Safa Siddiq

Purpose, the fourth pillar of fashion business school essentially takes into account the reasoning for a brand, and what it does, beyond the money making process (No Author, 2022). Essentially what is the brand’s purpose. Though all brand’s strive to be profitable, there are further reasonings as to why a brand came to be and the values it believes in. A brand’s corporate social responsibility is always explored when looking at purpose. Carroll, creator of the CSR pyramid describes corporate social responsibility something that “involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive” (No Author, 2022). These 4 sections Carroll explores: economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic, can be seen as the different aspects in which a brand may define it’s purpose.

Brand philosophy takes into consideration mission, vision and values proposition. Mission is important to a brand as it allows knowledge for the direction in which a company views itself going and also for the way the fashion brand in itself approaches the business and fashion world. For example, Patagonia’s mission statement is “we’re in business to save our home planet” (Chouinard, 2022). They have proved this through the amount they’ve contributed to their planet but not only that, Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard gave away the company recently in order to fight the climate crises and now all the profits have gone to saving the planet. (McCormick, 2022). In this case, the brand’s purpose came above the business itself as Chouinard completed what it’s mission was. A brand’s vision allows it to understand which path to take itself in and where it may see itself in years to come. Finally the brand’s values proposition is essentially “ a commitment made specifically to a target audience” (Schmidt, 2021) this allows a strong consumer basis and therefore a successful brand as it is delivering to its segment of the market and continues to promise to do so. Brand philosophy then affects the way in which a business behaves and makes decisions in order to achieve both short term and long term goals, which therefore, allows brand growth. A brand’s purpose, beliefs and goals can also allow it to be more competitive. It can allow it to be perhaps more risk taking, Carol Dweck mentioned this as she mentions the way in which one speaks about something changes their mindset to it. Putting a grade as “not achieved” in replacement of “failed” allows children to work harder (StanfordAlumni, 2014) and similarly in a business, if a the brand philosophy and purpose is displayed in a motivating light, the employees will have a growth mindset resulting in risk taking.

Brands need to strive for action and deliver their beliefs and what they are doing in order to achieve their purpose in order to target Gen Z. A way in which they can especially communicate their purpose would be to strive for action in sectors that Gen Z are interested in. This may include aspects of diversity and sustainability which is something of great importance to Gen Z as 90% of Gen Z have said they have made changes in order to be more sustainable (Wightman-Stone, 2022). Therefore, if a brand communicates its purpose to be that of similar values, it will be better communicated to Gen Z. Methods in which brands may communicate their purpose to Gen Z may include social media in order to inform, especially platforms such as TikTok which has a great Gen Z consumer basis.

1. Author, N. (2022) What is brand purpose? 5 great examples, Don’t Panic London. Available at: https://www.dontpaniclondon.com/what-is-brand-purpose/ (Accessed: November 7, 2022).
2. Author, N. (2022) Teaching resources, AQA. Available at: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/as-and-a-level/business-7131-7132/teaching-resources (Accessed: November 7, 2022).
3. Chouinard, Y. (2022) Yvon Chouinard donates Patagonia to fight climate crisis, Patagonia Outdoor Clothing & Gear. Patagonia. Available at: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/ownership/ (Accessed: November 7, 2022).
4. McCormick, E. (2022) Patagonia’s billionaire owner gives away company to fight climate crisis, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/14/patagonias-billionaire-owner-gives-away-company-to-fight-climate-crisis-yvon-chouinard (Accessed: November 7, 2022).
5. Schmidt, C. (2021) Break through barriers with a brand value proposition , Canto. Canto. Available at: https://www.canto.com/blog/brand-value-proposition/ (Accessed: November 7, 2022).
6. Developing a Growth Mindset (2014) YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ (Accessed: November 7, 2022).
7. Wightman-Stone, D. (2022) Gen Z consumer inspired by sustainability and self-expression, FashionUnited. FashionUnited. Available at: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/gen-z-consumer-inspired-by-sustainability-and-self-expression/2021060155788 (Accessed: November 7, 2022).

