Aimee Walpole

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asos

Purpose

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What is our purpose? What are our values? What is the purpose we want to see from our present and future fashion industry? During the overall development of millennials and one of the newest generations, Gen Z, brands have a new sudden burst of purpose, for sustainability, diversity and all together inclusion which communicates well to consumers of this day and age. Meeting the needs of today’s society. Purpose is the story telling of a brand (Kretz, 2010).

Brand philosophy is the idea of what ideals a brand will always stay loyal to and carry out thorough the brands growth overtime. In consideration many brands philosophy includes carrying out the United Nations SDG’s (United Nations, 2023), one brand who carries this as a part of their mission is Stella McCartney (Stella McCartney, n.d.). Brand philosophy is important due to the idea of a new vision of circulatory, most brands are looking into now adding to their value, unlike fast fashion brands who don’t overly share their brand’s philosophy due to them not being ideal in this day and age. A company who shares their vales, helps to know how loyal they are to them, for example “Asos” listed its key purpose; authentic, brave, creative, and disciplined (ASOS plc, n.d.), but do they live up to these?

Brands are beginning to develop an idea of how to entice generation z to their products as well as getting to know them through a story. Giving somewhat feeling of blanket targeting the Gen Z consumers. When trying to communicate their ideas to the market, brands will use an influencer of the time to collaborate with who may share the same beliefs, for example, an upstanding display of wanting sustainability and giving willingness to share the brands “story”. Gen Z statistically are shown to more likely to have bought something if the brand is ethical and upholds their vales which can be seen and not just told (Finneman, Spagnuolo and Rahilly, 2020). The idea of cancel culture is a massive thing in this generation, meaning many brands, such as “Balenciaga” (Balenciaga, 2023) have been “cancelled” within seconds if their purpose is not withheld (Velasco, 2020). Before buying a product gen z are more likely to want to know how a company operates, how is everything made, are the products mass produced? Therefore, brands will use their social media platform to showcase how loyal they may be to their values and purpose as an overall company (Finneman, Spagnuolo and Rahilly, 2020).

Bibliography:

ASOS plc. (n.d.). Our purpose and values. [online] Available at: https://www.asosplc.com/this-is-asos/our-purpose-and-values/#:~:text=Our%20vision%20is%20to%20be#.

Balenciaga (2023). Balenciaga Official Online Boutique GB. [online] www.balenciaga.com. Available at: https://www.balenciaga.com/en-gb.

Finneman, B., Spagnuolo, E. and Rahilly, L. (2020). Meet Generation Z: Shaping the Future of Shopping | McKinsey. [online] McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping

Kretz, G. and de Valck, K., 2010. “Pixelize me!”: Digital storytelling and the creation of archetypal myths through explicit and implicit self-brand association in fashion and luxury blogs. In Research in consumer behavior (Vol. 12, pp. 313-329). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Stella McCartney (n.d.). Social Sustainability. [online] www.stellamccartney.com. Available at: https://www.stellamccartney.com/gb/en/sustainability/social-sustainability.html.

United Nations (2023). The 17 Sustainable Development Goals. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals.

Velasco, J.C., 2020. You are cancelled: Virtual collective consciousness and the emergence of cancel culture as ideological purging. Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 12(5), pp.1-7

Image Reference:

(Household Design, n.d.) Household Design. (n.d.). ASOS | Brand Identity, Labelling and Packaging Design – Household. [online] Available at: https://www.household-design.com/work/asos/.

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pierre

Profit

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Gain. Interest. Profit. Profit is one of the main factors collaborating into the fashion industry. It is how companies become a functioning business. Maintaining both environmental and economical profit. Different opinions of what profit varies from brands net income to investments to social income (Littleton, 1928), a brand nevertheless is run through its profits.

