One of my favourite fashion brands is called ‘I.AM.GIA’ – I love this brand due to its eccentric fashion style and the mix of a masculine and feminine sense to its style. Although it has a ‘y2k’ feel to the brand, ‘I.AM.GIA’ also involves a modern and innovative quality to the clothes. I find that the overall quality is good and has a ‘look’ that is easily identifiable as ‘I.AM.GIA’ which is one of the many reasons why I like the brand a lot.
TALA is an upcoming activewear brand, which saw an opportunity in the market due to the lack of sustainable sports apparel. Their mission is clear, to produce sustainable clothing which not only is flattering to wear but supports our society and global needs. TALA is significantly aware of the necessary steps the fashion industry must endeavour in order to support our planet. The brand is driven by their determination to source materials that are eco-friendly, producing a broad range of options which are inclusive and affordable.
TALA was founded in 2018 by Grace Beverly, a passionate individual seeking to make a difference in the Fashion industry, making conscious decisions which benefits both the label and their consumers. The brand specifically highlights that although we as a society are part of the planet’s environmental issues, we are also the solution. A difference can be made and it is possible!
The activewear brand are focused on producing high-quality designs, aiming to ensure their consumers feel empowered and comfortable whilst supporting the planet. Beverly recognises that sustainable apparel is rather a privilege, but an investment worth the cost. Hence why TALA considers accessible prices, in which consumers are able to justify without a guilty conscience.
“£100 for a pair of leggings just isn’t possible for a lot of people. It seemed that sustainability was a trendy thing so brands went, ‘we can charge a premium on that’. So I thought, let’s find a middle ground. At TALA, we sell activewear that’s 92% sustainable but the difference is, it’s affordable. We don’t want people to have to take out a loan to buy some leggings!”
– Grace Beverley, TALA founder
The focus is maintaining a minimalistic style, these classic staples are designed to be reworn. The company states, a key priority of theirs is ‘creating clothes that you’ll want to wear over and over again’. Enabling consumers to shop with conscious, since in the UK on average a piece of clothing is worn roughly 7 times. These continuous habits are contributing to the severity of landfills alongside impacting the environment as a whole.
TALA’s admiration and brand recognition is becoming increasingly popular, due to the nature of what the label displays. The activewear portrays their diversity on a broad scale, through their campaigns as well as providing a variety of sizes. This thereby promotes an inclusive and empowering message for all body types, enabling consumers to feel a sense of acceptance. As there is no specific body type that we must adhere to.
TALA is the future of sustainable activewear. The label is a positive outlook for the necessary measures we must take within the fashion industry for a positive society and healthy planet.
Sources:
https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/tala
https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/work/how-to-get-investment-for-business-767576
The architect of punk fashion, the campaigner for activism, the link between past, present and future told through the reworking of styles from history – that is Vivienne Westwood.
As a young girl growing up in a working-class family Vivienne had no dreams of becoming a world renown fashion icon. While starting her working life as a primary school teacher, she also made jewellery and sold the pieces at a stall in Portobello Road (which is still to this day an iconic London landmark). However, during her marriage to Sex Pistols manager Malcom McLaren she began making clothing that he designed, and they displayed in their store. This gained them increased recognition as the band began wearing their creations. As a result, their store, named SEX, became a meeting place for early members of the London punk scene such as Sid Vicious, Chrissie Hynde and Pamela Rooke. The most well-known products sold at SEX were purposefully ripped or bleached T-shirts depicting controversial images that confronted social and sexual taboos which the punk era of the 70s became synonymous with.
While being the fashion icon she is, Vivienne Westwood is also a prominent activist and campaigns for many political and social subjects such as climate change, clean energy and consumerism. The mission statement for the company is to ‘promote awareness and campaign for a better world’ highlighting her beliefs. She appeared in a PETA ad campaign promoting vegetarianism and World Water Day in order to bring to attention the meat industry’s water consumption. Furthermore, in 2014 Westwood became a majority stakeholder and ambassador for the equity crowdfunding platform Trillion Fund which raises money for environmental and social projects.
