Ciara Gabriel

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PURPOSE – Responsibility vs Scandal

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In todays social climate, brands have a responsibility to communicate their views and overall ‘purpose’ of the brand to the public. For commercial motives as well as genuine, it is fundamental that brands make their purpose clear to consumers in order to stand out to their market and create not just a label but a social image that people want to associate themselves with.

It would be difficult to argue that brand philosophy isn’t of importance as the identity that a brand creates shapes its market and its profits a considerable amount. The short-lived clothing brand by celebrity Kathie Lee in 1996 demonstrates a moment in time when a new label held no importance to brand philosophy or what we know now as ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (Londrigan & Jenkins, 2018).  In a New York Times post about the scandal (Strom, 1996) writes, “Nevermind that Wal-Mart was responsible for producing the clothing line… The Kathie Lee name has become associated with the word ‘sweatshop’”. This indicates the damage that Kathie Lee suffered to her personal image in addition to her clothing line just from ignoring this issue.

In the people pillar, it was discussed how generation Z’s consumerism is highly influenced through a brands values and political views. We revisit this idea when talking about what today’s brands do to communicate their own ‘values and political views’. Well-known denim brand Levi’s took a strong political stance in 2018 against gun violence when they established the ‘Safer Tomorrow Fund’ (Staff, 2019). This fund went towards activists and non-profits advocating for the elimination of gun violence which is suitable for an American apparel brand as it shows an awareness for political issues in a country that thrives off of National spirit and unity. In accordance to a Levi’s marketing plan (Camel, 2014), “Levis Jeans demographic segment are 20-24 year old, white male and female college students.” Today’s 20-24 year olds are considered as Gen Z and so Levis cleverly aimed their core values towards struggles and fears that people of this demographic would face. 

Camel (2014) Levi’s marketing plan, PDF. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/dawoinecamel/marketing-38434378 (Accessed: 30 October 2023).

Londrigan, M. and Jenkins, J.M. (2018) Fashion Supply Chain Management. New York: Bloomsbury Academic & Professional.

Staff, U. (2019) The facts behind our gun violence prevention efforts, Levi Strauss & Co. Available at: https://www.levistrauss.com/2019/06/05/the-facts-behind-our-gun-violence-prevention-efforts/ (Accessed: 30 October 2023).

Strom, S. (1996) A sweetheart becomes suspect;looking behind those Kathie Lee Labels, The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/27/business/a-sweetheart-becomes-suspect-looking-behind-those-kathie-lee-labels.html (Accessed: 30 October 2023).

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PROFIT – Connecting Art and Commerce

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Profit in the fashion industry is strongly based off the market decisions made by people in the industry. The conversation about the merging of art and commerce is essential since obviously, one of the main objectives of a brand is to make profit from sales. Likewise to majority of businesses, is most important to be prepared for when financial times are uncertain. For example, after the great recession when the unemployment rates were at their highest since World War II and subsequently the garment industry dropped by 10.4% (Lê, 2020)  or more recently when we were faced with a global pandemic resulting to the closure of many well-known brands and online shopping rates sky-rocketing.

In 2022, the approximate size of the fashion industry globally was around $1.53 trillion (Smith, 2023), which is a decrease from the previous year. This is a result of the hyperinflation that the market experienced in 2022 as production costs rose significantly and consumers felt less and less confident about the future economic conditions in the industry. 

According to (André Et al., 2022), in terms of the different sectors the luxury sector is anticipated to surpass the rest of the industry and is estimated “to grow between 5 and 10 percent in 2023.” The sportswear market is also excelling with key brands such as Nike (the worlds leading brand in athletic wear) and Adidas having great economic growth within their sector with Nike making 42.6 billion euros in global revenue in 2023 (Tighe, 2023)

There have been numerous circumstances where brands have had to work extra hard to ensure they stay in a competitive field. Typically, brands that fail to do this will ultimately decline in sales. Michael Cromer, the founder of luxury German brand MCM is a good example of someone who experienced this. As described in (Mitterfellner, 2023), several external issues occurred which were out of Cromer’s hands during the peak of MCM which lead to Cromer losing his brand, his money and his reputation. However, there were ways in which he could have prevented this which were overlooked at the time such as; quality control, releasing new styles and trends, ensuring distribution was being handled and staying within the target market. Moreover, a tax evasion investigation was opened for Cromer, crushing his and the brands reputation.