Through from the economical size to the organisational size, the fashion industry is always growing. Inflation in itself making it increase by the day (McKinsey, 2022). Moreover, from the economical growth of the fashion industry, is the consumers retail expanding from haute couture and luxury fashion through to high street fashion and mass market productions scales of different brands, all producing numerous jobs, as well as numerous amounts of money. The global cost of living crisis and Covid 19 having major impacts on the fashion industry’s income (Fashion United, 2022). Before Covid 19, the industries global revenue stood at around “$2.5 trillion. However, post covid, the revenue has gradually worked its way up to less still than it was before at “$1.95 billion” (Fashion United, 2022).

The fashion industry is made up of a collaboration of various different sectors, varying from marketing to design and to the actual production of a product. The biggest revenue at this time is the women’s clothing market, making up to over 50% of global retail spending (Fashion United, 2022). Another major sector of the industry comes before the actual product and is the collection of raw materials and production of textiles. All sectors generating millions of jobs globally.

Amongst uncertain economic times it is difficult for brands to remain seen, many fast fashion brands are staying competitive by mass producing “duplicates” of luxury designer/ more expensive items. For example, this Autumn many people may not be able to afford “Uggs” (www.ugg.com, n.d.) so mass production companies are selling these and producing for cheaper, meaning they are affordable for consumers and the company is being kept in the public eye by following the trends of the current season. Additionally, companies are starting to engage their consumers by producing loyalty schemes, offering email subscription vouchers, and doing collaborations with the biggest influencers and celebrities of the minute.

One way in which creative directors connect both creativity and commerce are by the use of social media and how to market a product. As well as collaborations from different brands, exhibiting two different styles together to create products for their consumers (Overdiek A, 2016). For example, a collaboration which shows this is Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge working and co founding together,  both creatively and commercially together for the benefit of their brand.

Bibliography:

Littleton, A.C., 1928. What is profit?. Accounting Review, pp.278-288.

McKinsey (2022). The State of Fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather. [online] McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion.

Fashion United (2022). Global Fashion Industry Statistics. [online] Fashion United. Available at: https://fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics.

www.ugg.com. (n.d.). Official UGG® UK Website | UGG Boots, Slippers & Slides. [online] Available at: https://www.ugg.com/uk/.

Fashion United (2022). Global Fashion Industry Statistics. [online] Fashion United. Available at: https://fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics.

Overdiek, A. (2016) ‘Fashion designers and their business partners: juggling creativity and commerce’, International Journal of Fashion Studies, 3(1), 27+, available: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A472689356/AONE?u=anon~690e75cf&sid=googleScholar&xid=6f849962 [accessed 21 Oct 2023].

Image reference-

Twin Magazine. (n.d.). William Klein Archives. [online] Available at: https://www.twinfactory.co.uk/tag/william-klein/ [Accessed 21 Oct. 2023].

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diversity

People

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People make up our world. People make up our society. People make up the fashion industry. The fashion industry is consisted of consumers and businesses all dedicated to finding what customers want. Attracting to different generations and their needs for products.

Generation Z, as of right now are the biggest consumers in the market and are exclusively what brands are looking out for are their wants and needs within their company. Gen Z is massively different from generations before, growing up in the digital age. Digital natives, they are known as (McKinsey, 2023). Growing up with being able to connect worldwide, learning about different cultures and needs for diversity, ameens to them being more knowledgeable about what they may want from companies. Working towards global “Inner Development Goals” (Inner Development Goals, n.d.), contributing to the United Nations own Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2023), consisting of our worlds growth with being, thinking, relating, collaborating, and acting, to be withheld and sustained by Generation Z. Where most brands are there fourth listening to these ideals and complying with their target audience consumers.

Countless brands are doing everything in their will to appeal to Gen Z. Marketing away from fast fashion to more sustainable needs of this generation are difficult due to the up standing want for fast fashion, caused by fears of economic growth. The Gen Z shoppers are now leaning towards day-to-day wear rather than luxury (McKinsey, 2023). As well as the demand for brands to show diversity, unlike brands in countries such as France being unwelcoming to body size inclusivity (de Freitas, Jordan and Hughes, 2018). Numerous brands are moving online to start engaging more with consumers, using social media to spread words of their products, giving them more of a social media presence. For example, the use of the global app “Tik Tok” and their most well-known influencers to draw in new customers.

