Kacie Shaw

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Purpose

Purpose

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Purpose is one of the 4 pillars of fashion business, and it explores the reasoning as to why a brand does something, and what it does beyond generating profit. 

Although probability a key aim for a brand, it is also important for them to align the ethical values. Social corporate responsibility is looked at when exploring a brands purpose, as it describes a brands commitment to practising business in an ethical way, by taking responsibility and account for their social, economic, environmental impacts, while considering human rights (The Human Rights Act 1998).

Brand philosophy explores a brands mission, vision, and values, which affects the way a brand carries out business and makes decisions. Nudie Jeans clearly shows their mission, values, and vision of wanting to become the most sustainable denim brand in the world. They have created the concept of a sustainable denim brand, this is done by using dry denim which is made will 100% organic cotton and using no extra treatment or washes, this is to reduced water waste in the dying process of the jeans. Nudie Jeans 2020 sustainability report states that 98.6% of their products produced were sustainable, this considers products which are made up of at least 70% sustainable fibres. Nudie Jeans also have free repairs for life policy which aims to reduce waste, they claim “Every pair of Nudie jeans, no matter where you buy them, comes with a promise of free repairs.”

In order to attract Gen Z, brands need to achieve their goals to fulfil their purpose. One way which they can communicate their purpose with Gen Z is by focusing on ethical issues that Gen Z are particularly interested in such as sustainability and diversity. Sustainability is a key aspect for Gen Z as 90% of Generation Z have made changed to move towards a more sustainable future (Wightman-Stone, 2022), this suggests that a brand should propose itself in a sustainable way to communicate with Gen Z, this may be achieved via social media platforms.

References:

Moir, L., 2001. What do we mean by corporate social responsibility?. Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, 1(2), pp.16-22.

Fredman, S., 2015. Foreign fads or fashions? The role of comparativism in human rights law. International & Comparative Law Quarterly, 64(3), pp.631-660.

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

Wightman-Stone, D. (2022) Gen Z consumer inspired by sustainability and self-expression, FashionUnited. FashionUnited.

Nudie jeans:

Schäfer, L., 2020. Sustainable Communication: Fashion Consumers’ Reception and Interaction: The Case of Nudie Jeans.

Ahlberg, E. and Wilandh, A., 2012. Nudie Jeans co-How do companies integrate sustainability in the form of recycling into their business strategy?.

Jeans, N., 2020. Sustainability report.

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people

people

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People is one of the 4 pillars discussed in the fashion business, the focus of this is that people are the main subject of every organization/brand and it discusses the impact which the fashion industry has on people both societally and across global cultural dimensions. ‘People’ focuses on consumer behavior, society, and the influential changes that may cause a fashion business to operate differently, for example, using their marketing techniques to create a more diverse and inclusive portrayal of their brand.

Generation Z frequently known as ‘Gen Z’ is anyone born between 1997 and 2012, as consumers of the fashion industry Gen Z are the most demanding consumers in history and this high demand is for fast fashion brands such as H&M, Zara, and Shein. The reason for this is that fast fashion is low-cost and easily accessible. On average Gen Z spends 10.6 hours per day online (Adobe), mainly on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, therefore brands have moved towards social media marketing and creating fun and engaging quality content that generates an interest in Gen Z. In order to attract Gen Z, a brand should be able to provide same-day delivery, as Gen Z want to be able to consume with ease and the purchases to be as quick as possible. Generation Z has become more aware of the environmental impacts of the fashion industry, so in order for a brand to attract generation Z they should make them aware of their sustainability and ethical values, as this may attract Gen Z to purchase from there rather than fast fashion brands as they will be free from there guilty conscious and feel as though they have made a more environmentally friendly purchase.

Diversity is ‘the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.’ A brand that has represented diversity is Savage X Fenty by Rihanna. Savage X Fenty shows inclusivity in its sizing making the brand accessible to a large range of consumers, as its sizing ranges from XS to 5XL and a 30A to a 46H. Savage X Fenty also creates brand inclusivity and diversity by featuring plus-sized, older, pregnant, and disabled models in their fashion shows and campaigns, this has been shown within social media strategies by using models of different sizes, races, and gender since the beginning of the brand in 2018.

Fashion brands need to develop some key people skills in order to become successful, for example, a brand needs to have open communication skills with their customers in order to gain a true perspective of what the consumer’s wants and needs are. For a fashion brand to improve the problems which consumers have with their products, they should use a direct feedback system to gain an understanding of improvements, rather than an indirect communication channel. allowing consumers to express their opinions about product improvement will also help to create long-term relationships between the brand and its customers. Another key skill that a fashion brand should take into consideration is being a social and environmental entrepreneur, this is due to the fact that consumers are more concerned about the environment and therefore are seeking brands that use sustainable practices.