The role of a creative director is to take creative control for the vision of the brand, one icon that does this best is the late Karl Lagerfeld who took on this role for Fendi and Chanel. He designed the famed FF Fendi logo which impacted the brand significantly, transforming it from an unusual squirrel image to a bold, marketable fashion label (Mitterfellner, 2023). It was clear that Lagerfeld had a talent for artistic vision, and with the understanding that he had influence in the industry meant that he had high amounts of cultural and social capital. Utilising this, he made his own name into a brand and became known for his distinctive look and black and white colour palette. Up until his death he made tremendous contributions to the fashion world, revitalising Chanel and evolving Ready-to-wear/ couture lines.

André, S. et al. (2022) The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather, McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion (Accessed: 23 October 2023).

Le, K. (2020) Fashion industry during and after economic crisis, LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fashion-industry-during-after-economic-crisis-kim-l%C3%AA (Accessed: 23 October 2023).

Magyar, J. (2021) SAP brandvoice: How covid-19 is nudging the fashion industry to go circular, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2021/01/12/how-covid-19-is-nudging-the-fashion-industry-to-go-circular/?sh=7bdaf98d2a63 (Accessed: 23 October 2023).

Mitterfellner, O. (2023) ‘2 Decline and Resuscitation of Luxury Fashion Brands’, in Luxury Fashion Brand Management. London: Routledge.

Mitterfellner, O. (2023) ‘6 Decline and Resuscitation of Luxury Fashion Brands’, in Luxury Fashion Brand Management. London: Routledge.

Smith, P. (2023) Topic: Apparel market worldwide, Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/

Tighe, D. (2023) Nike versus Adidas versus Puma: Sales comparison, Global revenue of adidas, Nike and Puma from 2006 to 2022. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/269599/net-sales-of-adidas-and-puma-worldwide/ (Accessed: 23 October 2023).

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PEOPLE – Understanding Generation Z

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A pillar of sustainability that I would consider as most important would be the people pillar. This is from the fact that people are the producers and consumers of fashion therefore it is absolutely vital to understand consumer needs and how we can appeal to their needs through looking at the past, present, and future of fashion. As ‘people’ can be quite a complex subject, it is easiest to look at consumers over the years through generations as not only have people’s fashion senses changed, but so have the way they shop in relation to circumstances that shape generations. So in consequence of today’s climate awareness, we should look at past mistakes, what has changed throughout the years, and what we can expect in the future in the context of people and fashion.

This is where the generation that thrives off of uniqueness and individuality comes into play; Gen Z. These are people born between 1996 and 2010 who are widely known for growing up in an age where digital advancements were happening rapidly giving them the nickname – “digital natives” (McKinsey & Company, 2023). Likewise to other generations, there are generalisations that we can make about Gen Z, such as how they are “Communaholics” as they like to constantly be socialising whether that’s online or in person or how they like to “live life pragmatically” and always unveil the truth according to (Francis & Hoefel, 2018). However, if we dig deeper into these observations we can unveil how this can impact marketing techniques within the fashion industry. It is almost common knowledge that Gen Z in particular is prone to suffer from what they call “Climate anxiety” which ultimately affects their decisions as consumers exponentially compared to other generations such as Gen X who are more likely to shop somewhere that provides status and advertises loyalty (Wagner, 2022). 

In addition, being online also means being connected to the rest of the world constantly, with new identities being formed as Gen Z mould a society where people can always be comfortable expressing themselves. (McKinsey & Company, 2023) states, “Gen Zers have strong values related to racial injustice and sustainability.” This proves that in order to appeal to Generation Z, brands should ensure that they have an online platform, produce their goods sustainably and see to making products inclusive for all social groups such as gender, age, religion, race, sexuality etc. 