An economy as described by Investopedia is “ a complex system of interrelated production, consumption, and exchange activities that ultimately determines how resources are allocated among all the participants. The production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services combine to fulfil the needs of those living and operating within the economy.” (Kenton, 2022) Our current economy is one that is of a capitalist kind, therefore profit, the third of the the four pillars of fashion business school comes of great relevance. Profit is essentially the amount of revenue a business makes in which it exceeds the price of its costs to make and sell the item it is selling. Profit is a key factor in determining the success of a business as it is taken into account in Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line theory. The more profitable a business is, the more successful it is seen as the amount of excess money can allow it to reinvest and produce better outcome. Fashion makes up a great part of the world’s economy as the McKinsey report states it to be “one of the world’s most important industries” (Mckinesy, 2017) Fashion United states that true fashion industry has a labour force of 3,384.1 million and that its value is equivalent to that of three trillion dollars. Therefore, it is 2% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. (Henrique, 2022). Through this we can see the size of the fashion industry and how large it actually is.

A great sector of the fashion industry is that of manufacturing. The market size of the manufacturing industry is £2bn in the UK which expresses the size of it. Though previously manufacturing from home with the “Made in Britain” label was seen as an exclusive aspect, bringing higher revenues to a brand, this is now changing and is beginning to become more common. With the demand on fast fashion trends speeding the trend cycle, provide a need for brands to produce close to home. Not only this though as the pandemic proved the importance of having manufactures be close as well as the current cost going up, it is now no longer cheaper to produce in the Far East (No Author, 2022).

An uncertain economic time can raise many strains in the fashion industry whilst also becoming difficult to remain competitive. The COVID 19 pandemic showed this as many businesses such as Debenhams and the Arcadia group went bust however interestingly, Missguided, the online retailer went into administration in May 2022, though flourishing during the pandemic, issues arose when shops reopened and sales dropped. (No Author, 2020) Amazon’s fast delivery service and variety of products allowed for the company to remain competitive and even having to close down non-.essential items due to not being able to meet the amount of demand. (No Author, 2022)

Issues rise in the tension between commerce and creativity especially recently due to consumers having a stronger voice, it has become less about what the artists create and more so about what the consumers demand. Demand these days is severely affected by fast fashion and the high expectations set due to them (Norris, 2022) and the speed in which the trend cycle is currently working at. With the expectation of all brands to produce whatever is in the current trend, this limits artists and creatives to producing unique pieces and that which they desire to do so. However, brands are sharing their creativity and bridging the gap between art and commerce for example, Burberry commonly sponsor British music groups to help gain leverage on either side with common consumers (Ahmed, 2013).

Kenton, W. (2022) Economy: What it is, types of economies, economic indicators, Investopedia. Investopedia. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economy.asp (Accessed: October 30, 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].

Henrique, E. (2022) Fashion industry statistics: The 4th biggest sector is way more than just about clothing, Fashinnovation. Available at: https://fashinnovation.nyc/fashion-industry-statistics/ (Accessed: October 30, 2022).

Industry market research, reports, and Statistics (no date) IBISWorld. Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com/united-kingdom/market-research-reports/clothing-manufacturing-industry/ (Accessed: October 30, 2022).

Prospering in the pandemic: The top 100 companies (2020) Financial Times. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/844ed28c-8074-4856-bde0-20f3bf4cd8f0 (Accessed: October 30, 2022).

Prospering in the pandemic: The top 100 companies (2020) Financial Times. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/844ed28c-8074-4856-bde0-20f3bf4cd8f0 (Accessed: October 30, 2022).

Norris, O.J. (2022) The age of fast fashion: How consumer behaviour has changed and how it’s impacting our environment, AMPLYFI. Available at: https://amplyfi.com/2022/01/10/the-age-of-fast-fashion/ (Accessed: October 30, 2022).

Ahmed, A. (2013) Bridging the gap between art and business | Ajaz Ahmed, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/oct/16/bridging-gap-art-business (Accessed: October 30, 2022).

