Yelena Davies

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PURPOSE

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Purpose allows a brand to see where they currently are and evaluate where they want to be in the future. Corporate Social Responsibility describes the responsibility businesses hold in improving the quality of life of all their stakeholders. From their employees to the local community in which they reside, business play a role in creating positive change. Environmental sustainability is also a critical component of CSR which involves using resources to benefit the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations.Possessing a strong sense of CSR creates a sense of trust between the business and their consumer, as many ethically minded consumers value when brands are transparent and honest about their production process. The consumers also gain a feeling of goodwill knowing they are purchasing products from a philanthropic brand who invests significantly into charity (Londrigan and Jenkins, 2018). In addition to attracting a certain consumer base, brand philosophy also provides the business with a strong sense of purpose and direction answering questions such as: Why does the brand exist? What are the future ambitions of the brand? What is important to the brand? Answering these questions allows a brand to build a unique identity and strong aims and objectives, aiding the business to maintain a trajectory for success by informing important business decisions. 

However, brand philosophy is only beneficial if it is authentically believed and not just performative. Increasingly, brands are expected to take a stance on social and political issues as Gen Z, being a more ideological and politically aware generation, do not hesitate to boycott brands which do not align with their personal beliefs. Therefore, it is vital that businesses follow through with every pledge and claim they make (Curry, 2020). Gen Z seek to breath a new life into the traditional approach to CSR, so when brands communicate their purpose to the generation, they must place emphasis on their values, as this is what Gen Z prioritise when making purchasing decisions (Rahilly, Finneman and Spagnuolo, 2020).

Nike have identified individuality as one of Gen Z’s key values. The Nike x AMBUSH Collab (Nike 2023) understands and accepts the fluidity of gender identity and conveys its support to the LGBTQ+ community through creating a line of unisex clothing. By injecting a femme energy into the clothing, it also opens up the sporting space to people who once felt rejected by the industry for not fitting to the traditional conforms of a sportsperson.

Overall, purpose is essential when creating a vision for the brand. It associates a positive image to the brand which attracts consumers whilst also informing key business decisions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curry, L. (2020) Corporate Social Responsibility: How Brands Can Follow Through on the Values They’re Selling. Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Publishing. (Online) Available at: https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-brands-can-follow-through-on-the-values-theyre-selling#Accessed on: 26/10/23

Londrigan, M., and Jenkins, J. (2018). Fashion Supply Chain Management. New York: Fairchild (online) Available at: https://www-bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9781501317798&tocid=b-9781501317798-chapter3&pdfid=9781501317798.ch-003.pdf Accessed on: 26/10/23

Nike (2023). The Nike x AMBUSH Collection Amplifies Sport, Style, Self-Expression. NIKE, Inc. (Online) Available at: https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/the-nike-x-ambush-collection-amplifies-sport-style-self-expression Accessed on: 26/10/23

Rahilly, L., Finneman, B., and Spagnuolo, E., (2020) Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of Shopping. McKinsey & Company. (Online). Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping#/ Accessed on: 26/10/23.

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PROFIT

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Although the fashion industry is based on creativity and art, it is also fundamentally reliant on profit. In order for a brand to survive they need to have sufficient cash flow and revenue to cover all of their fixed and variable costs. If they aren’t generating enough profit, they cannot maintain their operations or produce new designs. 

The revenue of the apparel market worldwide in 2023 was US $1.74 trillion and is projected to grow to US $1.94 trillion in 2023 (Smith 2023). The figure has been steadily increasing since 2014, with the exception of 2020, where the industry experienced a decline in revenue which was most likely caused by the global pandemic and the temporary closing of most retail stores. Currently, the largest sector of the global fashion industry is Women’s apparel which possesses a market volume of US$0.91trillion in 2023 (Statista 2023).

In the face of a global slowdown and economic uncertainty, the luxury sector is likely to continue to thrive as those with enough disposable income to purchase expensive goods are likely not going to be greatly impacted by rising inflation and interest rates. However, consumers from lower income households will have to reduce their spending and cut back on non-essential purchases, such as clothing, therefore high street brands may experience a decline during economic hardship (McKinsey 2023).

According to Mitterfellner (Mitterfellner 2023), a successful brand resuscitation consists of multiple steps, made up of, but not limited to, investing in the brand, revitalisation of the brand’s essence and revitalisation through new distribution channels. The collapse of the brand MCM was caused by multiple reasons, one of which being the financial crash in Asia in the late 90s, which due to a lack of adequate contingency planning forced the business to go into administration. However, under new management the brand revived and became internationally renowned once again. Sung-Joo Kim, the new owner, modernised the brand, updating the bags with fresh colours and designs, whilst introducing new products in different markets such as luxury fragrances. 