One brand that has stood out recently to young Gen Z consumers is the German shoe brand, Birkenstock. Though this could also be from the clever product placement in the new ‘Barbie’ film, according to (The Economist, 2023) “Birkenstock’s revenues have doubled in the past three years to $1.4bn”, with almost half of 2022’s sales being made by buyers in their 20’s and 30’s. For a brand that’s known for the ‘dad sandal’ it is easy to question the appeal. But actually, Birkenstock is doing everything right to interest a diverse Gen Z consumer. Birkenstock’s clogs and sandals are worn by people all over the world, even having unisex footwear and designs to please people of all ages. Furthermore, the shoes are manufactured using sustainable materials such as cork, natural latex and jute which are biodegradable making them durable and eco friendly. These reasons combined with the fact that their footwear is super comfortable make Birkenstock the perfect Get Z brand. 

Francis, T. and Hoefel, F. (2018) ‘true gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies, McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies (Accessed: 16 October 2023). 

Schneider, B. and Lee, D. (2022) Bof Insights: Gen-Z and fashion in the age of realism, Gen-Z and Fashion in the Age of Realism. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/reports/retail/gen-z-fashion-in-the-age-of-realism-bof-insights-social-media-report/ (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

Wagner, N. (2022) Generation X and brand loyalty, The Brand Loyalty Of Generation X. Available at: https://stevens-tate.com/articles/generation-x-brand-loyalty/ (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

What is gen Z? (2023) McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

Why young consumers love birkenstocks (2023) The Economist. Available at: https://www.economist.com/business/2023/10/12/why-young-consumers-love-birkenstocks (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

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PLANET BLOG – Working Towards a Sustainable Fashion Industry

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There is no doubt that the fashion industry has detrimental impacts on our planet from the toxic chemicals that are used to dye our clothes to the cheap, synthetic materials that are overproduced and pollute the world we live in. As well as being in an alarming climate crisis, we are unwittingly using more resources than we have available and estimates conclude that if this habit continues, we will need three planets by 2050 (UNDP Climate Promise, 2022). According to (Cariki, 2018), the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry after the oil sector, being responsible for an enormous amount of greenhouse gases essentially destroying our planet. Water pollution has also become a global issue because of the industry and clothing manufacturers. (YTL Group, 2019) stated in an article that ’20% of all global industrial water pollution is caused by garment production – the dying and cultivating processes alone use over 800 chemicals.’ This proves that the industry must work hard towards a more sustainable method of production as clothing consumption is predicted to increase by 60% by 2030. 

In the 1970s, Dr Walter Stahel proposed the closed-loop economy which is a way of integrating recycling and reuse into the management of supply chains (Montag L., 2023). We now call this ‘circular economy’, and calculations from (UNDP Climate Promise, 2022) have shown it has the possibility of being extremely effective and could even help reduce global GHG emissions by 40% by 2050. When describing the impact of circular economy it is vital to lay out that there are 3 main principles. As stated by (MacArthur, 2010), the first principle is to eliminate waste and pollution. Ellen MacArthur also believes that waste is a result of poor design choices and that different materials can be used to eliminate waste and make recycling easier. The circular economy model is also a movement from the usual, linear mindset and so by using this, the goal where products can be reused, shared, repaired, refurbished, remanufactured, and recycled is more achievable (MacArthur, 2010). In relation to fashion, the company DyeCoo has created a technology that eliminates the use of water when dying textiles (textilemagazine, 2014) fundamentally saving millions of litres of water and significantly reducing the amount of toxic wastewater that is released into our nature. In 2012, DyeCoo joined a strategic partnership with Nike which reinforced Nike’s enthusiasm toward building a more sustainable brand. 

“Colordry” by Nike and DyeCoo

United Nations created an agenda of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. In regards to the relationship between our planet and fashion, I would say the most relevant is goal 12; to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Over the years, fashion brands have explicitly been making an effort to be more sustainable such as Stella McCartney who avoids using leather or fur, protecting endangered forests, and Veja who uses ecological materials to make their stylish, sustainable footwear. However, to move effectively towards a more sustainable planet, businesses must play their part and ensure that they avoid polluting the earth with certain materials and waste. Fashion brands can utilise the Triple Bottom Line framework to calculate their success not only economically but through social equity and environmental factors too.

