Chloe Longman

Why do brands operate the way they do? What is the purpose of their practices? A brands purpose is the motivation behind their support, it’s why they are deemed competitive. “They’re looking beyond tangible products and actually trying to understand what is it that makes the company tick. What’s its mission? What’s its purpose? And what is it actually trying to build for us as a society?” (Finneman, 2020). Here, Finneman was discussing what Generation Z are looking for in companies and how they consider more than just the product they are trying to market.

One of the most crucial aspects of an association is its philosophy. It’s defined in the dictionary as ‘the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.’ (Dictionary, 2012). A key word here is ’truth’ and as mentioned above, that is what consumers want, the company’s truth. As a customer, you want to support a company with clear goals and ambitions that is honest with its practices.

A brand with a particularly valuable example of this is ASOS. In 2021, they released a progress update for their ‘Fashion with Integrity’ mission. In order to create and update their goals to be more relevant to their customer they had the report carried out by an external source. Which was able to focus on what was relevant for the company relating to particular world developments and trends.

This will communicate well to Gen Z as ASOS are displaying that they take their goals and in turn their company seriously. As ASOS’ main consumer is Gen Z, they will appreciate the company showing they care about their customers and their futures.

’”I also have means by which I can access influencers and experts that have points of view in this space that might align with mine.”’ (Finneman, 2020). Finneman was speaking about Gen Z having the most access to social media compared to that of other generations. Companies can use this to their advantage to communicate their brand’s purpose. If they can strongly research what exactly Gen Z’s views are, they can potentially start to base their business plan around this to capture the attention of a wider market. Which circles back to what ASOS managed to do well.

Bibliography:

Finneman, B. Spagnuolo, E. And Rahilly, L. (2020.) McKinsey&Company, Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping. (Podcast Script). Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping

Profit is an important part of business but how do brands keep creative whilst executing this? In this current age, companies must keep a firm connection between commerce and creativity.

‘Each year more than 92 x 1000000t of garment waste are produced.’ (John and Mishra, 2023). This fact alone shows the mass of the fashion industry and how profitable it must be in order to produce such extensive amounts of waste each year. ‘The fashion industry is the fourth biggest industry globally… the rapid development of the fashion industry negatively impacts the environment.’ (Chen, 2023). Meaning that despite the fashion industry being profitable, it is not necessarily prosperous.

However, sustainability is just one part of a much larger sector which is business. There are many sectors that construct the fashion industry: design/creativity, business, consumerism etc. In order for the fashion industry to be successful, there must be a strong connection between sectors.

This is how a brand can maintain its prosperity and remain competitive. An example of a brand that is particularly aware of bridging the gap between these sectors and being one of the leading in the industry is Selfridges.

They offer ’Selfridges Rental’ which is in collaboration with HURR. With this scheme they are notably catering towards the gap between sustainability and consumerism. ‘Curated by our expert buyers, Selfridges Rental helps you rent your favourite styles from our leading designers and brands at Selfridges. It’s all part of our pioneering initiative, Project Earth, which explores new ways to shop and help do our bit for the planet.’ (Selfridges, 2023). It’s a flexible strategy as you ’Select your dream piece to rent for 4, 8, 16 or 30 days and get the look delivered straight to your door.’ (Selfridges, 2023).

In ‘Fashion Marketing and Communication : Theory and Practice Across the Fashion Industry’, Mitterfellner speaks about the influence of bloggers and celebrities on the public and their fashion choices. ‘By choosing to mostly wear UK high-street brands, those dresses were instantly sold out in stores and online, so much so this was dubbed “the Kate effect”’ (Mitterfellner, 2019).

Now, although it’s understandable that the everyday consumer would not be able to rent their wardrobe from Selfridges, what if high-street brands followed in their steps and offered a similar service? Could this be evolution towards a more sustainable industry whilst still accounting for consumerism? And as seen by the “Kate effect”, influencers could have a large part in the success of this.

In all this, creative directors have a considerable part to play too, I believe that if this scheme was not only advertised but merchandised well, it could be monumental.

Bibliography:

Chen, Y. (2023). Wiley Online Library, How blockchain adoption affects supply chain sustainability in the fashion industry: a systematic review and case studies. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/itor.13273

John, EP. And Mishra, U. (2023). ScienceDirect, Journal of Cleaner Production, A sustainable three-layer circular economic model with controllable waste, emission, and wastewater from the textile and fashion industry. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652622052167

Mitterfellner, O. (2019). Fashion Marketing and Communication : Theory and Practice Across the Fashion Industry: Chapter 5 – social media, blogs, and opinion- leaders: who is leading your opinion? ProQuest E-Book Central, Taylor and Francis Group. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=5981798&ppg=99

Selfridges (2023). Selfridge&Co Rental. Available at: https://selfridgesrental.com/?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=CjwKCAiA3aeqBhBzEiwAxFiOBvGiZB4CPjT_cHAQUtF2xJIp0qDlOVwSJLf8RxLSsF4yBqRKaKGngxoC02oQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

People are an essential part of the fashion industry, from designers to consumers. As of recent though, the focus being more so on Gen Z – the people of now AND of the future. “Gen Zers will make up a quarter of the population of the Asia-Pacific region by 2025.” (McKinsey&Company, 2023.) This statement alone proves the significance of them.

As consumers ”Gen Zers value individual expression and avoid labels. They mobilize themselves for a variety of causes.” (Francis et al, 2018.) In other words, they want something unique and authentic. They will not be easily persuaded, they see through greenwashing, they ask questions.

Following on from this, in order to attract Gen Z, companies need to keep it relevant and real. Read the news, follow the trends and one of the most important elements in the current digital ages: have a strong social media presence. “… the Generation Z is the most ethically diverse and technologically sophisticated generation. Generation Z has an informal, individual and straight way of communicating, and social networking is a vital part of their lives.” (Agarwal et al, 2018.)

As a result of Gen Z being such a free-spoken generation, brands must be conscientious when it comes to topics such as diversity. A positive example of a brand responding to diversity is Nike.

In 2019, Nike introduced a plus size mannequin to their flagship store on Oxford Street, London. Formerly, a debate was sparked between critics, some thought it was ”giant leap forward for inclusivity in sportwear” whilst others were ”commenting that the message being sent was ‘unhealthy’ and ‘dangerous’ and that the mannequin ‘promoted obesity’” (Mitton, 2019.) Tanya Gold, a British journalist, was the most vocal and origin of the negatives in the debate. However, she is 49 years old, perhaps the reason she doesn’t understand their marketing is because she wasn’t the original target consumer?

But target consumer or not, ”Nike’s mannequin may not be promoting obesity as some believe, it is a reflection of modern reality.” (Mitton, 2019.) Bluebella, a lingerie brand, stocked in stores such as Selfridges, completed a report and found ”Ms. Average in the UK is actually a size 16” (Bluebella, 2017.) Proving that Nike was just providing for it’s clientele.

In summary, Nike has shown that in order to be successful, companies must have active listening, problem solving and creativity skills. Through possessing these abilities, they grew their target market.

Bibliography:

Argarwal, H. And Vaghela, PS. (2018.) Work Values Of Gen Z: Bridging the Gap to the Next Generation. National Conference on Innovative Business Management Practices in 21″ Century, Faculty of Management Studies, Parul University, Gujarat, India. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pratiksinh-Vaghela/publication/334400459_WORK_VALUES_OF_GEN_ZBridging_the_Gap_to_the_Next_Generation/links/5d39cf0c92851cd04686491e/WORK-VALUES-OF-GEN-ZBridging-the-Gap-to-the-Next-Generation.pdf

Bluebella. (2017.) Bluebella, The Changing Shape of Women. https://www.bluebella.com/blogs/news/changing-shape-of-women

Francis, T. And Hoefel, F. (2018.) McKinsey&Company, ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

McKinsey&Company. (2023.) What is Gen Z? https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z

Mitton, N. (2019.) MyMed, Obesity is a growing health concern, is Nike’s new plus-size mannequin helping or harming? – Plus-size mannequins – what’s the fuss really about? https://www.mymed.com/latest-news/obesity-is-a-growing-health-concern-is-nikes-new-plus-size-mannequin-helping-or-harming

Mitton, N. (2019.) MyMed, Obesity is a growing health concern, is Nike’s new plus-size mannequin helping or harming? – Nike’s plus-size mannequin reflects a growing reality. https://www.mymed.com/latest-news/obesity-is-a-growing-health-concern-is-nikes-new-plus-size-mannequin-helping-or-harming

Figure 1.

When you hear the word ’planet’ what do you think of? Many people will say the word ’sustainable’ but what exactly are we sustaining? Many people and brands claim to be sustainable but are they all sustaining something productive? If consumption continues at its current rate, we’ll need three times as many natural resources by 2050 compared to what we used in 2000. (World Resources Institute, 2017.) Even if they are, whatever these brands are doing isn’t adequate. We can sustain something but if that particular situation isn’t bringing out a positive impact then it is not sustainable.

Alternatively, the idea of a circular economy can be explored. This is to turn goods that are at the end of their service life into resources for others, closing loops in industrial ecosystems and minimising waste (Nature, 2016.) It is an idea that has already been regarded as it is very similar to ’reduce, reuse, recycle’ the only difference being who it is for – circular economy is a business model aimed towards large companies which is contradictory to the other concept which is for the everyday consumer. And until these preponderant businesses advance it really does not matter what we do.

Sustainability and fashion go hand in hand with each other, from the raw materials to the consumer’s wardrobe, each process has an impact on the planet and in turn sustainability. But let’s be honest, the real starting point is the people in charge. What are their values? If they don’t have the correct values to make a difference then we are not going to see one.

In this image, it states some changes that those higher up could make for a more sustainable industry. And like most things in life, one person starts, others follow. Not only would this cause a positive imprint on the planet, also on people. For example where it states supporting local economies this creates recognition for smaller communities who are taking the correct environmental approach and encouraging them to continue, as humans we thrive off of appraisal. Circling back to my point from the end of the previous paragraph, these smaller groups do have the correct values and could maybe teach those that are higher up a thing or two…

However, designers should also be concerned with the balance between social, ethical, cultural and economic issues and needs, so strategies that aim to make improvements in these areas must be considered to be equally as important. (A Practical Guide To Sustainable Fashion, 2020.) This is an example of how all these different aspects all have an impact on each other.

Perhaps quality education is an SDG that has been previously disregarded however will have a very strong impact on the fashion industry and that will be important for future generations. There will be people in education now that in the future could potentially be a CEO for one of these brands and if people can be educated on the effects of their actions and take accountability for theirs and others behaviour then maybe we have a chance of slowly reversing the effects on the planet. In turn sustaining something that really is sustainable.

Bibliography:

Drew, D. and Yehounme, G. (2017) World Resources Institute, The Apparel Industry’s Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics. https://www.wri.org/insights/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics?inline-read-more=

Gwilt, A. (2020) A Practical Guide To Sustainable Fashion, Chapter 2 – The Life Cycle of a Garment, Bloomsbury Fashion Central. (Online) https://www-bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9781350067059&tocid=b-9781350067059-chapter2&pdfid=9781350067059.ch-002.pdf

Stahel, WR. (2016) Nature, The Circular Economy. https://www.nature.com/articles/531435a

Figure 1 – 4tify (2023) A Brief History in Sustainable Fashion Milestones. https://www.4tify.co/blog/a-brief-history-in-sustainable-fashion-milestones

Figure 2 – Gardetti, MA. and Torres, AL. (2017) Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles: Values, Design, Production and Consumption, Chapter 1 – Slow Fashion, Tailoring a Strategic Approach for Sustainability, Google books. (Online) https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oqk0DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT7&dq=sustainability+in+fashion&ots=QHF7fniIbN&sig=i6C9OWOmvkgIOAU4QYTeJeHGAdQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sustainability%20in%20fashion&f=false

Figure 3 – Vivek (2020) Towards Data Science, Knowledge Graphs for Social Good Workshop: Helping the United Nations achieve Sustainable Development Goals. https://towardsdatascience.com/knowledge-graphs-for-social-good-workshop-helping-the-united-nations-achieve-sustainable-a18fa338731

Bershka

With their Instagram bio reading ’CREATIVITY. SELF EXPRESSION. STYLE.’ Bershka is exactly that. Their brand allows you to be expressive through fashion. Their products speak to the every generation, due to their brand being split into three categories – Bershka, Bershka Man and BSK (their teen brand) . Quoted from the website ”BSK is the brand for younger people, and always caters to the interests and needs of this public”.

They make up one of the seven brands in the Inditex Group and are responsible for 9% of the total revenue after only 18 years in business. Other brands in this group include Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull&Bear.

Their concept is unique and striking, you feel magnetised to their stores which are placed very strategically in the most convenient locations. They have been merchandised in a way that compliments the architecture, the stores feel fresh, exciting. They make you feel a way that fashion should.

As previously mentioned, Bershka offer products for men, women and teens, they have something for everyone. Each piece is carefully constructed and versatile. From their website ”A wide spectrum ranging from casual wear to sports and from basic garments to more fashionable items.” This helps them to appeal to the maximum audience. Another way they do this is by offering ’extra’ products such as shoes and accessories. It’s a simple thing but smart.

Like many other brands in the 21st century, Bershka have a big focus on sustainability. From their website ”We are developing an ‘eco-efficient’ shop management model, by integrating sustainability and efficiency criteria, which will allow for a reduction in energy consumption of 20%.” This new model will be put in place from the stores to the factories to allow for more sustainable practices. Products are being made with more sustainable resources such as organic cotton. These products are marked with a specific label. It is also mentioned that products containing fur or leather have been resourced from farms raising animals for food and not the sole purpose of slaughtering them for their skin.

Overall, Bershka is the future of fashion. They are always testing the limits of fashion and producing exclusive lines and products. They have a strong stand on sustainability in all aspects of their company and offer products at a reasonable price.