One of Westwood’s most famed pieces is the corset top. Originating in the 1600s corsets were a prominent item of clothing worn by women and while the ideology behind it remained the same the structure changed over the years to accommodate each era’s preferred female silhouette. Vivienne Westwood’s revival of the corset for her Harris Tweed collection in 1987, after it hadn’t been fashionable since the 50s/60s, cemented her iconic design style and fulfilled her aim of becoming a link between past, present and future.
Since husband-and-wife duo, Ditto and Nicolaj Reffstruf, took over the company in 2009, Ganni has grown to become one of Denmark’s most renowned fashion labels. The brand boasts a fun and colourful style, whilst also balancing sophistication with playfulness, placing themselves in the sweet spot between high end and high street fashion. As explained by the label’s Creative Director, Ditto Reffstrup, “It’s all about the contrast”, an inherently feminine style in combination with individuality and comfort.
The brand’s viral hashtag “#GanniGirls”, invites women of all “age, occupation and origin” to celebrate confidence and unpredictability in their attitude towards fashion. The Ganni girl embraces her individuality and feels comfortable in her own skin, which Ganni’s creative director, Ditto, believes starts from within. A #GanniGirl is a mindset, more than a type of attire, however, is reflected in the clothing she wears. As a young woman, I seek to replicate the #GanniGirl attitude, whereby embracing my femininity with confidence and having fun with it are essential to navigating the challenges I may be faced with in an everchanging city.
Furthermore, as stated by Ganni’s sustainability and CSR director Lauren Bartley, the brand feels a “moral obligation” to promote and achieve sustainability and responsibility in their business practices. Ganni has implemented a sustainability and CSR strategy, called the Responsibility Gameplan, which aims to achieve 44 goals related to “people”, “planet”, “product” and “prosperity” by 2023. Whilst they do not claim to be sustainable, under the belief that no fashion retailer can be truly sustainable in “the current system”, their three-year strategy focuses on continuous improvement of their work practices in order to better themselves in today’s shifting climate. Ganni recently achieved B-Corp certification with 90.6 points, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability and responsibility as a business and astronomically exceeding the average company score of 50.9 points. I applaud Ganni for their constant mission to better themselves as a responsible business, particularly within the fashion industry, due to its detrimental impact on the environment. Their attitude towards achieving the highest standards of responsibility, despite its challenges, is an inspiration and proves the potential for the sustainable future of fashion.
References
Bartley, L. (2022). Ganni: ‘We want to leave the fashion industry better than we found it’. Drapers. [online] 24 Feb. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/ganni-we-want-to-leave-the-fashion-industry-better-than-we-found-it [Accessed 3 Oct. 2022].
Carnaby (2020). The #GanniGirls are Coming. [online] www.carnaby.co.uk. Available at: https://www.carnaby.co.uk/magazine/ganni-girls-are-coming/ [Accessed 3 Oct. 2022].
Nast, C. (2022). Ganni Is Officially A B Corp. [online] British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/ganni-b-corp [Accessed 3 Oct. 2022].
Net-A-Porter (n.d.). The inside story of a fashion cult… [online] NET-A-PORTER. Available at: https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-gb/porter/article-b008229e7775429f/fashion/art-of-style/ganni [Accessed 3 Oct. 2022].
Nguyen, A. (2021). What Is a ‘Ganni Girl’? [online] The Cut. Available at: https://www.thecut.com/2021/10/what-is-a-ganni-girl.html#:~:text=That%20is%20Shazam [Accessed 3 Oct. 2022].
Reffstruf, D. (n.d.). The Original Ganni Girl | Liberty. [online] www.libertylondon.com. Available at: https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/features/fashion/the-original-ganni-girl.html [Accessed 3 Oct. 2022].
Reffstrup, D. (2020). #GANNIGIRLS For Change – Responsible Fashion Movement | GANNI UK. [online] Ganni. Available at: https://www.ganni.com/en-gb/ganni-universe.html [Accessed 2 Oct. 2022].
