Declan Miele-Howell

About Declan Miele-Howell

Posts by Declan Miele-Howell:

Purpose

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A brand must have a purpose in terms of its aims and ideologies, in order to ensure it stays on its original intended trajectory. The purpose of a company speaks to why it was started and what its desired impact is on the world. By solidifying its purpose, a brand can create a Unique Selling Point (USP) to outline what gap it fills in the market, and should ask itself what its contribution is to society, as well as what society may stand to lose if the brand was to disappear.

The philosophy of a brand can be summed up by its Mission, Vision and its Values. A mission statement focuses on why a brand exists in the first place, and its initial purpose. A vision statement is based on the future goals and ambitions of the company, asking the question ‘Where do we want to be?’. Lastly, the values of a brand revolve around its core beliefs, which in turn shape how it operates. Brand philosophy is vital in order to target specific markets, especially as modern generations focus their attention on a brand’s values and how it positively impacts society. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which was defined by the 2017 European Commission as ‘companies taking responsibility for their impacts on society’, relates heavily to sustainability, as Gen Z in particular has become increasingly considerate of the importance of keeping the future of the planet in mind, instead of fulfilling current goals with no regard to the maintenance of society.

Brands use different methods to communicate their purpose to Gen Z, and in this digital age naturally these tend to fall under social media. For example, musicians, who are arguably some of the most powerful influencers due to the hold they have on their fanbases, may be posted on an Instagram page having been seen in public in a new outfit. Dedicated fans, in the hopes of feeling more connected to their idols, will then strive to recreate similar outfits, often by purchasing the same pieces worn by the celebrity in question. Pages like @whatsonthestar on Instagram exist for this purpose, giving rundowns of what an artist is wearing and even providing links to purchase the exact outfit. In addition, rappers often brag about the expensive things they own, and this extends very much so to luxury clothes, for example with Ken Carson’s lyric ‘Watch his body drop through my Balenciaga glasses’ on his hit song ‘I Need U’. Brands such as Balenciaga and Rick Owens, which of course were popular beforehand, have in recent years attracted younger generations as a result of lyrics such as the aforementioned.

European Commission ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)‘ (2017) https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/corporate-social-responsibility_en

Londrigan, M.P. & Jenkins, J.M. ‘Fashion Supply Chain Management’ (2018) https://arts.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://doi.org/10.5040/9781501317798?locatt=label:secondary_bloomsburyFashionCentral

Instagram Page @whatsonthestar https://www.instagram.com/whatsonthestar/

Genius ‘Ken Carson – I Need U – Lyrics’ https://genius.com/Ken-carson-i-need-u-lyrics

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Profit

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While a brand should strive for creativity and singularity, a company’s profit margins mustn’t be overlooked as a means to measure its success. Fashion houses define their growth and popularity largely through how designs and products are received by consumers, but from a business perspective, profit is the ultimate manifestation of how a company evaluates it’s growth and affluence.

According to Statista, the global apparel market generated $1.53 trillion USD in revenue in 2022, is expected to generate $1.74 trillion USD in 2023, and by 2027 could be generating almost $2 trillion USD. These statistic alone reflect how large the fashion industry is currently, and how in years to come one can expect even more growth and expansion. This is because no matter how much trends may change over time, fashion will always be relevant as a means of self-expression. In addition, specific industries such as sportswear are constantly developing new technologies for athletes, which means the amount of money being put into the industry and the amount of profit generated from it is ever-growing.

(Statista graph displaying Revenue of the apparel market worldwide from 2014 to 2027)

The fashion industry can generally be divided into three primary sectors: luxury brands, mid-market brands and fast fashion brands. As of 2023, Statista reports a revenue of $111.5 billion USD for the luxury fashion market, with an increase of 14.7% from 2022. Another Statista report states that the fast fashion market was worth over $106 billion USD in 2022, and is expected to reach approximately $185 billion USD by 2027. Lastly, the mid-market sector has interestingly seen a significant rise according to a MediaVision report, which presents data showing brands such as Phase Eight, Cos and Birkenstock overtaking brands such as Chanel and Prada in internet searches, which can likely be attributed to luxury shoppers finding cheaper alternatives.

