People

The four key pillars are the planet, people, profit and purpose. People are an essential and integral part of the fashion industry, as without them, the industry would not be able to continue to progress, and their behaviour can influence the overall trends of the industry, such as consumer trends and purchasing preferences. Fashion brands need a certain amount of money to design and launch a new collection, so people’s purchases provide them with the funds to continue to operate, and fashion brands always need to take into account people’s needs and preferences in any decisions they make and incorporate them into the design and manufacture of their garments.

Generation Z (Gen Z) as consumers refers to the generation born between 1996 and 2010. Because they were born surrounded by the Internet and social networks, their consumer attitudes have been influenced as a result. They may be influencing consumer trends across the market, with Gen Z consumers choosing to invest more in themselves and focusing more on product continuity. The current consumer landscape has tended to change the definition of consumption from possession to acquisition, and it could be argued that Gen Z consumers are creating new forms of consumption, choosing to spend their money on services such as takeaways, ride-sharing, or subscriptions to music and social networking apps, turning products into services and services into connections with consumers. It also means they are willing to pay for personalised products, such as expensive customised services, for themselves. In addition, Gen Z consumers are more environmentally aware and concerned and will endeavour to buy green products to protect the environment. The report shows that about 10% of Gen Z make regular efforts to buy green products (Smith 2020).

Gen Z consumers live their lives surrounded by the internet and technology; this generation is defined as young people between the ages of 6 and 26 whose lives are tied to technology. This also means that they are a target demographic for digital marketing, as they cannot live without social media and the internet. If fashion brands, such as fast-moving brands, are adept at and regularly use email or social media to promote their clothing, they can give Gen Z consumers more opportunities to learn about the brand. According to the interview survey, 45% of consumers said they want retailers and fashion brands to provide same-day delivery services, which also means that fashion brands and retailers should This also means that fashion brands and retailers should pay attention to this demand and look for the best way to solve this need, and some brands may even consider opening offline shops. Amazon has opened a number of offline shops which provide a lot of convenience to the customers as they can shop directly from the offline shops, this allows the customers to see the products in real life and pick them up quickly, this is also a way to attract the Gen Z consumers as the Gen Z customers value the authenticity and utility of the products and they are averse to the process of waiting for the receipt of the products, they want to receive their purchases as soon as possible. However, due to the emergence of COVID-19, the form of consumption of Gen Z consumers is significantly more inclined to online shopping, and it is reported that 63.5% of Gen Z consumers do not like to shop in shops because they do not want to spend time queuing up. According to Gen Z and Millennials 2022, in the next 12 months, 71% of people are expected to buy clothes and accessories online, which gives fashion brands an idea of how appealing it will be to Gen Z consumers if they have a well-established and convenient online purchasing channel that makes it easy for customers to quickly browse, select, buy, and return clothes. A large portion of Gen Z consumers want brands to give them the right sizing advice, indicating that they are looking for authenticity in their clothing, and if a brand can show customers the full design of their clothing on their platform or in their offline shop, it will be interesting for Gen Z consumers to see what the brand has to offer.

Fashion diversity implies a clear distinction between different groups of people, such as different skin colours, different body shapes, different races, and different orientations. The realisation of fashion diversity can be achieved by catering to the increasing demand for different body shapes and sizes, as well as the demand for unisex clothing, such as men’s dresses. Fashion brands can start by launching online AI size analyses to give consumers a quicker and clearer understanding of their actual sizes and also to allow fashion brands to better collect data from a diverse range of customers so that they can make adjustments and add sizes to their own branded garments. Victoria Secret has taken action in this area of diversity in fashion by using social media to communicate inclusivity and friendliness to the plus-size community. They chose to collaborate with Remi Bader on TikTok and collaborated on a plus-size collection, an action that also encourages the demand for plus-size lingerie and promotes inclusivity and diversity in the brand.

90% of fashion executives expect their organisations to face a skills shortage. For fashion brands, the skills they need may not be the same as those of other brands. A successful fashion brand requires successful craftsmanship, so brands focus a lot on the choice of fabrics and good craftsmen, and creativity is also a necessary skill. Versatility is very much needed by fashion brands, as the success of a fashion brand also depends on the needs and preferences of consumers. For a successful fashion brand, their staff needs to be able to be flexible and adapt their designs to meet the needs of different groups of consumers, as they may be dealing with unisex customers or people with disabilities. It would be beneficial to the success of a fashion brand if they could take these situations into account and quickly adapt the design of their clothing to meet the needs of different groups of consumers.

In conclusion, Gen Z customers are closely influencing the direction of the fashion industry, and their preferences are a reference factor that the fashion industry cannot ignore. The fashion industry should always be aware of and adapt to changes in people’s needs and consumption trends, as people are an indispensable factor in the fashion industry, and the fashion marketing industry in particular should take into account consumer preferences and consumption patterns in order to better target and market to consumers.

What makes Gen Z tick? (no date). Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/themes/what-makes-gen-z-tick (Accessed: 13 October 2023).

Moran, G. (no date) ‘Gen Z and Millennials 2022’, Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022 (Accessed: 13 October 2023).

How can the apparel market take steps towards more inclusivity? | CBI (no date). Available at: https://www.cbi.eu/news/how-can-apparel-market-take-steps-towards-more-inclusivity (Accessed: 13 October 2023).