Lucian Fernandez-Brandwood

The purpose of a fashion brand is just as important as any other factor contributing to a prosperous business. It entails the brands mission and values that may appeal to the consumer. For example being a sustainable brand would appeal to Gen-Z due to their positive views on sustainability. The purpose also gives a company aims and a mission they are ultimately trying to reach. That being aims to make profit or to be carbon neutral and fair to their workers, can both be the purposes of a company. Having a purpose give a company the opportunity to gain more loyal customers, and attract more, for example Nikes slogan “just do it” and its inspirational promotional campaigns give an incentive for the customer to buy products as they feel to be part of something bigger.

A clear mission offers guidance for a company to make decisions and communicate. It gives a brand a strong and consistent brand identity that’s recognised by both employees and consumers. For example brand Rick Owens has a clear mission being “to stand at the forefront of the avant-garde through instantly recognisable silhouettes and a largely monochrome palette often painted with gothic overtones”, which is clearly seen through their consistently dark themed and coloured clothes. This has gained appeal from the gothic community, and been a staple in clothing for the new Opium aesthetic, an alternate gothic rap style influenced by the punk aesthetic. This therefore increased exposure to the brand in various demographics especially gen-z due to its wide appeal through music, pop culture and general fashion enjoyers, who can appreciate the brands design expertise and quality. This goes to show the importance of having a mission and how it can gain a following unlike any without any purpose.

Without a mission it is very difficult to prosper, especially in fashion where having personality in your brand is important to engage customers, due to the industry’s artistic side. However, considering the values of said company is important too. For example, although the immensely popular brand Balenciaga has a clear mission and design identity, its questionable and highly controversial recent past caused many to avoid the brand altogether. This was due to the disturbing campaign involving bondage and sexual items with children modelling in the same shoot. This made the public question their values and motive and steered many customers away. Connecting with the consumer with similar values is important to keep a loyal consumer base.

Powered by Issuu

Publish for Free

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-having-clear-brand-mission-hamidu-ansumana-

Profit in relation to the fashion industry is inevitably the main goal for a company. The values and methods they carry often are done simply to appease the market and increase sales. This is why its a crucial factor in building and maintaining a company. The pillar includes the sales of items, the net profit and the methods used to reach this destination.

The fashion industry is a major contributor to the global economy, one of the largest in the world. According to a 2022 report by Statista, the global fashion industry was valued at approximately $1.53 trillion dollars, however other sources from before the coronavirus state even higher, up to a staggering $2.5 trillion. This suggests that the Pandemic had an extremely detrimental affect on the industry, dropping over a Trillion dollars in value. However, during the pandemic people turned to online shopping rather than in store shopping which led to a surge in shopping on websites such as Ali express. This was considered a golden age in fast fashion, which was affordable and accessible to the general public. However currently, the fashion industry its returning its methods to how it was before coronavirus, employing over 300 million people worldwide, accounting for 7% of employment in some developing countries.

The entire industry has only recently got back on its feet from covid, and since the restrictions from the pandemic were lifted the industry has been faced with more new restrictions involving sustainability and awareness. This means that the sustainable sector of fashion had a boost and largely increased the size of its market as a response to activism and current values. However, surprisingly the luxury sector is predicted to grow by 5 to 10% in 2023 and the rest of the industry set to decrease by 2-3%. This has motivated brands to change their marketing methods for the coming year, as the fashion centre of the world is shifting, suggesting that the Middle East may be a new haven for growth in the industry.

Through implementing values and motive to the brand, a company may stay competitive by relating to the economic struggles at the time, for example relating to the consumers life in these circumstances. For example, as stated before, during the pandemic brands shifted to suit the internet focused market. This was evidently as a response to people being stuck indoors. This is called a silver lining strategy, that takes advantages of bright spots in a storm.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/reports/news-analysis/the-state-of-fashion-2023-industry-report-bof-mckinsey/?lid=127jc692ohmj&utm_source=braze_marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Step%202%20-%20SoF&utm_content=RegEmail2

https://fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion#

https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/fashion-and-finance-the-new-economic-realities-of-luxury-consumers-rakuten

People, in relation to the fashion industry are the consumers and people involved with fashion in general, including people behind the production such as designers and floor workers. Specifically Gen z, have developed a larger market online and in real life, which has shaped the people factor in the fashion industry. All of the ‘generations’ work in different parts of the fashion industry from the manufacturing to the marketing.

