Emily Wei

At the Fashion Business School there are four pillars to achieving the goal of sustainability: Planet, People, Profit and Purpose. The “People” pillar emphasizes on inclusivity and diversity within the fashion industry. It is also based on how people are involved in the fashion industry and how it effects society as well as how different generations of people consume fashion.

Different generations contribute to the fashion industry in different ways and often, brands will market and cater their goods in ways to attract the consumers they want. Gen Z are a group of people born between 1995 and 2010 and are the “true digital natives” having being exposed to technology, such as mobile phones and the internet, from an early age (Francis & Hoefel, 2018). The use of social media has made Gen Z consume differently to the previous generations. Gen Z are actively the largest users for social media apps such as TikTok, and will often buy fashion pieces that are trends at that moment in time. Furthermore, when online shopping, they seek “fun and inspiration” and in addition to this they also look for “convenience and speed” as a factor to their experience online (Drapers,2020).

Brands must be able to satisfy several requirements to appeal to Gen Z. Inclusivity and diversity are major aspects of a brand that Gen Z look out for. Furthermore, the brand must align with the values and ethics of Gen Z. Sustainability and whether the production of the goods is ethical plays a huge role in whether Gen Z consume from a brand or not. The Drapers 2022 report states that 46.8% of Gen Z have abandoned a purchase because it did not align with their values and that 51% of Gen Z are willing to pay more for sustainable and ethically made goods (Drapers, 2022).

Fenty Beauty, a makeup brand found by Rihanna, showed success by being diverse and inclusive and the changed the way that brands cater towards people of different colours. The line consists of a 40-shade (now 50) foundation range which included shades for everyone (Vogue, 2020). The brand took in a revenue of $100 million in its first 40 days on the market (Forbes,2019). Since then, multiple beauty brands have also been extending their shade ranges to satisfy to a wider range of skin tones – this is known as the “Fenty Effect” (Vogue, 2020).

For a brand to be successful, communication and relationship building skills with consumers are very important. By being transparent with the production process of their products and aligning their values and ethics with consumers, brands will gain consumer trust and loyalty.

References

Winged. J. (2019) Rihanna’s ‘Fenty Beauty’: A Leadership Case For Customer Inclusivity. Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonwingard/2019/08/02/rihannas-fenty-beauty–a-leadership-case-for-customer-inclusivity/?sh=252087df3460

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

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

Francis, T.  Hoefel, F . (2018) “True Gen”: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

Fetto, F. (2020) How Fenty Beauty Changed The State Of Play In The Industry. Vogue

https://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/article/rihanna-fenty-beauty-diversity

At the Fashion Business School there are four pillars: Planet, People, Profit and Purpose. The pillar Planet is about how the fashion industry affects the planet through the fashion process from producing the textiles to having a finished garment in stores and what we can do to prevent damage to the planet and be more sustainable. There are major environmental impacts that the production of textile alone causes. In 2015, 79 billion cubic metres of water was used by the textile and clothing industry (EPRS,2019) and it was found that 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by clothing and footwear production (EPRS,2017). As a result of the actions of consumers and producers, the planet is facing consequences. To combat this, the fashion industry often talks about being more sustainable and it is defined by the United Nations Brundtland Commission as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (United Nations, 1987). The circular economy is also often talked about, and it is based on three principles: to eliminate waste and pollution; to circulate products and materials and to regenerate nature (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2019). In the fashion industry, the circular economy means that companies and consumers aim to keep resources in use for as long as possible through means such as recycling, re-using, and repairing.

In 2015, the United Nations introduced 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) which are hoped to be achieved by 2030 and they provide a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future” (United Nations,2015).

Many of these SDG’s correspond with what the fashion industry needs to improve on such as responsible consumption and production (12^th SDG) and climate action (13^th SDG). Encouraging consumers and producers to work on climate action can impact on the planet hugely for the future generation. One of the main issues with the fashion industry is the number of harmful gases and products that is it releasing into the planet. A study from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has shown that if the fashion industry continues the way it is currently, by 2050 it could use more than 26% of the carbon budget associated with a 2% global warming limit. By investing in green technology and renewable energy, producers can cut back on the amount of CO2 they release during production. Furthermore, the scale at which water is consumed for textile production is astronomical and during production, chemicals and microfibres are being dumped into water systems which makes the water dangerous to consume. To be more sustainable and to protect the future of the planet, the fashion industry must innovate to reduce the waste it is releasing.

References:

European Parliament (2022). The impact of textile production and waste on the environment 

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201208STO93327/the-impact-of-textile-production-and-waste-on-the-environment-infographic

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2019). What is a circular economy? 

https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (no date). Fashion and the circular economy

https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/fashion-and-the-circular-economy

United Nations (2015). Sustainable development goals 

https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals