social programs are designed to make them more money”, Salt Communications said in 2015. Sustainability and ethics are growing in importance for Gen Z and millennial shoppers. In 2021, 51.3% of respondents said environmental and ethical sustainability was either fairly or very important. This year, that has grown to 57.7%(Moran 2022).The sharing economy is a great way of sustainability, and in the fashion industry it stands for activities such as swapping, renting, reselling and other methods of acquiring products that already exist or have been used. A software called COMN makes it possible to make friends in the community, find styles they like and ask to borrow their clothes, see what adventures these clothes have had with other borrowers and extend the life of the wardrobe through this aspect.Retailers include Selfridges, which offers a leasing service in collaboration with rental platform HURR.

“There are three key measures of Gen-Z spending: consumption as access, rather than possession; spending as an expression of their identity; and consumption as a measure of ethical concerns” says the BoF TEAM. Costumers want to see different products and then a real story behind those products and behind the brand itself. Another serious point is that consumers feel reassured by effective communication with the brand. In order to spread the word about the brand’s purpose to more GenZs, more and more businesses are looking for opportunities on social media. In addition to posting pictures on platforms such as instagram and TikTok, inviting celebrities to carry the products or live-streaming them is becoming increasingly popular.

REFERENCE:

[Accessed 30 October 2022]

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022

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

BoF TEAM (2020) How to Communicate and Connect with Gen-Z Consumers

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

Deanna deBara (2022) What is a brand purpose and why is it important?

https://www.canva.com/learn/brand-purpose-important/

Raphael Bemporad (2017) Brand Purpose in Divided Times

http://bbmg.com/brand-purpose-in-divided-times/

COMN (2022) COMN-Share your clothes

https://comn.clothing

Ruth MacGilp (2021) What the Fashion Sharing Economy Is, and How to Do It Right

What the Fashion Sharing Economy Is, and How to Do It Right
Liked Liked
No Comments
EE66DEC8-ECE9-48A4-B1EC-BB1B906DBFA9

Profit

⋅

McKinsey said back in 2017, “Fashion is one of the world’s most important industries, driving a significant part of the global economy. An industry that creates value for the world economy. As one of the four pillars of the fashion industry, profits deeply influence the future of this industry, with global revenues for the p-fashion industry estimated at between $1.7 trillion and $2.5 trillion in 2021 according to Fashion United (Before the Covide-19 pandemic).

The production of raw materials, the creation of fashion items by designers, retail, and advertising and promotion are some of the different industries that make up the fashion industry.    The fashion industry is now dealing with a number of problems, according to the State of Fashion 2020 report from McKinsey.    For instance, the processing of raw materials for the textile industry still contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and a fifth of industrial water pollution is caused by chemicals like insecticides and dyes.    Additionally, as noted in The State of Fashion report 2022, consumers are becoming more aware of sustainability-related issues and are demanding details about the materials, manufacturing methods, and the people involved, which has led more and more companies to improve the sustainability of their supply chains.

BY Coleem Ramos Best Sims 4 Gucci CC: Clothes, Shoes & Accessories

With the rise of Generation Z and consumers looking more for purpose online, the habits of this demographic are beginning to change the way retail and advertising is delivered. Some fashion brands are beginning to flock to the virtual market where young people are the most numerous, for example the gaming ‘skins’, examples include LV’s collaboration with the character Qiyana from League of Legends, and limited-edition clothing from Moschino or Gucci in The Sims DLC. Also the more recent concept that has emerged – the metaverse. Also being transformed are companies that bring in a large number of young employees, who, having grown up in a more inclusive environment, implicitly promote diversity. Companies that show enough goodwill will gain the support of many people and move closer to success in this age of rapid information flow.

Many artists create art as a hobby rather than as a method of supporting themselves, although commercialization is necessary to spread their work. Today’s most obvious examples of art and business overlap admirably, but they also thrive because of an uncomplicated fit between the audience for the brand and the artwork. Burberry and British music groups get mutual leverage through a shared sense of national style and sexy chic. Fashion labels from Cos to Cartier sponsor contemporary artists and art events because they all tap into a certain demographic’s sense of culture and credibility(Ajax, 2013). Even though the above example is a little too old, it cannot be denied that successful art cannot be achieved without the help of business. In the meantime the benefits of this cooperation are mutual. By thinking more like artists, businesspeople have an opportunity to take a radically new approach, with more freedom, more creativity, and more possibilities（Amy, 2018)

REFERENCE:

McKinsey & Company(2022) State of Fashion 2022: An uneven recovery and new frontiers 

McKinsey & Company(2020) The State of Fashion 2020: Navigating uncertainty

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

Fashion United (2022) Global Fashion Industry Statistics

https://fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics

Ajaz Ahmed(2013) Bridging the gap between art and business

https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/oct/16/bridging-gap-art-business

Amy Whitaker (2018)Bridging the gap between art and business

Bridging the gap between art and business
Liked Liked
No Comments
6BE83011-58BD-42F3-9166-58B49DA3B19B

People

⋅

People are one of the four pillars of the entire fashion market, the only consumers for FASHION. We classify the human beings that exist on this blue planet in terms of different colours, races and ages, but people are diverse, so we package ourselves in various items to present ourselves in a different way, so that we can have characteristics in a sea of people or find a group of people with whom we have something in common.

Today, Gen Z is the largest consumer group in the world market, “they are the first to grow up as digital natives – surrounded by technology and the internet for their entire lives”, writes Moran in ‘Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022’. Indeed, this group of young people from 1995-2010 has brought to the market the development and use of social media, shopping software and websites. In order to attract more Gen Z customers, the most significant change has been in the way advertising is delivered, with more brands looking to the mainstream social media/short video sites nowadays, in addition to the regular TV shows. In China, half of China’s population aged between 10 and 29 years old are active Bilibili users…….Brands from Louis Vuitton to Fendi have already launched advertising campaigns on Bilibili (Zoe, 2021), and Dior has also launched an official account on this platform. Of course it’s not just the way ads appear, 73% of millennials and 63.5% of Gen Z respondents say they dislike about in-store shopping, 45% of the whole cohort say they want to see more self-service checkout tills in fashion stores.(Moran, 2022).Gen Z’s life is extremely dependent on electronics, and in this regard, Amazon Fresh offers a new payment method that allows purchasers to carry only their mobile phones, no while the self-service checkout replaces manual work with machines, greatly improving efficiency, and most people are more accustomed to spending with their bank cards.

In this more open age, people are more equal and tolerant of ‘others’ who are different from them, creating a society that is somehow similar but different, which is called diversity.

Unlike previous generations who were so strict about the gender distinction between men and women, young people are not surprised or accused if a man in a skirt appears on the street nowadays, but more often praise the courage of the person or even admire the way he dresses, and young people are now very accepting of LGBTG+ people. And these marginalised groups are often the inspiration muses for the fashion industry.For Jean Paul Gaultier Paris Men’s FW Fall 2011, the old codger had male models wearing dresses, stockings, long hair and lipstick. Jean Paul Gaultier’s Cyber Show, which was dubbed ‘the Best Show’ by Vogue, where you could see ethnically diverse, same-sex couples, older models with large birds, and pregnant ladies. During Jean Paul’s time at Hermès, he also added BDSM elements to his runway.

Photographed by Johnny Dufort, Jean Paul Gaultier x Lotta Volkova, 2022

As a successful brand, it is important to have a wide audience, and when a brand has a diverse range of products, it means they have different levels of consumers. What is certainly true is that in a market that is increasingly dominated by GenZ, brands that are creative and successfully implemented are more likely to attract customers.

Reference[Accessed 15 October 2022]:

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022

Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022

Zoe, S. (2021)A Guide to Bilibili, China’s Gen-Z Hangout

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/china/a-guide-to-bilibili-chinas-gen-z-hangout/

Stuff, Y. (2022)With a Jean Paul Gaultier Collection, Lotta Volkova Aims for Shock, Awe, and Eccentricity

https://www.vogue.com/article/lotta-volkova-jean-paul-gaultier
Liked Liked
No Comments
0CB6876A-C4D5-4927-850D-5F2A0257C8DE

Planet

⋅

One of the four pillars of the fashion industry, the planet, which is connected to all life, has recently suffered significant damage. Unbeknownst to consumers, the fashion industry has played a significant role in global pollution and climate change. 10% of the carbon emissions produced by humanity come from the fashion industry. In addition, 85% of all textiles are disposed of in landfills annually (UNECE, 2018). 

In order to make the world a better place, Nations United has come up with seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Two questions now arise: what is sustainability and how can the SDGs help all?

First of all, sustainability is defined as “filling the demand of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own requirements” by the United Nations Brundtland Commissions in 1987, which is to make better use of all resources while continuing to support the biological cycle of growth.