Gen z as consumers are very different to previous generations like Gen x as their emotions and are much more tied to their choices of who and where they buy from. For example, nine out of ten gen-zers have agreed that companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues already opening a much larger market based around sustainability, in order to appeal or be accepted by gen z. aside from being more sustainability oriented, have an impact on all generations because of their enthusiasm and innovation derived from their increased interconnectedness among other gen zers from the internet. the internet is an integral part of gen zs lives, and are described as digital natives. Evidently, this would change the way products should be marketed towards them and shifts the marketing approach to more social media focused methods. Therefore combining social media figures and influencers with a desirable theme, for example Kim Kardashian with her Skims range, based on equality and body positivity and acceptance, which would appeal to the young viewer seeing their favourite influencer wearing progressive clothes.

In addition to influencers or celebrities being key in social media marketing, there have been various notable examples of brands being heavily advertised by artists or celebrities. One of the main examples that comes to mind is Mathew Williams Alyx 9SM. Founded in 2015, he founded the brand with a deep affinity with street culture, and worked with his frequent collaborators Kanye West and even Travis Scott to promote Alyx. Of course, Kanye and Travis have had a huge fanbase, alot of them Gen z. By collaborating with Artists Mathew was able to attract alot a much more devoted and young fanbase due to their association with these figureheads in hiphop. Less famously, he further increased his range in the youth music scene, by collaborating with more underground artists such as Destroy lonely. They partnered up to create the 1017 Alyx 9SM x Destroy Lonely collection which opened up the brand to a whole new demographic, predominantly youth.

In conclusion, the people skills needed to market a brand in the modern world especially, is understanding how to use the internet and connections to promote and please the customers ideologically and culturally. By incorporating pop culture and recent issues including racism, sustainability and body positivity it increases the range and acceptance by consumers.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/matthew-williams

on Alyx and its history and methods

https://showstudio.com/news/1017-alyx-9sm-teams-up-with-rapper-destroy-lonely

collaboration with Artists and its effect on gen z

Recognised as one of the pillars of fashion, the planet is a major factor in sustainable fashion, fashion production and fashion motives. Especially more recently in the last decade, the planet has become a focus within the fashion world as a result of climate change and increasing pollution of the sea, air and land. According to the majority of sources fashion produces 10% of annual global carbon emissions, which is significant compared to industries more associated with carbon emissions such as the car industry.

Although carbon emissions continue at an all time high, it’s notable that many fashion brands and companies are quickly committing to using sustainable methods of producing and selling and even contribute to the circular economy. A known example would be the outdoor brand Patagonia, a brand known for its high quality yet sustainable outdoor wear which is designed to last. the website Goodhousekeeping.com stated – This outdoor brand is widely recognized as one of the best in ethical clothing. They have various initiatives such as being fair trade certified, blue sign approved, a buy and resale program and even offer clothing repairs. Many other brands use methods akin to Patagonia, which in turn opens a market of sustainable clothing where they attract people who are more conscious about how their clothes are manufactured. The buy and resale program is also not exclusive to Patagonia, it has been around in companies such as eBay for years, but more recently Depop and Vinted have become major resale apps with affordable clothing contributing massively to the circular economy.

However the industry is still among the worst in terms of sustainability even with all the efforts to reduce its carbon emissions and waste. One of the most detrimental offsets of fashion production is the water pollution. This is the runoff dye and chemical waste used to colour clothes and manufacture low quality garments. According to MDPI, the fashion industry is responsible for the consumption of 79 trillion litres of water annually, contributing to about 20% of industrial wastewater (York university – Toronto, Canada). For an often overlooked effect of the industry, it’s an astonishingly high number and still needs recognition for change to take place on a larger scale even though there are smaller brands in the cotton industry that actively use dyes that don’t runoff called Low Impact Fibre Reactive Dyes.

Concluding this blog, i believe and have researched that also the efforts made by companies and fashion brands to reduce pollution and increase sustainability, such as contributing to the circular economy and reducing the amount of toxic waste, there is a lot needed to be done to reach the goal of an entirely sustainable industry, as even with the efforts the fashion industry carbon emissions are predicted to be 50% more by the year 2030. to reach ultimate sustainability ive gathered we must minimise waste, sustain our clothes, and produce to last.

Reference list

on carbon emissions:

https://www.zurich.com/en/media/magazine/2021/fast-fashion-5-practical-ways-to-cut-the-carbon-from-your-closet#:~:text=It%20may%20surprise%20you%20to,than%2050%20percent%20by%202030.

on sustainable fashion brands:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/clothing/g27154605/sustainable-fashion-clothing/

on runoff and water waste

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/7/1073#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20the%20fashion,of%20industrial%20wastewater%20%5B6%5D.