People, one of the four pillars of fashion business school, are a vital aspect of the fashion industry. In the Triple Bottom Line, people refers to all individuals in association with the company including customers and employees (Kenton, 2022). Essentially, people are needed for a business in order for it to run and in fashion in particular, the people are what form the industry. Fashion is a way in which people have the ability to express themselves and influence others, therefore fashion provides inspiration but also fun. Gen Z especially, enjoy this and prioritise these features in fashion and shopping for clothes, accessories and shoes (Moran, 2022). Gen Z, or Generation Z represent a great number of the current fashion market (Moran, 2022). They consist of anyone born from 1997 to 2012, (Hecht, 2022) and are the new digital age of consumers. Gen Z are the most different breed of consumers due to being surrounded by technology their whole lives therefore it is vital for brands and retailers to keep a close eye on them even if they are not yet the main target market as soon they will be (Moran, 2022).

In order for a brand to attract Gen Z it may be of use for a brand to see how it stands for sustinabaility and equality. Though shopping habits don’t completely match, statistics show that 46.8% of Gen Z have not purchased an item they were going to due to not supporting the brand’s values (Moran, 2022). This highlights the importance of a brand’s values if they were looking to attract Gen Z consumers. This isn’t the only thing Gen Z search for when buying as the brand name and the ability to resell the item bought was also seen to be of great importance to Gen Z (Moran, 2022). With apps like Depop on the rise, 53% of Gen Z and millenials have resold an item and would again (Moran, 2022).

Interestingly, Gen Z despite being brought up in technology, value instore experiences (Moran, 2022). A way in which brands could therefore attract Gen Z would be to really focus on how it can differ its in store experience to make it worth the trip as well as perhaps locating it in a place in which it is surrounded by other amenities as 27.6% of Gen Z appreciate and are more likely to shop at a store near restaurants and cinemas (Moran, 2022). Therefore, through these aspects a brand can attract Gen Z into their physical stores as well as focusing on its values.

Diversity and equality are important values to Gen Z as shown by the BLM movement (Ahmed et al., 2019) Many brands felt obliged to post a black square to show they stand with the movement however little then went on to take any action. This caused brands to suffer major backlash by Gen Z and it was then realised how much this movement and the values held value to the generation. Some brands however, represent a great example of responding to diversity one including Fenty X Savage. Rihanna herself has stated “We don’t believe in division. We do not believe in excluding anyone” (McKinnon, 2022), and Savage X Fenty has proven so e.g. plus sized models and gender fluid products (McKinnon, 2022). Size ranges range from XS to 4XL in underwear which contrasts Victoria’s Secret who attempted to be inclusive in their 2020 swimwear collection but only went up to an XL.

Inclusivity and diversity are vital in order for a fashion brand to be successful (Dickinson, 2022) inclusion and diversity helps individuals at the workplace feel a sense of belonging. This then allows for employees to be more open and speak out (Dickinson, 2022). Having diversity in a fashion brand can also allow for a range of ideas and different cultural differences to be put in affect creating a more competitive advantage against perhaps less diverse competitions.

Kenton, W., 2022. Triple Bottom Line. [online] Investopedia. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/triple-bottom-line.asp [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Moran, G., 2022. Gen Z and Millennials 2022 – Drapers. [online] Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022 [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Hecht, E., 2022. What years are Gen X? What about baby boomers? When each generation was born.. [online] Eu.usatoday.com. Available at: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/09/02/what-years-gen-x-millennials-baby-boomers-gen-z/10303085002/ [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Ahmed, I., Balchandani, A., Beltrami, M., Berg, A., Hedrich, S. and Rölkens, F., 2019. The influence of ‘woke’ consumers on fashion. [online] McKinsey&Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-influence-of-woke-consumers-on-fashion [Accessed 16 October 2022].

