People
One of the four pillars that is extremely important to consider when working within the fashion industry is ‘people’. This can be considered in the form of diversity and inclusion, which in recent years has become a factor at the forefront of the majority of fashion brands. For example, racial inclusion has become a priority since the summer of 2020. This is when the fashion industry called for a change – in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, businesses of all sizes and scopes denounced racism, and committed to prioritising diversity and inclusion in all its forms (Benigson et al., 2022).
Diversity and inclusion is a goal that the fashion industry’s newest consumers, Gen Z, values greatly and so it gives fashion brands even more of an incentive to prioritise it. Gen Z as consumers are part of a new wave of ‘inclusive consumers’ and socially progressive dreamers (McKinsey & Co, 2023). They generally have strong values related to racial justice and sustainability – mobilizations like the Global Climate March, led by Gen Z activist Greta Thunberg, thrive on the activism of young people.
Therefore, in order for a brand to attract Gen Z, they should ensure their practices comply with diversity and inclusion and present their campaigns in a way which promotes inclusion and individuality. This even applies to luxury brands, which have previously been built on the idea of exclusivity. For Gen Z consumers, luxury is no longer a status symbol but a method of self expression (Lux Digital, 2022). Additionally to attract Gen Z consumers it is important that a brand has diversity at the centre – and this generation expects brands to be thoroughly authentic and live up to their sustainability and corporate responsibility promises (Mittenfellner, 2023). Essentially a fashion brand cannot simply state that they are implementing diversity and inclusion, they should also make an effort to live up to those statements.
One example of how a brand has done this and responded to diversity is Fenty Beauty’s brand identity. When the brand first launched, they had a huge foundation range of 40 shades which has now expanded to 59 (2023). Rihanna, the founder of the brand, aimed to make all customers feel included, but in particular aimed to change the beauty industry in terms of the inclusion of black women. This resonated with the audience as the beauty industry has a long history of excluding those who didn’t fit Eurocentric beauty standards – and it has proven to be successful with the high sales, success and popularity of the brand. Some of the most obvious proof came when the darkest shade of Fenty Beauty foundations sold out first. Which is why now, every savvy brand – and not just those in the beauty industry – is aware that without an inclusivity strategy, they have no growth strategy (Fetto, 2020).
As well as diversity, another method for a fashion brand to be successful within the pillar of people is simply key people skills. For example, the brand Farfetch’s aims involve connecting people to meaningful work and creating a very strong sense of belonging (Keane, 2022). Due to the impact of Covid-19 and in turn the huge shift towards online working this is a skill that is extremely important to prioritise as there is high risk of a lack of belonging and connection if brands do not go out of their way to do so with their employees.