When facing uncertain economic times, brands should consider the importance of adaptability. With social media being the primary source of information for current generations, companies must come up with new and creative ways to advertise. Depending on a brand’s desired image and its target audience, the internet can be used to its advantage to attract a larger audience, while maintaining the loyalty of existing consumers. Social media can also be used to increase the transparency of a company, which is especially important in the modern day, as sustainability and ethics are deemed to be more significant than ever amongst potential consumers. Brands might also consider Bourdieu’s Three Capitals: Cultural, Social and Economic. The cultural factor takes into account a brand’s awareness of global cultures, specifically in terms of the fashion world. Social capital can be defined essentially as ‘who you know’; in this age of social media, social networking is more accessible than ever and is paramount to the growth of a business. Lastly, economic capital is simply how much money one has to put into a brand, and it relates to how much profit one makes from their investment.

But what defines the difference between creativity and commerce, and how do creative directors strive to bridge that gap? Consumers tend to refer to designers as artists when a brand is the most separated from the commercial side. A great example of this is Balenciaga’s 2022 Mud Show in Paris, designed by the artist Santiago Sierra and overseen by Demna Gvasalia, the brand’s current creative director and founder of Vetements. Demna was hailed as an artistic genius by many for the show, the originality of which caused many to perceive the experience as a form of art, completely unique from the commercial side of the company. According to Demna in a 2015 interview with The Last Magazine, “[Creativity] is often diminished and bullied out by the ‘idea’ of commerciality, which is often not even needed in the oversupplied and over-consumed market.” He also noted “we try to make clothes that complement [the consumers’] wardrobes,” which perfectly sums up the fact that creative directors have the power to merge the creativeness and commerciality of a brand.

(Kanye West on the catwalk of Balenciaga’s 2022 Mud Show)

References:

Statista ‘Revenue of the apparel market worldwide from 2014 to 2027’ (September, 2023) https://www.statista.com/forecasts/821415/value-of-the-global-apparel-market

Statista ‘Luxury Fashion – Worldwide’ (2023) https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/luxury-goods/luxury-fashion/worldwide

Statista ‘Fast fashion market value forecast worldwide from 2022 to 2027’ (2023) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1008241/fast-fashion-market-value-forecast-worldwide

MediaVision ‘Organic Search Demand Report’ (2023) https://www.wearemediavision.com/industry-report/2023-organic-search-demand-report-fashion

Sociology Group ‘Pierre Bordeau’s Capital Explained’ (July, 2020) https://www.sociologygroup.com/pierre-bourdieu-capital-explained/?utm_content=cmp-true

The Last Magazine ‘Vetements’ (May, 2015) https://thelast-magazine.com/vetements-demna-gvasalia-lvmh-prize-interview/

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People

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It can be said with confidence that people are the backbone of every part of the fashion industry, from the designers and creatives behind ideas, to the people working in production, to those working in marketing, through to those working in retail and of course the consumers themselves. Due to this, it’s crucial to explore and understand the many layers to the People pillar.

Anyone born between 1995 and 2009 falls into Generation Z. What makes this generation unique from their predecessors, known as Millennials or Generation Y, is that they’re the first to have grown up in a world that revolves almost entirely around technology. As a result of this, companies and retailers have had to take into account the shifts that must be made in how goods and services are made available. But this doesn’t only apply to the world of fashion; the emergence of music platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, taxi services such as Uber, streaming services such as Netflix, food delivery services such as Uber Eats, and so much more are all examples of how Gen Z have grown up in a world where ‘products become services, and services connect consumers’ (Francis & Hoefel, 2018). Of course, one can’t discuss Gen Z and fashion without mentioning the attention given to a brand’s ethical values. Modern consumers pay more attention than ever to how environmentally friendly a brand is in terms of the materials used and the production process as a whole, and in addition much attention is given to how people in factories and distribution centers are treated when it comes to their hours, their wages and how humane their working environments are. This has led to fast fashion companies like Shein being called out for their unsustainable methods of production, with its (approximately) 6,000 factories in China being responsible for the release of about 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide per year (Changing Markets Foundation, 2022). However, in a generation where influencers are idolized, Shein has still somehow taken over Nike and Adidas as the most-Googled clothing brand, and has exceeded Zara and Macy’s in online sales (Money.co.uk, 2022).