Founded in 2009 by Lev Tanju, Palace quickly become one of the leading brands for skateboards as well as clothing. For me I chose this brand as one of my top fashion brands as I find their clothing is unique and authentic, they are a unisex brand with style and fit being more closely suited to the male body. However, do not exclusively sell for men, it is something that is never mentioned, for me I love how easy it feels when shopping their as It makes me feel comfortable to try anything.
There is a consistent theme throughout the clothing you can buy form palace and that is, comfort being key. All products are comfy, easy and oversized which allows a more laid-back aesthetic one that fits in with target consumer being a skateboarder. The comfort of their clothes also runs into their social media pages being led with a very laid back, don’t give a sh*t approach by responding to negative comments and having a laugh when it comes to descriptions of their clothes on the web store. This shows how the brand is being communicated to the public and is one of the main futures of why It’s my favourite brand as its unconventional.
“Every piece sold out instantly”
(Nast, 2019)
Palace have collaborated with many brands such as, arc’teryx, reebok, Calvin Klein, ralph Lauren and most recently Adidas. These collaborations they have done shows how in tune they are with their consumers and style the fit into, for the brands points of view it opens up a whole new consumer but from a consumer aspect it as it offers new creative designs and also gives us knowledge on a brand we may not have heard of before. During their most recent collaboration with Adidas both the brands worked consciously to make the adidas ultra-boost 21 shoe to become a sustainable product as well as making a cap and some socks “go from being 68% to 97% recycled materials” (Willson, 2021)
(Adidas X Palace shoe, 2021)
I think that the next direction palace should go into next is introducing more sustainable lines to move forward with the changing world, from a marketing point of view I think they should stary doing more gruella marketing like the brand unknown who did a treasure hunt to find products. This produced so much publicity for the brand and would be a great starting point to make the brand more known across other areas of fashion.
Resources
Willson, T., 2021. Palace and adidas Reunite For Sustainability-Focused Running Capsule. [online] HYPEBEAST. Available at: <https://hypebeast.com/2021/10/palace-skateboards-adidas-running-collection-fw21-release-info> [Accessed 3 October 2022].
2021. Adidas X Palace shoe. [image] Available at: <https://hypebeast.com/2021/10/palace-skateboards-adidas-running-collection-fw21-release-info> [Accessed 3 October 2022].
Nast, C., 2019. The ten fashion items that defined the past decade. [online] British GQ. Available at: <https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/fashion/gallery/10-items-of-decade> [Accessed 3 October 2022].
Prada is one of my favourite fashion brands. Founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada, the brand has become an icon in the fashion world for generations. Prada offers prestige, exclusivity, and use of the finest raw materials. In addition to being considered classic and eccentric, frumpy and hip, Prada clothing and accessories are characterized by an ambiguous techno-retro sensibility. Despite its modern style, Prada still draws on the northern Italian traditions of discrete elegance and fine craftsmanship.
Unlike other luxury fashion houses, Prada does not rely on iconic logos to establish its brand identity. Instead of making its products instantly recognizable with a logo or design, the brand focuses on maintaining its own unique aesthetic. The marketing strategies they have used have also been brilliant, which has helped them gain new customers.
Besides that, Prada has also committed to continuous evolution and innovation, reflecting the changing desires and needs of its market. As of 2019, Prada released Re-Nylon, a fabric made entirely from plastic waste collected from oceans or regenerated waste scraps. Also, they promise to replace all virgin-nylon materials with Econyl in 2021. This shows that Prada continues to be an innovative brand, capable of reinventing itself and adapting to new consumer trends while also being ethical and mindful towards the planet.
Prada will also eliminate the use of animal fur in its products, demonstrating their commitment to social responsibility. It was made possible through collaboration with the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition comprising more than 40 organizations dedicated to the prevention and elimination of animal cruelty.
As part of the Prada Group’s business approach, human rights are respected, workers are supported, and diversity is promoted. As a matter of fact, the Group promotes equality of opportunity and does not register any discrimination cases in 2018. Third parties that provide factories or external suppliers with materials and/or labor must meet the Code of Ethics and be authorized by them.