Bibliography

Cariki (2018) 13 reasons why the fashion industry is destroying our planet, Cariki. Available at: https://cariki.co.uk/blogs/the-green-road/13-reasons-why-the-fashion-industry-is-destroying-our-planet (Accessed: 07 October 2023). 

MacArthur, E. (2010) Circular economy introduction, Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview#principles (Accessed: 08 October 2023). 

Montag L. (2023). Circular Economy and Supply Chains: Definitions, Conceptualizations, and Research Agenda of the Circular Supply Chain Framework. Circular economy and sustainability, 3(1), 35–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-022-00172-y

textilemagazine (2014) DYECOO technology for Sustainable Textiles with waterless dyeing, The Textile Magazine. Available at: https://www.indiantextilemagazine.in/dyecoo-technology-sustainable-textiles-waterless-dyeing/ (Accessed: 08 October 2023). 

The Sustainable Fashion Glossary (2020) Condé Naste. Available at: https://www.condenast.com/news/conde-nast-launches-sustainable-fashion-glossary (Accessed: 06 October 2023). 

What is circular economy and why does it matter? (2022) What is Circular Economy and Why does it Matter? Available at: https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-is-circular-economy-and-how-it-helps-fight-climate-change#:~:text=Studies%20show%20us%20that%2C%20through,by%2040%20percent%20by%202050. (Accessed: 08 October 2023). 

YTL Group (2019) Fast fashion and its impacts, GENeco. Available at: https://www.geneco.uk.com/news/fast-fashion-and-its-impacts#:~:text=Globally%2C%20the%20fashion%20industry%20is,modern%20car%20for%206%2C000%20miles. (Accessed: 07 October 2023). 

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My Favourite Fashion Brand – Schiaparelli

My Favourite Fashion Brand – Schiaparelli

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It’s extremely difficult to name one brand your ‘favourite’, especially when considering the different factors that make a fashion brand what it is such as – the designers, what the brand stands for, the brands ethics etc. There are different reasons as to why I can appreciate certain brands, however a brand that has stood out to me most recently is Schiaparelli.

“In difficult times fashion is always outrageous” – Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa Schiaparelli was born in Italy to an aristocratic family in 1890. After moving to New York at a time when surrealist art became exceedingly popular she met numerous artists that would have influence over her ideas with her brand in the future. Elsa also met French fashion designer Paul Pioret who has contributed massively to the fashion world, moving womenswear from a more structures silhouette to a more streamlined one based on draping. At the age of 27 after being apprenticed by Pioret, Elsa opened her first atelier – ‘House of Schiaparelli’. House of Schiaparelli grew extremely popular and soon enough Elsa became the first rival of Coco Chanel through her innovative mindset and avant-garde designs. One of my all time favourite artists is Salvador Dali who is known for his dream-like surrealist art, Dali and Schiaparelli had a long term partnership which massively shaped the playful and unusual designs that have been released over the years. A favourite of mine is Schiaparelli’s take on oversized jewellery with the oversized bee broach. But my love for the brand really came from the more modern works of creative director Daniel Roseberry, who has brought Elsa’s surrealistic themes to present day haute couture. One of the more recent talked about Schiaparelli collections was the Spring 2023 couture collection that raised controversy over 4 animal head replica designs which was a reference to Dante’s Inferno. However, despite this the overall collection is one of my favourite which definitely defied the boundaries of art and displayed amazing craftsmanship. I personally think Schiaparelli is a brand that will continue to grow and I’m excited what future collections from Daniel Roseberry in particular.

“I’ve always thought of Schiaparelli as a Sphinx, less of a human and more like a creature” – Daniel Roseberry

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  1. Lucy Donnelly: Great Choice... You have summed it up beautifully in your blog post. The catwalk show was stand out for me…