McKinnon, T., 2022. How Rihanna’s Fenty Brand is Leading in Diversity & Inclusion. [online] Indigo9 Digital Inc. Available at: https://www.indigo9digital.com/blog/fentydiversityinclusion [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Dickinson, H., 2022. Why inclusion is fundamental to success. [online] Abstract. Available at: https://www.abstractuk.co.uk/why-inclusion-is-fundamental-to-success [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Planet, one of the four pillars of fashion business school, entails ideas of sustainability and the fashion industry’s genuine concerns for the current climate crises. It is a significant factor as characterised by being one of Elkington’s triple bottom line features which measures the success of a business based on three prospects, one being planet. This reiterates the importance of sustainability however, now more than ever, the industry needs to strive for action. It accounts for 10% of the global carbon dioxide output (Ro, 2020) hence retailers are aiming for zero carbon emissions and sustainable futures, however, few are succeeding in doing so as although sustainability is on a rise, it’s also viewed as a trend resulting in greenwashing. Sustainability cannot be viewed solely as a marketing purpose with no action. Action can be taken through a circulatory economy. This is a way to stop waste. The Ellen MacArthur foundation defines circular economy as “A systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity, waste and pollution” (Circular economy introduction, n.d.) . The circular economy reduces waste via the three principle which are, “eliminate waste and pollution,” “circulate products and materials” and “regenerate nature” (Circular economy introduction, n.d.). Reusing and recycling materials extends the product lifecycle therefore reducing waste.  The butterfly diagram displays the circular economy’s continuous flow of materials. (The butterfly diagram: visualising the circular economy, n.d.)

Sustainable fashion is described as “an all-inclusive term describing products, processes, activities, and actors aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal welfare, and ecological integrity.” (Alves, 2022) In order to be sustainable, a brand should pay the living wage and not produce waste, if a brand is unable to achieve these two factors yet still claims to be sustainable, it may be considered greenwashing. Sustainability is a new wave of fashion that the industry, both new and old, is adopting. Chouinard, owner of Patagonia, has recently given the company away in order to become a charitable organisation. He claims “Earth is our only shareholder”, and all profits will now go towards the environment (McCormick, 2022). Patagonia is a great example of what the industry can do in order to be successful and perhaps this move will result in further action. 

SDG 6, though not obviously relevant, is an /important factor to consider in the fashion industry due to the severity of the harm being caused. The 6th SDG by the UN is to “Ensure access to water and sanitation for all” (THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development, 2022). The two issues the current water climate is facing consists of: the lack of access to clean water for many communities and the pollution we are contaminating the water with. The fashion industry is significantly affecting this as the output of dyes and contaminants are being put back into the planet’s waterways. This is causing harm to the environment and life on it (SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and the Fashion Industry — Threading Change, 2022). The excessive amounts of water used in the industry is contributing to the lack of fresh water as a single pair of jeans and one t-shirt is estimated to use 10,000 litres of water to produce (Lupton, 2022). However, many brands are beginning to tackle this issue. Levis have introduced their Water < Less campaign in which they are essentially reducing the amount of water produced during the making of jeans for example through using bottle caps or golf balls to soften jeans instead of fabric softener which would use water to do so. (HOW WE MAKE JEANS WITH LESS WATER, 2022) Levis intend to reduce their water usage by 80% and their greenhouse gas emissions by 25% through using this technique (Berry, 2022).

Bibliography

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Alves, A., 2022. What EXACTLY Is Sustainable Fashion & Why Is SO Important (2022). [online] Thevou.com. Available at: <https://thevou.com/fashion/sustainable-fashion/> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

McCormick, E., 2022. Patagonia’s billionaire owner gives away company to fight climate crisis. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/14/patagonias-billionaire-owner-gives-away-company-to-fight-climate-crisis-yvon-chouinard?amp;amp;amp> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

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Lupton, E., 2022. Sustainable Development Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation Archives – Fashion Revolution. [online] Fashion Revolution. Available at: <https://www.fashionrevolution.org/tag/sustainable-development-goal-6-clean-water-and-sanitation/> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

Levi.com. 2022. HOW WE MAKE JEANS WITH LESS WATER. [online] Available at: <https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/blog/article/how-we-make-jeans-with-less-water> [Accessed 8 October 2022].

Berry, I., 2022. Top 10 Sustainable Clothing Brands. [online] Sustainability mag. Available at: <https://sustainabilitymag.com/top10/top-10-sustainable-clothing-brands> [Accessed 8 October 2022].