Generally, I like Prada mainly because of the way in which they market their products without being too flashy. As a result of this self-assured and understated approach to design, Prada has enjoyed great success. In essence, it is a high-quality product that makes a statement without trying too hard. On top of that, they also demonstrate a strong commitment to people and the environment through their values and commitments.
References:
Marine Serre, a well-known French fashion designer, born in December 1991, sought out to become a tennis player but gained an interest in fashion, sparked by her appreciation and adoration for vintage. Serre studied in Marseille and after 2 years she moved to Belgium to attend La Cambre and graduated with high honours in 2016.
Marine Serre’s graduation show “Radical Call for Love” became a sensation, she sparked the interest of international stores such as The Broken Arm and Dover Street Market. Serre then lead on to work with Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen as part of an internship. Moreover, she held further internship positions at Maison Margiela and Dior under Raf Simons. While developing her own label, Serre worked for a year as a junior designer at Balenciaga with creative director Demma Gvasalia. By Marine Serre being able to work with these top fashion designers, she was able to learn about the industry and it gave her exposure in the field.
Serre made her runway debut in February 2018 in Paris in which her work focused on innovation and sustainability, with a minimum of 50% of her collection consisting of upcycled material, such as old lace tablecloths and vintage silk scarves. In 2019, she become the first to collaborate with an air-filtration mask company to produce her branded air purifying masks.
Brand Image
If you are aware of Marine Serre then you would know that her brand is well known for the iconic crescent moon print, in which she utilises in her looks such as her couture shapes and sportswear fabrications.
“The moon for us is like an icon, an emblem, an image, a representation, a flag, a language, a metaphor, an object of what we believe in: crossing boundaries, hybridity and freedom”
Marine Serre
Serre reveals how the symbol speaks to the values of the brand she’s established, beyond just being a familiar logo. She’s drawn to the chimeric nature of the moon, and the way it’s represented different things culturally, from lunar phases to ancient goddesses, Islamic iconography and even iconic 90s anime Sailor Moon. “It is one of the oldest symbols that ever existed, present everywhere, and that keeps evolving with us… It is never stable and timeless at the same time” .
Marine Serre and Sustainability
Marine Serre’s focus on innovation and sustainability is what makes her brand one that is favoured by many. She places recycling and up-cycling at the forefront of the brand and designs and manufactures fashion-forward clothing from up-cycled and regenerated materials. Serre works with innovative and sustainable fibres, such as biodegradable yarns and recycled fibres.
Personal Favourite Looks by Marine Serre
Sources
Asri Jasman 2020, Marine Serre: All you need to know about the designer and her now-iconic moon prints, viewed 28th September 2022, <https://www.esquiresg.com/marine-serre-beyonce-black-is-king-adele-crescent-moon-prints-fashion-designer-style-profile/>
Emma Hope Allwood 2020, Why Marine Serre’s moon prints are taking over the world, viewed 3rd October 2022, <https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/49581/1/marine-serre-moon-print-jersey-trend-style>
Unknown 2022, Marine Serre- Sustainability facts, ratings, goals, viewed 3rd October 2022, <https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/marine-serre>
My favourite fashion brand is Asos because they have a big ethical stance and support suppliers to help meet their ethical standards. They set targets to reduce their impact on the planet and have strict sourcing guidelines for animal materials and producing animal free products.
Asos are aiming for net zero carbon emission by 2030 and aim to ensure that 100% of their own brand products and packaging are made from more sustainable or recyclable materials. They are also prioritising extending the life of garments by making better material choices. This means that Asos are trying to reduce their impact on the planet and aiming to be more sustainable in the production line which is why I like the brand.
They are also ‘expanding transparency and human rights progress across the supply chain and setting new diversity, equity and inclusion goals’, this means they are actively trying to improve the quality of life in the workers across the supply chain. By 2025 they want to ensure all third-party brands have signed a transparency pledge meaning supply chains will have basic human rights.