Sustainability appears to be the antithesis of the quest of fashion in this age of quick fashion. For instance, cotton, which provides work for 250 million people globally, accounts for nearly half of all textile production. Pesticides, however, are cotton’s main environmental impact, and diverting water for irrigation not only uses a lot of water but also negatively affects the biodiversity and soil health of the region. (https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton) Of course, chemicals used in the manufacture of garments, such bleach, also contribute to water contamination. According to a report by Water Witness International (WWI), Lesotho and Tanzania in southern Africa have polluted rivers that have made the water blue or as alkaline as bleach (Reuters, 2021) Another human cost of fast fashion is: Women are more likely than men to work in textiles in underdeveloped nations, where they are frequently paid absurdly low pay and subjected to unfavourable working conditions (UNEP, 2018; WRI, 2019). These situations violate human rights in numerous places (Human Rights Watch).

Goal 5 of SDGs：Gender Equality

All facets of the fashion supply chain are impacted by gender inequality, including the egregious treatment of garment workers’ rights, the scarcity of prospects for professional advancement, and the disturbingly low representation of women in leadership roles. Currently, women hold 25% of the leadership roles in the largest fashion companies, accounting for 70% of the workforce (The Sustainable Fashion Collective, 2021 ). Looking at Goal 5 of the SDGs: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, in the last few decades more girls have been going to school, more female leaders have emerged and the number of girls forced into earlier marriages has declined. But with the advent of covid-19, more women are beginning to live as fucking unpaid carers or volunteers, and more frontline female health care workers are receiving pneumonia. Living in isolation also exposed more women and girls to domestic violence. In response, the fashion industry needs to do what it can to allow women of all races, ages and sizes to be comfortable being themselves. The more people in general are treated with respect and fairness then the imbalance between been men and women will naturally be addressed. will naturally be addressed (British Vogue, 2015).

Reference：

Accessed on October 8, 2022

Stephanie Steele (1 July 2021) The importance of achieving gender equality in the fashion sector

https://www.the-sustainable-fashion-collective.com/gender-equality-and-the-fashion-industry/the-importance-of-achieving-gender-equality-in-the-fashion-sector

WWF (Spring 2014) Cotton｜Industries

https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton

Reuters (18 August) Report: Fast Fashion Spurs Pollution of Africa’s Rivers

https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/global-markets/report-fast-fashion-spurs-pollution-of-africas-rivers/

United Nation (19 November 2021) Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/sustainable-fashion/

Daniel Thomas Mollenkamp (23 June 2022) What is Sustainability? How Sustainabilities Work, Benefits, and Example

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sustainability.asp

United Nation (2022) Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

British Vogue (6 August 2015) #HeForShe｜All Access Vogue｜British VogueU

Liked Liked
No Comments
20341F91-02DF-417D-A19A-1474BCD8604C

My Favorite Fashion Brand—— Jean Paul Gaultier

⋅

After leaving Pierre Cardin, the 24-year-old Jean Paul Gaultier founded his eponymous label Gaultin 1976 and launched his first womenswear collection two years later. When I say I like the brand, what I really like is Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs and the meaning behind them. Unlike other clothing brands, Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs were full of street, punk and subculture elements that appealed to my hormonal youth and broke my stereotypes of the fashion industry as a serious, old-fashioned place.

Jean Paul Gaultier SS 1991, a show that featured a mix of men and women in the form of couples, expressed the idea that no matter what the gender or race of the other person, please be brave enough to love. Jean Paul Gaultier’s Cyber Show, which was dubbed ‘the Best Show’ by Vogue, saw models of all races, sizes and ages on the same stage as animals and even pregnant women. 

Today’s models had the same cold expressions or the same range of smiles, a stern, neat pace and a dull, lifeless look that always bored me after a while. I love Gaultier’s runway, which is more like a fun show than a serious exhibition, it is simply a playground. The stage is free, no model is prescribed how to walk and for how long. 

What should men be like? And what should women look like? For Jean Paul Gaultier Paris Men’s FW Fall 2011, the ‘alternative’ look on the male models actually questioned the traditional image of masculinity – is it okay for men to have long hair and wear dresses? Can men like to wear stockings and have lipstick? I don’t think all boys should be tough, boys are allowed to be soft. Boys are allowed to wear skirts just like girls can be strong and handsome. This bring me to the cone bra, a classic style in which Gaultier turns the shackles on women into armour, changing the image of femininity to one of sharpness. And this is part of the image that the new generation of women wants to express: female strength, independence, strength and competence. 

Liked Liked
No Comments