“Fenty Beauty” by celebrity “Rhianna” has set large new expectations for beauty brands world wide with its launch of 50 foundation shades for everyone (Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin, n.d.). Rhianna’s want for the product was to stop a void in the industry where there wasn’t enough diversity for variation of colours and skin tones. “Fenty Beauty” has completely changed the standards for the beauty industry and has had a massive impact on brands to follow (Fetto, 2020).

Various attributes are now wanted by brands to help be successful. Brands want people who are relentless to help customers wants and needs for diversity, inclusivity, and social sustainability. As well as with the ever-changing digital world there is a demand for people who know how to work well among social media, knowing exactly what this generation has to see from a company and who they want to see from a company, such as celebrities and influencers who are in the spot light at this time to collaborate with a brand and draw attention.

Bibliography

McKinsey (2023). What is Gen Z? | McKinsey. [online] www.mckinsey.com. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z.

Inner Development Goals. (n.d.). Inner Development Goals. [online] Available at: https://www.innerdevelopmentgoals.org/.

United Nations (2023). The 17 sustainable development goals. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals.

de Freitas, C., Jordan, H. and Hughes, E.K., 2018. Body image diversity in the media: A content analysis of women’s fashion magazines. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 29(3), pp.251-256.

Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin. (n.d.). Foundation. [online] Available at: https://fentybeauty.com/collections/makeup-foundation.

Fetto, F. (2020). How Fenty Beauty Changed The State Of Play In The Industry. [online] British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/article/rihanna-fenty-beauty-diversity.

Image Reference:

www.oneclub.org. (n.d.). Fenty Beauty | Fenty Beauty For All. [online] Available at: https://www.oneclub.org/awards/youngones/-award/42224/fenty-beauty-for-all.

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image1-82

Planet

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Planet. Our planet. Our world. Our home. The planet is a main pillar to our lives. A main pillar that we need to maintain and sustain for future generations. Our home is covered in 92 million tonnes of waste (Moore, 2020) from fashion alone.

Becoming a more spoken of topic is the circular economy especially in terms of the environment. Circular economy is the idea of and approach to be responsible and cyclical with our method upon different resources (Moraga et al., 2019). It is the idea of repair, reuse and adapt rather than make, use, and then dispose, in the mindset of fashion, our clothes deserve a second chance (Vogue India, 2021). Giving everything an extended life with the use of sustainability. The “Ellen McArthur Foundation” looked into three principles to focus towards a more circular economy, including to regenerate nature, circulate products and materials at their maximum value, as well as eliminate waste and pollution, (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2023) and our society is navigating slowly and gradually to our future goals with these targets, among our SDG’s. Progressively admis the fashion industry there is an increasing number of brands becoming slow-fashion rather than fast fashion.

Sustainability in fashion is an ethical way to ensure brands are producing in first a socially acceptable way, economically valued way, and environmentally friendly way, leading back to circularity in fashion. Meeting the needs of both the current generation and the future generation (United Nations, 1997), sustainability should be maintained and gained throughout the fashion society for future generations. With held by the purchase of high demand clothing creates fast fashion brands and landfills dotted around our planet. For example, fast fashion brand “Shein” doesn’t adhere to sustainability as well as circularity due to mass production creating environmental impacts on society, as well as society with Shein contributing to child labour and inhumane working conditions which is not socially sustainable. “But sustainability is not just a matter of fact? It is fundamentally an ethical problem” (Zaccaï, 2007), that also needs to support economic growth.