So what should a brand do to attract Gen Z consumers? A 2022 Drapers report notes that ‘Gen Z in particular differ to the generations of shoppers before them… [growing] up as digital natives, surrounded by technology for their entire lives’. A 2023 Drapers report found that although 53% of Gen Z and Gen Y consumers prefer shopping at physical stores, 92% often buy online, due to the convenience of shopping from home instead of venturing outside. The same report discovered that TikTok has overtaken Instagram as the most popular platform amongst these generations, meaning the use of digital marketing and influencers by brands is now the most surefire way to gain recognition.

According to Susanne Ricee (2022) there are 4 Diversity Types or Dimensions:

– Internal (born with/belong to us)

– External (heavily influenced by us)

– Organizational (in the workplace)

– World View (cultural, political, historical)

A brand that’s been very transparent with the diversity in their workforce is Apple, stating ‘We’re continuing to create a culture of inclusion… Because belonging takes all of us’ (Apple website). The same webpage also allows users to interact with graphs displaying the male-to-female and ethnic ratios within their workforce from the years 2014-2022. They also showcase their diversity through their advertising; in the past, Apple would showcase only or primarily their products, whereas now their advertisements show people of all different ethnic and gender backgrounds, positively reflecting where they stand on inclusivity and bringing in a wider target audience.

A 2021 FTAlliance report discussed the most commonly required key people skills in the fashion technology industry in the modern day. One of these skills was to recognize the importance of sustainability and to have extensive knowledge on it. Another was to be quick and willing to adapt as new technologies are developed and enhanced; an extremely important aspect of this is the fast-rising popularity of Artificial Intelligence. Many are worried by this, taking the perspective that people will be put out of work by AI, which can be cheaper for the companies using it and more accurate. And perhaps people aren’t wrong to have this fear; a 2018 McKinsey report predicts that almost 400 million workers worldwide will need new jobs by 2030. However, a more optimistic stance could be that while AI won’t replace our jobs, our jobs will likely be replaced by people who use AI and are trained in it, which means people must be more open to change in the coming years.

References:

Francis & Hoefel ”True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies’ (November 12, 2018) https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

Changing Markets Foundation ‘Synthetics Anonymous 2.0’ (December, 2022) http://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Synthetics-Anonymous-2.0-Report-final-web.pdf

Money.co.uk ‘The most popular fashion brands around the world’ (November 30, 2022) https://www.money.co.uk/credit-cards/most-popular-fashion-brands-2022

Drapers ‘Gen Z and Millennials 2022’ (May 9, 2022) https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022

Drapers ‘The A to Z of Gen Z and millennials: understand the next generation of consumers’ (September 19, 2023) https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/the-a-to-z-of-gen-z-and-millennials-understand-the-next-generation-of-consumers

Susanne Ricee ‘All Types of Diversity with Examples’ (July 10, 2023) https://diversity.social/workplace-diversity-types/

Apple ‘Inclusion & Diversity’ Webpage https://www.apple.com/diversity/

FTAlliance ‘New FTAlliance report unveils the 8 key future jobs in fashion-tech’ (October 29, 2021) https://www.arts.ac.uk/knowledge-exchange/stories/new-report-unveils-8-future-jobs-in-fashion-tech

McKinsey Global Institute ‘AI, automation, and the future of work: Ten things to solve for’ (June 1, 2018) https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/ai-automation-and-the-future-of-work-ten-things-to-solve-for

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Planet

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The fashion industry has always had a significant impact on the planet’s natural resources, but it’s only within the last century that fashion houses and consumers alike started to question how we as a people must strive for sustainability within fashion for the better of our planet. As it stands, the fashion industry generates $2.5 trillion USD annually (McKinsey, 2022), and is responsible for approximately 20% of global water waste and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNFCCC, 2018). However, if nothing were to change by the year 2050, it’s estimated that fashion will use three times as many natural resources as in the year 2000 (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). According to the United Nations’ 2018 IPCC report, there only remains seven years until the damage done to Earth will officially be irreversible, so the pressure is very much on to find new, better ways to produce clothing in a sustainable way.

A circular economy is defined as a regenerative system, where items of clothing are used for as long as they are needed or useful, after which they are returned safely to the biosphere. This strategy of waste reduction essentially extends the life cycle of products and the resources used to create them, and is much more sustainable than the typical linear approach, which follows the more straightforward (and much more wasteful) guidelines of ‘Make, Use and Dispose’. The three main principles of circularity are to:

1. Keep products and materials in use.

2. Use renewable and safe materials for the environment.

3. Find solutions based on upcycling and recycling.

(Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

Sustainability in relation to fashion is essentially a blanket term for garments that are both produced and consumed in a way that can be sustained, while protecting the planet as well as the people involved in the production process (Vogue, 2022).

