People
People play an important role in the fashion industry. Fashion is an important tool for personal expression and identity formation. Through clothing and accessories, individuals can communicate their personality, preferences and social connections. In addition, the fashion industry offers a wide range of styles, enabling individuals to explore their unique tastes and express themselves in a variety of ways. The fashion industry cannot be separated from its people, who influence its evolution, impact and sustainability.
As consumers, Gen Z is becoming more powerful in terms of purchasing power and disposable income. Gen Z places a higher value on brand ethics and corporate responsibility than Millennials, and they have high expectations for customer service and product quality.In Asia, 40% of Gen Zs agree to being influenced by the internet when looking for new things to buy; in the US, 40% of Gen Zs acknowledge being influenced by the internet, frequently by businesses that appear in videos they watch. To choose where and how to spend their money, members sift through a lot of information from influencers, family, and friends.(McKinsey & Company,2023)A survey conducted by IBM found that product selection, availability, convenience and value are the top influences for Gen Z when choosing a shopping channel.(Bewicke, 2023)
In order to appeal to Gen Z, brands should be aligned with their values, preferences and behaviours; Gen Z is a unique demographic with distinctive characteristics, and connecting with them requires a strategic approach, where brands need to be willing to break stereotypes in order to effectively connect with the Gen Z audience.
In the fashion industry, diversity means creating garments that fit different races, categories, age groups and sizes, and marketing them in a way that reflects this.（Nizzoli, 2022）Diversity is essential to creating a more inclusive, representative and forward-looking fashion industry. Dove is one of the brands under the umbrella of multinational consumer goods company Unilever.With a global push for more progressive images of women in its advertisements, Unilever has made a commitment in the past few years to more diversity in its marketing. Since 2016, Unilever has put 1,500 advertisements through testing to find gender and ethnic stereotypes and highlight areas where changes needed to be made.（Pixlee TurnTo, 2022）A brand must completely comprehend consumer needs, be inclusive and diverse in its marketing, understand the fashion industry and current trends, and so on in order to be successful.
Bibliography
McKinsey & Company (2023) What is gen Z?, McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z (Accessed: 15 October 2023).
Bewicke, H. (2023) Gen Z consumer behavior: What you need to know, Gen Z Consumer Behavior: What You Need to Know | Talon.One. Available at: https://www.talon.one/blog/gen-z-consumer-behavior-what-you-need-to-know (Accessed: 15 October 2023).
Nizzoli, G. (2022) Diversity in fashion: Are Ethical Brands doing enough?: Sustainable fashion blog: Project CECE, Sustainable Fashion Blog | Project Cece. Available at: https://www.projectcece.com/blog/548/diversity-in-fashion-for-ethical-brands/ (Accessed: 15 October 2023).
Pixlee TurnTo (2022) 4 brands embracing diversity in their content: Pixlee Turnto Blog, Pixlee TurnTo. Available at: https://www.pixlee.com/blog/4-brands-embracing-diversity-in-their-content (Accessed: 15 October 2023).