References:~

~What years are Gen Z? (14th October 2022) ~ https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/09/02/what-years-gen-x-millennials-baby-boomers-gen-z/10303085002/

~Gen Z approach towards fashion (14th October 2022) ~ https://www.fashionsfinest.com/blog/item/6187-gen-z-the-ethical-fashion-generation

~Attracting Generation Z ~ sustainability and ethical values (15th October 2022) ~ https://www.chargedretail.co.uk/2022/01/21/what-do-gen-z-shoppers-really-want-4-ways-retailers-can-capture-the-younger-generation/

~Attracting Generation Z ~ Online/Social influence (15th October 2022) ~ https://www.apptus.com/blog/generation-z-online-shopping-habits/

~Diversity (16th October 2022) ~ Oxford Languages Dictionary

~Savage X Fenty (16th October 2022) ~ https://www.savagex.com/featured/aboutus

~Key People Skills (17th October 2022) ~ Hethorn, J., & Ulasewicz, C. (eds). (2015). Sustainable Fashion: What’s Next? A Conversation about Issues, Practices and Possibilities. New York: Bloomsbury (page 27 and 73)

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Planet

Planet

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The four pillars of the fashion business industry are people, planet, profit, and purpose, planet is incorporated into the four pillars by environmental sustainability. Both the ecological and atmospherical environment have been affected by the pillar of Planet the influence it has for sustainability.

The circular economy is an economic business model which organizes by resource-saving and recycling in accordance with the environment. “Resource – product – renewable resource”, is the feedback process in which the circular economy, organizes economic activities. it is categorized by high utilization, low emissions, and low exploitation. The purpose of building a circular economy is to ensure that actions taken are not having a negative effect on the economy, this is done by recycling and refurbishing, for example, in the fashion industry, a circular economy could be executed by recycling materials from existing garments rather than throwing them away and incinerating the material. Fashion magazines such as Vogue and Glossy Magazine are changing their magazine focus to educate readers on how to live a more sustainable life when it comes to fashion by recycling, getting creative with old clothing, and shopping vintage. Vogue has also reported on issues such as climate change. As magazines have a lot of influential power in the fashion industry, I think that reporting on such issues is a great move towards a more sustainable fashion industry as it can influence readers of the magazines to start living more sustainably.

Sustainability in relation to fashion is the concept of sustainable fashion, this refers to garments that are resourced, designed and manufactured, distributed, and in the garments, afterlife recycled/reused in an environmentally friendly manner. However, the fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to climate change and pollution. Due to it being ‘the most wasteful industry on the planet, much of this is down to overproduction. Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014, McKinsey & Company reported, and numbers have risen further since. The consultancy also estimates that 40% of all items produced by the sector are sold at a markdown and tackling overproduction could reduce carbon emissions by 158 million tonnes a year.’ (Drapers, 2022). The waste products produced by the fashion industry pollute rivers and oceans, and most garments and footwear end up being incinerated or placed in landfill when consumers are getting rid of them. Businesses within the fashion industry need to work towards being more sustainable and this can be done by setting sustainable development goals.

Sustainable development goal(SDG) 12, is responsible consumption and production, this means ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. This goal is to move focus onto creating less waste and using fewer unnecessary resources to therefore create a positive impact on the environment. SDG 12 is a goal for businesses to reduce chemical and material waste, use sustainable consumption and production by 2030, and ensure that institutions globally are educated with relevant information to create awareness for sustainable lifestyles and development. Teaching sustainability educationally will help raise awareness among younger generations and help to move towards people making more environmentally friendly choices when disposing of their old garments and not purchasing from fast fashion businesses.

References ~

1)https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12 2)https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/sep/26/sustainable-is-the-new-black-top-editors-launch-new-wave-fashion-titles 3)https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview 4)https://www.study34.co.uk/pages/what-is-sustainable-fashion 5)https://www.gcu.edu/blog/business-management/people-planet-profit-looking-triple-bottom-line

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My favorite fashion brand

My favorite fashion brand

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My favourite fashion brand is Alexander Wang.

The New-York based fashion designer Alexander Wang started his own label in 2005. His predominately black palette and urban streetwear style designs create a unisex figure to his pieces of fashion allowing his beliefs of “anyone can look glamorous”, this is portrayed in his runways and photo shoots by creating a simplistic, clean, and Wang uses a mixture of male and female models to portray a more inclusive image of his designs.

In Wang’s early career after the launch of his label, he debuted a women’s ready-to-wear collection on the New York catwalk in 2007. In 2008, he then went on to win the CDFA/Vogue fashion fund, where he was awarded $20,000 to expand his business, later that year he launched his first handbag collection. In 2009, Wang moved away from his predominantly black designs and used a range of bright colours such as orange, purple, aqua, and hot pink, however following this he moved back to his usual black fabrics for his designs. On February 17th, 2011, Wang’s first flagship store opened in SoHo, Lower Manhattan.

Balenciaga ~ In 2012, Alexander Wang was named creative director at Balenciaga, as creative director, Wang had the responsibility of managing the men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collection and accessories lines. Wang left Balenciaga in 2015, after designing a collection for Swedish retailer H&M in 2014.

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