The UN’s 2018 IPCC report states that ‘The climate crisis is unequivocally caused by human activities’, and there seems to be no limit to the amount of evidence that the fashion industry is an especially heavy contributor to the detriment of Earth’s environment.

In 2015 the United Nations Summit introduced seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its 2030 Agenda, which have since been adopted in 193 member states. These goals collectively have the objective of ending poverty, protecting the Earth’s environment and climate, and ensuring that people around the world can enjoy peace and prosperity. The 12th SDG is titled ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’, and focuses primarily on how many resources are wasted unnecessarily yearly, and how this can be significantly reduced for the better of our planet. This of course ties in with the fashion industry; for example, one t-shirt reportedly uses 2720 litres of water to produce (UNESCO-IHE, 2005). To put that into perspective, that’s how much water one human drinks on average in three years. An example of a brand taking this SDG into account is Patagonia’s 2011 ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket’ campaign, which called on consumers to Reduce by limiting their consumption of products to only what they needed, Repair their Patagonia garments instead of discarding them, Reuse by selling or passing on unneeded or unwanted items, and to Recycle any worn-out Patagonia items instead of sending them to landfills. If we as a people can remodel the fashion industry by following similar strategies to this campaign, the future sustainability of the planet will certainly eventually be ensured.

(United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals)
(Patagonia ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket’ Campaign)

References:

McKinsey ‘The State of Fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather’ (November 29, 2022) https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ‘UN Helps Fashion Industry Shift to Low Carbon’ (September 6, 2018) https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon

Ellen MacArthur Foundation ‘A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future’ (November 28, 2017) https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/A-New-Textiles-Economy.pdf

United Nations IPCC Report (October 8, 2018) https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/

Vogue ’16 Things Everyone Should Know About Sustainable Fashion’ (April 18, 2022) https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/sustainable-fashion

United Nations ‘The 17 Goals’ https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Patagonia ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket, Black Friday and the New York Times’ (November 25, 2011) https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/stories/dont-buy-this-jacket-black-friday-and-the-new-york-times/story-18615.html

UNESCO IHE Delft Institute for Water Education ‘The Water Footprint of Cotton Consumption’ (September, 2005) https://waterfootprint.org/resources/Report18.pdf

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My Favorite Fashion Brand

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I’m always stuck when asked about a favorite brand, film, artist etc. Personal preferences change often, as does the quality of what’s being put out season-to-season. Bearing all that in mind, I would say my favorite brand would have to be Balenciaga. The fashion house has gone through a lot of change in the past few years, as well as lots of controversy, under current creative director Demna Gvasalia (previously the founder and creative director of Vetements). Many including myself are of the view that Demna essentially caused the revival of the brand, boosting it to popularity with modern consumers. As someone who’s always been influenced by the artists I listen to, I’m sure my love of the brand originated to an extent from the rappers I would see wearing it. For example, in October 2022 at Paris Fashion Week, Balenciaga’s SS23 runway show called the ‘Mud Show’ opened with rapper Kanye West on the catwalk, sporting a very military-esque outfit, but of course in the all black style which is often seen with Balenciaga under Demna.

(Kanye West opening for Balenciaga’s SS23 Mud Show)

Of course, it’s impossible nowadays to discuss Balenciaga without touching on the scandal surrounding the brand’s November 2022 ad campaign, which many saw as portraying children in a sexual or cultish manner. I doubt anyone except the higher-ups and those involved in the campaign will ever know for certain if this was accidental or intentional, but the campaign was pulled, Balenciaga released a statement, and now after a while – as I find is always the case with modern day ‘cancellations’ – the brand seems to be as popular as before, if not more, as we approach their Summer 2024 show on October 1st.

(The ad campaign which sparked the scandal, with Balenciaga’s official statement below)

So why do I choose Balenciaga as my favorite brand? I’d say it comes down to the way they’ve successfully adapted with the times to stay relevant and popular, as well as the amazing pieces put out since Demna became creative director.

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