A way in which brands could connect creativity and commerce is through dual leadership style, which Overdiek (Overdiek 2016) defines as a ‘marriage between a talented designer and a visionary manager.’ This partnership allows the creativity of the brand to be profitable with both exceptional design and economic sustainability being valued equally. 

Overall, profit is what creates the basis for a successful thriving brand and cannot be overlooked by creativity, as without sufficient funding a business is not able to survive or grow.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

McKinsey (2023) The State of Fashion 2023. McKinsey & Company and Business of Fashion. Available at https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/state%20of%20fashion/2023/the-state-of-fashion-2023-holding-onto-growth-as-global-clouds-gathers-vf.pdf (Accessed on 21/10/23)

Mitterfellner, O. (2023) Luxury Fashion Brand Management and sustainability: Unifying fashion with sustainability. New York: Routledge. 

Overdiek, Anja. (2016). Fashion designers and their business partners: Juggling creativity and commerce. International Journal of Fashion Studies. 3. 27-46.

Smith, P (2023) Revenue of the apparel market worldwide from 2014 to 2027. Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/forecasts/821415/value-of-the-global-apparel-market (Accessed on 21/10/23)

Statista Market Insights (2023) Apparel- Worldwide. StatistaAvailable at: https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/apparel/worldwide (Accessed on 21/10/23)

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PEOPLE

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People are at the very epicentre of the Fashion Industry. People impact everything from design, creation to consumption.

Each generation possesses unique characteristics defined by significant global events such as COVID 19 or climate anxiety (Mitterfellner 2023). Generation Z is loosely formed of people born between 1996 and 2010. It is the first generation of ‘digital natives’ which defines those who were born into an era of widespread internet accessibility and as a result, it has created a more politically and socially aware and active generation. (McKinsey & Company 2023)It is vital that brands become knowledgeable about the motivations behind the consumption patterns of Gen Z to respond effectively to the changes in demand of this hyperconnected generation.  Gen Z are largely influenced by ethical concerns, individualism and self-expression, whilst the demographic is also shifting towards an access over possession form of consumption. (Francis and Hoefel, 2018)

Figure 1. Today’s young people differ from yesterday’s. (Francis and Hoefel, 2018)

Diversity in fashion is hugely important to Gen Z and brands who respond to this are more likely to attract consumers from the generation who make up nearly a quarter of the population in the Asia Pacific region (Kim et al, 2020).

Victoria Secret has long been subject to criticism over promoting unrealistic female body standards and glamourising eating disorders. However, Raúl Martinez, the Creative Director of the brand revealed his reason behind joining Victoria Secret was his 15-year-old daughter who said to him ‘Dad. Do it for us. The Gen Zs,’ (Maheshwari and Friedman 2021). Gen Z are a proactive and confrontational generation who will not hesitate to challenge the status quo. Therefore in order to reengage Gen Z, the brand had to reinvent and modernise their image to align with the morals of this generation. They have now created a new group of women to represent the brand named the ‘Victoria Secret Collective’ consisting of women from unique backgrounds each with different body types to dismantle the outdated ‘male gaze’ image formerly promoted by the brand.

It is essential that fashion brands possess certain people skills to be successful. A shift away from the traditional marketing mix towards a more contemporary version is critical for survival. Mitterfellner has identified embracing diversity as being a key skill that should replace ‘place’ in the previous marketing mix model (Mitterfellner 2023). Consumers increasingly demand a more inclusive approach to branding, so brands who educate themselves about achieving widespread representation are more likely to be successful.

Overall, it is impossible to ignore the impact of people in the fashion industry as every single decision made is influenced by shifts in societal opinions and attitudes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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: (12/10/23)

Kim, A., McInerney,P., Smith, T.T., and  Yamakawa, N. (2020) What makes Asia−Pacific’s Generation Z different? McKinsey & Company. Available at https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/what-makes-asia-pacifics-generation-z-different Accessed: (12/10/23)

Maheshwari, S and Friedman, V, (2021) The New York Times, ‘Victoria’s Secret Swaps Angels for ‘What Women Want.’ Will They Buy It?’ Published June 16, 2021. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/business/victorias-secret-collective-megan-rapinoe.html Accessed: (12/10/23)

McKinsey & Company (2023). What is gen Z? Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinseyexplainers/what-is-gen-z Accessed: (12/10/23)

Mitterfellner, O. (2023). Chapter 8- The Future of Luxury Fashion Brands

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PLANET AND THE FASHION INDUSTRY

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The relationship between the planet and fashion industry is deeply embedded throughout every step of the product life cycle, from the collection of raw materials to the transport and use of the garments. However, the fashion industry is currently the 2nd most polluting industry, so it holds great power in creating both potential positive and negative global environmental change.

