Molly Russell-scott

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People

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People are seen as one of the key pillars of fashion sustainability at the Fashion Business School at the University of the arts London. The idea of people focuses on diversity and inclusion within fashion. Not limited to the consumer, this also focuses on the people involved in the production of fashion such as designers, design influences and labourers. 

At the centre of the conversation of People within fashion it is important to look at the Gen Z consumer. Gen Z have lived throughout the development of Globalisation thanks to the Internet and social media ,which has interconnected the politics allowing with more connections with people and businesses worldwide (Conde Nast 2020). Along with this and living through a global pandemic makes Gen Z a unique consumer base. For example 48.6% of Gen Z consumer prefer shopping online for reasons of finding the best price or the convenience whilst in store shopping is seen as a day-out (Moran,Drapers,2022). Gen Z compared to other generation are far more concerned about the ethics of a brand and almost half said they had abounded purchases from brands that didn’t align with their values such as environmental sustainability (Moran,Drapers, 2022). Considering the behaviour of Gen Z consumers brands have to focus on building an ethical brand ethos for this growing consumer base.

Fig 1. Graph showing genratinal preferences on ways to shop. (Moran. G,Drapers 2022)

In order for a brand to become more attractive towards Generation Z consumers it has to put a priority and make shifts towards sustainability. Gen Z have shown clear willing to invest more in sustainable products going beyond labels but a consistent mission inherent within a brand (Londrigan & Jenkins 2018). Gen Z consumers also value authentic brands. With an after pay report on 1000 Gen Z consumers, of half said a lack of diversity would affect their perception of a brand. Furthermore, indicates why small businesses hold more Gross Merchandise (GMV) value than big corporations today ( Business of Fashion 2020). Implicating if a brand needs to be successful in a Gen Z market they need to strong commitment to a sustainable, ethical, diverse brand mission ; along with a sensitive understanding central to their consumers.

Fig 2. Savage X fenty models and their dounder Rihanna (centre) at the Savage X Fenty Show. Getty Images.

A brand which has responded to the increased demand for diversity is Savage X Fenty the lingerie brand founded by Rihanna in 2018. Diversity defined as the acknowledgment and respect of differences within people and culture (Conde Nast 2020) Rihannas show included models from a diverse range of ethnicities, body shapes and gender( Hakeem, 2020) showing a broad spectrum to accurately represent her prospective consumer market. The inclusion and wide diversity of the Savage X Fenty line leads it to be a threatening competitor to industry proponents such as Victoria’s Secret (Iqbal,2019). The impact of such a young brand implicates that the values of people such as Gen Z are a important factor within the success of a Brand.

Business of fashion.com 2020.How to Communicate and Connect with Gen-Z Consumers.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/afterpay-communicate-and-connect-with-gen-z-consumers/ (Accessed 16/10/2022)

Condenast.com. 2020. Condé Nast Launches The Sustainable Fashion Glossary.

https://www.condenast.com/news/conde-nast-launches-sustainable-fashion-glossary (Accessed 16/10/2022)

Hakeem, F., (2020) “Examining Body Positivity in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Lingerie Runway Show”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12011 (Accessed 16/10/2022)

Iqbal, N. (2019, September 8). Could Rihanna’s new lingerie line turn out to be her greatest hit?. The Guardian.

 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/08/rihanna-lingerie-savage-x-fenty- victorias-secret-new-york-fashion-week (Accessed 16/10/2022)

Londrigan, M.P., & Jenkins, J.M. (2018). Fashion Supply Chain Management. New York: Fairchild (e-book)  https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1449128 (Accessed 16/10/22)

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

https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022 (Accessed 16/10/22)

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Pillar One:Planet

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The planet is the pillar that is most detrimentally impacted by Fashion and a key driving factor now into the motivation behind consumer purchases. The percentage of Gen Z consumers seeing sustainability as a significant factor when purchasing and considering price mark-ups had grown by 10% in the last year, with over half of Gen Z consumers being inclined to purchase items that didn’t align with their personal values (Moran, Drapers, 2022). The attitudes of the modern consumer has made The Planet an important driving factor of consumer choice.

The nature of fashion today is inherently unsustainable therefore threatens the planet . The politics of trends and new creations  production just as the newest one hits the runway makes fashion lays poor foundations for sustainability. Ritual cycles lead recyclable textiles and garments being left to being discarded ending their life prematurely (English, 2013). Challenging these rituals , some brands are taking a second look on how fashion is produced and consumed. A key proponent in this movement, Early Majority founded by former Patagonia marketing vice-president presents a unisex line committed to keeping to producing a core line of a few products with no new pieces, free repairs on purchased garments and a paid membership access to interviews and digital content along with discounted price on all items (Moran, Drapers 2022). Reframing the way we produce and consume is key to making fahsion a Sustainable industry.

The idea of sustainability in fashion lays the foundation on the movement towards a circular economy. This is a production cycle which existing products are re-used, re-cycled and re-sold until it is no longer able to ensure the least amount of waste possible. This can be achieved through the craft of use. An idea based on research by Kate Fletcher, challenges market-driven over-consumption by extending the life of the garment as long as possible through repairs, care such as laundering and recycling (Condé Nast, 2020). A circular economy not only exemplifies sustainable behaviour within consumption but also encourages consumers to change their behaviour and outlook towards their already owned garments, being more conscious of how they treat and how they value their own garments, in turn their own personal style.

Figure one: An example of how a circular economy works within fashion production (Vogue Business.com,2020)

Fashion’s sustainability problem lends to the UN’s twelfth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), consumption and production. In effort to see this SGD behaviours need to change. Studies show that the majority of negative environmental impact happens in the use-phase (wearing, washing, storage) of clothes. The poor use and failure to repair garments leads to shorter life-span of items and high levels of waste going to landfills and being incinerated adding to pollution(Gwilt,2020). Failure to recycle and short garment life-spans increase consumption and demand for items in turn leading to speedier and less sustainable production practices. 

In order to prioritise the planet the way we consume and see clothes and behaviour towards them needs to change as a whole in order to achieve Sustainability.

condenast.com. 2020. Condé Nast The Sustainable Fashion Glossary. https://www.condenast.com/glossary (Accessed 07/10/22)

English, B. (2013) A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th and 21st Centuries: From Catwalk to Sidewalk. London: Bloomsbury (e-book).

Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books (e-book).

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022

https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022 (Accessed 07/10/2022)

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

https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022 (Accessed 07/10/22)

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Favourite fashion brand: Stussy

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Stussy was founded in the 1980s by Shawn stussy aimed at the surfboard/skate scene in which it grew most of it’s popularity. The brand is most recognisable by it’s distictive graffiti logo in which Shawn Stussy inscribed onto surfboards in his time as a surfboard manufacturer.

Stussy has taken place as my favourite brand due to their high quality streetwear which is timeless. I find their placing and use of logo especially on their hoodies is what draws me to the brand the most. Despite being founded thirty years ago stussy finds ways to reinvent thier logo through colour, placement and other means,making their brand an exciting one to follow but, also a solid sense of brand indentity . Even though stussy was purposely made for sportswear during skateboarding or after surfing.I find their peices and the easly recognisable logo makes the ideal streetwear staple in my wardrobe.

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