The United Nations provided a list of 17 sustainable development goals to be fulfilled by 2030, some of which in relation to sustainability, such as “Responsible Consumption and Production” which in the fashion industry will push brands to full circularity commitment and sway to hopefully a more sell before being made mindset with an end of use option for products within companies to help compress mass production over time. As well as an example when first designing products, minimise waste consumption through pattern making, going back and forth designing products contributes to unnecessary waste of materials (Gwilt, 2020).

Bibliography-

Moore, D. (2020). Fast fashion produces over 92 million tonnes of waste a year, study finds. [online] Circular Online. Available at: https://www.circularonline.co.uk/news/fast-fashion-produces-over-92-million-tonnes-of-waste-a-year-study-finds/?gclid=CjwKCAjw4P6oBhBsEiwAKYVkq8ks7NjMn2Bbpcbdr5qJGhMk4Y4VM3RMWB1f2DUll250_7yK5ghj8RoC26MQAvD_BwE [Accessed 6 Oct. 2023].

Moraga, G., Huysveld, S., Mathieux, F., Blengini, G.A., Alaerts, L., Van Acker, K., de Meester, S. and Dewulf, J. (2019). Circular economy indicators: What do they measure? Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 146(1), pp.452–461. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.03.045.

Vogue India. (2021). Give a second chance to your clothes as brands embrace pre-loved and vintage clothing. [online] Available at: https://www.vogue.in/magazine-story/give-a-second-chance-to-your-clothes-as-brands-embrace-pre-loved-and-vintage-clothing/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2023].

Ellen Macarthur Foundation (2023). The circular economy in detail. [online] ellenmacarthurfoundation.org. Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/the-circular-economy-in-detail-deep-dive.

United Nations (2023). Sustainability. United Nations. [online] Available at: https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability

Zaccaï, E. (2007). Sustainable Consumption, Ecology and Fair Trade. Routledge.

Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. Bloomsbury Publishing.

For featured image- TOMORROW’S WORLD TODAY®. (2021). The Problems With Landfills (And What You Can Do About It). [online] Available at: https://www.tomorrowsworldtoday.com/2021/09/06/the-problems-with-landfills-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

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https://www.freemandesigns.co.uk/new-gallery

Favourite Fashion Brand

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All Saints

All Saints, founded in 1994. A first British founded clothing brand started in East London continuously spreading worldwide, just like their sustainability sales increasing. With now 80% of their clothes being ecofriendly and sustainable more and more celebrities are caught wearing their authentic garments.

Most known for enforcing individuality, being their own brand and of course their faux leather jackets. The style of the shop, website and clothes all fit perfectly together with its own unique flair. Having a niche target audience meaning anyone is welcome to share their individuality with All Saints and having a wide community, like wise to celebrities wearing their brand ranging all the way from Princess Eugene to movie actors such as Lili Reinhart and popstars like Selena Gomez and Kelly Clarkson. Although having a niche target audience age they work with students in smaller collaborations and also offering a discount to ma y students.

All saints having a “quintessentially British style” makes it an easy and ready to wear brand with anyone’s day to day lifestyle. Worn in Jeans. Lived in leather jackets. Unique yet neutral tops. The style is hard to not love, all the way from its vintage rock ‘n’ roll pieces to its hip modern style. A staple style to own.

All Saints style being enjoyed throughout the stores indulge people into their shops, with the not so perfect brick walls, industrial warm lighting, concrete floors, and “grungy” aesthetic. They use this style all across from their websites to events and to shows, even with their staff members styling their garments.

Spreading from the United Kingdon all the way to Canada and everywhere in between, All Saints style is becoming more and more popular with its wide demographic. Street Wear. Home wear. City living wear. Work wear. Offering clothes for all occasions. As well as their famous boots and bags of course!

All saints is known as a prestigious brand but not quite luxury, making it affordable to the wider target audience, especially for their authentic and good quality garments

All Saints work with smaller less known home town brands, artists, models, musicians, and designers and now globally too, in their community projects known as “All Together”. Where they share underground artists and take to the streets of London to spread their work with All Saints garments. Mostly working towards inclusivity as well as expressionism between the community and every subculture included.

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