In 2021 Asos reported they ‘more than tripled first-half profits to a record of £106m’ as they still benefit from the pandemic as people shift to shopping online. Casual wear such as gym leggings and joggers had an 86% rise in sales and sales growth overall was 39%. As a result, the company expects to benefit from demand from new outfits as people have returned to ‘normal’ and started socialising more. This is all increasing profits which I would say is one measure of success however I would also argue that the huge sales growth shows more success.
Asos’s purpose is ‘We believe in a world where you have the freedom to explore and express yourself without judgement, no matter who you are or where you’re from. That is why our purpose is to give fashion-loving 20-somethings the confidence to be whoever they want to be.’ I like their values are about people expressing themselves through fashion which is inclusive for all.
Overall, I like the brand with their stand on the planet and people. The morals and values of the company make their success and their aims of sustainability within the next 8 years. This is why Asos is one of my favourite fashion brands.
Bibliography:
As the fourth child of a single mother, Elisabetta Franchi knew from a very young age what hard work meant. Her beginnings were very humble, as she was raised in a one-income household in Bologna1, where she studied and discovered her passion and purpose: to become a fashion designer while improving the industries ethical aspects.
Her first steps were at the very bottom of the pyramid, working as a retailer in a small shop. She got to appreciate the importance of consumers preferences and likings, creating a strong base in which she still stands: putting costumers needs before business goals. Nevertheless, it seems these two aligned perfectly, as the small boutique she opened in 1995 has become one of the most renowned Italian fashion houses.
She joined business necessities with personal values building her empires headquarters out of an old pharmaceutical laboratory in Bologna. She made use of the construction and gave it a second purpose, respecting the principles of eco-sustainable architecture. Nowadays that eco friendliness is present in the production through the exclusive use of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper2.
As an activist for nature she created the EF ONULUS Foundation, present in some of the biggest anti-fur campaigns in retail by collaborating with LAV (Lega Anti Vivisezione)3 in Italy or the Island Dog Village EF and Action Project Animal4, fighting against animal mistreatment and providing most requested accurate labelling, for what she received a PETA award5.
At the same time, Elisabetta is actively bettering the living wage problem. Although living wages are a human right, it is estimated that 80 million workers in the fashion industry are denied one6. By locating all of the labels production process in the headquarters, she is putting every contract under scrutiny by the Italian government, guaranteeing to give everyone a living wage and committing to the 17 SDOs with the “slow design philosophy”7.
“Sustainability of craft, or the incorporation of hand-worked techniques, now referred to as ‘slow design’ has become central to the philosophy of eco-conscious designers.”
English, B. (2018). CULTURAL HISTORY OF FASHION IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES : from catwalk to sidewalk. bloomsbury.
This woman is one of the best examples of obstacle overcoming as well as one of the most dedicated women to her values and purposes in all business overview. Not only did she get to make her dream come true, but she also used it for the better and created an animal rights protection net that is now helping and saving thousands of lives.
Sources:
Images:
Acne Studios is a fashion house that is based in Stockholm. The brand is known for there
multidisciplinary approach. founded in 1996 by creative director Jonny Johansson, The brand specialises in men’s and woman’s ready-to-wear fashion, accessories, footwear and denim. Their collections are defined by attention to detail, with emphasis too tailoring and use of different fabrics.
As a consumer of this brand I highly value there values when it comes down to sustainable fashion. As a brand they have many sustainability goals and aims which are divided into three key areas, ‘Our products’, ‘Our suppliers’ and ‘Our operations’. Their products are high quality that are made from a mixture of carefully considered materials and techniques. They use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, linen fabrics, as well as recycled fabrics such as recycled polyester and nylon.
Acnes fashion philosophy is to produce a “framework for individuality” by making clothing that is both functional that would fit into everyone’s wardrobe.
I aim to shop sustainably in order to reduce the risk that the fashion industry has put on our planet. In conclusion, Acne Studios is my favourite fashion brand as its unique, sustainable as well as being responsible and open about their sourcing and timeline of their garments.