The very nature of fashion is change. However, the word change can be applied to every corner of the industry, from changes in trends and seasons to the change required to make impactful steps towards achieving sustainability. Sustainability progress begins with small developments and adjustments within individual business to large-scale transformational decisions which reinvent traditional business models (Moran, 2022).

A model which has become out-dated is the linear economic model (‘take-make-waste’). Instead, a circular model is vital in extending the product life cycle and minimising the waste that the industry produces. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (MacArthur, 2013.) a circular economy is ‘a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated.’ When applying this to the fashion industry it can be viewed as a regenerative system in which garments are circulated for as long as they can retain their maximum value, at which point they are transformed into new garments, turned into raw materials or safely recycled back to the biosphere. Fashion designer Patrick McDowell has adopted an approach to circularity which involves using reclaimed fabrics and sustainable deadstock materials sourced from warehouses of major fashion brands such as Burberry or Swarovski and reimagining the materials into new garments (Turra, 2020). Simultaneously whilst applying a circular model and operating sustainably, Patrick McDowell is also creating exciting innovative designs, collaborating ideas, patterns and fabric from various brands. 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals form part of the UNs 2030 Agenda which strive towards eliminating various global issues such as poor healthcare and education, poverty, climate change and more (Gardetti and Muthu, 2020). The twelfth goal of ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’ is indisputably one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. The social media boom has incited a wave of rampant consumerism with new trends emerging daily. In order to respond to this, ‘Fast Fashion’ brands create new lines weekly, encouraging unethical and unsustainable methods of production to meet the surge in demand (Gwilt, 2020). A brand tackling this is Ganni who through complete transparency on social media regularly evaluate the environmental impact of each of its products (Bartley, 2022). They refuse to identify as a sustainable brand as fashion is fundamentally based on consumption which contradicts the idea of sustainability, so they focus instead on becoming the most responsible version of themselves. The strict goals they set themselves alongside a yearly responsibility report demonstrates their commitment to creating impactful positive change.

Bibliography

Bartley, L (2022). Drapers, Ganni: ‘We want to leave the fashion industry better than we found it.’ Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/ganni-we-want-to-leave-the-fashion-industry-better-than-we-found-it (Accessed: 5/10/23)

Gardetti, M., and Muthu, S. (2020), The UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Textile and Fashion Industry.

Gwilt, A. (2020). The Life Cycle of a Garment. In A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

MacArthur, E.  (2013). Towards the circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022. EMAP Publishing Limited. Available at:https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022 (Accessed: 3/10/23)

Turra, A. (2020) Pinko Taps Patrick McDowell for Sustainable Project, Women’s Wear Daily, Available at:https://wwd.com/feature/pinko-patrick-mcdowell-sustainable-project-1234596506/ (Accessed: 6/10/23)

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My Favourite Fashion Brand: ERDEM

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ERDEM

My favourite brand is a brand I discovered fairly recently but as soon as I did I instantly felt drawn to the intricacy and depth of the designs as well as the use of loud unapologetic colour combinations. 

Erdem is a London-based independent fashion house created for women, founded in 2005 by designer Erdem Moralioglu MBE. It is a brand that exudes beauty and romance, whilst redefining modern day femininity. Storytelling is central to all the designs, portraying different narratives of strong and heroic women, whilst collaborating the use of intricate details and jubilant colours. Designer Erdem Moralioglu takes the stereotypical ‘feminine’ quality of dainty florals and pastel colours and reinvents them. The stark contrast between the delicacy of the handmade details against the unapologetic bold colour choice creates a poetic yet dramatic design and I feel that the narrative of heroic and independent women is shown so powerfully by taking traditional prints and patchworking them in unconventional, unexpected and slightly jarring ways.  

Erdem has a huge versatility throughout their designs, many of which could seamlessly fit into a picturesque quaint English garden scene filled with bright jubilant colours and optimism, possibly explaining why the brand is frequently worn by Kate Middleton. However, the brand stretches further and can simultaneously represent an unconventional woman not afraid to be dark and non conforming, taking control of her own narrative and bending society’s expectations. 

Erdem is created for women, with women’s stories, desires and fantasies at the heart of every design, which is exactly why I find it is an inspiring and beautifully powerful brand.

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