Amie Denton

Within the fashion industry the people involved are arguably the most important part of a brand. The stakeholders of a business bring the ideas and creativity and also allow it to run and be successful. Furthermore, another key part of the people pillar is the consumers, without consumers the fashion industry simply couldn’t survive and brands should put the consumers demands at the forefront of what they do, in order to be successful. A specific generation of consumers brands must consider when producing and marketing products is generation z (gen z). Gen z are those born between 1996 and 2010 this generation are known as the “digital natives” (Mckinsey, 2023) as they are the first generation to be exposed to the online world from a young age. Gen z rely on the internet and social media for their everyday life which is something brands should consider when trying to attract this generation. Although Gen z are heavily dependent on the internet, they have harnessed this power to self-educate to become a new wave of “inclusive consumers” with strong values related to sustainability and diversity (Mckinsey, 2023). 

It is important that brands are diverse as it improves their customer loyalty as people will feel represented by the brand. A brand that successfully responds to diversity is Skims by Kim Kardashian. Skims is a shapewear brand founded in 2019 and has strong brand values regarding diversity. Kim told Vogue that “Diversity and Inclusivity are in our brand DNA” (Vogue, 2021). By being diverse Skims is able to attract a number of consumers to the brand, including Gen z as they will appreciate the brand’s values. Skims is a brand which empowers the female body and this is shown through the inclusivity of their models. Skims want to create a brand that is for everybody (Vogue, 2021) and use models of all different sizes and ethnicities. Moreover, Skims also attracts Gen z through their marketing. In recent campaigns Skims have varied the models used in shoots and we have seen singers such as Ice Spice, Raye, Pink Pantheress and Sza all promoting the companies shapewear. These campaigns are successful in attracting the younger generation to the brand as all these artists have seen great success in recent years, with their songs growing in popularity through social media. 

Alongside being diverse a brand also requires key people skills in order to be successful. These skills could refer to how people within a business act or with regards to this modern world the technological skills a business should possess. I believe that it is important to have empathy and self-awareness skills to ensure a brand is transparent to consumers. However, it is also essential for people to be aware of how to use social media within a business to promote the brand so they are able to reach a wider consumer base.

Bibliography:

What is gen Z? (2023) McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z (Accessed: 14 October 2023). 

Weinstock, T. (2021) ‘it felt like the perfect time to bring a fresh perspective’: Kim Kardashian West on Revolutionising Shapewear, British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/kim-kardashian-west-future-of-skims (Accessed: 14 October 2023). 

The fashion business industry is built up around 4 key pillars; planet, people, profit and purpose. I will be focusing on the ‘planet’ pillar which explores the environmental impacts of the fashion industry and how we can redefine sustainability and reward businesses for embracing ‘re’ practices such as; recycling, restoring and repurposing. Within the fashion industry it is the production of clothing which is having some of the biggest impacts on our planet. Textile production generates a massive 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, contributing to 10% of the world’s pollution and climate change. The fashion industry needs to cut down carbon emissions by 50% before 2030 to have any impact on saving the planet but how is this going to be possible when the demand for clothing is at its highest?

In order for this industry to reverse its harmful impacts on our planet, it is important that fashion businesses are making positive choices when producing and selling products as the damage caused by the fashion industry is becoming irreversible. There are a multitude of ways in which fashion businesses can become more sustainable; they may want to consider having a circular economy. By having a circular economy businesses are able to increase the life-cycle of a product and keep waste to a minimum. However, to achieve this designers must have an understanding of how garments are used and why and how they are discarded by the consumer (Gwitt 2020). Overall, a circular economy will mitigate the problems caused by the fashion industry on our planet by encouraging businesses to become more sustainable. There are a number of fashion brands that are introducing this method for sustainability; however, Patagonia has been at the forefront for this movement. The outdoor clothing brand first made a sustainable commitment in 1986 and the brand aims to use this idea of a circular economy in order to reduce their negative environmental impacts. Patagonia encourages their customers to repair, reuse and recycle their garments through their ‘The Worn Wear’ programme (Sustainability Mag 2023). 

However, it is not just fashion brands making a positive contribution to saving our planet. We as the consumer are also becoming more sustainable with our fashion choices. In recent years, social media has had a positive influence, especially on young people, to shop more sustainably with a rise in people buying from second hand stores. Data published by Mintel states that more than half of 25-to-34-year-olds buy second-hand clothes, and half have repaired damaged or worn-out clothes (Drapers 2020), therefore decreasing the amount of clothes going to landfill.

Overall, it is important that fashion businesses are incorporating the ‘re’ practices into the production of their garments to become more sustainable. However, it is equally as important that we as consumers are increasing the life cycles of our pieces to ensure less is being wasted and sent to landfill. Furthermore, by also being more sustainable brands will be able to cut their carbon emissions as the demand for more clothes will be lower due to the rise in second-hand fashion.

Bibliography:

Drapers. More than a half of young shoppers buy second-hand clothes, 2020 (online) https://www.drapersonline.com/news/more-than-half-of-young-shoppers-buy-second-hand-clothes (Accessed 07/10/23)

Gwilt, Alison. A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2020. (online) http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=6234061 (Accessed 06/10/23)

Sustainability Mag. Top 10: Brands Embracing the Circular Economy, 2023 (online) https://sustainabilitymag.com/top10/top-10-brands-embracing-the-circular-economy-in-2023 (Accessed 08/10/23)

Nina Ricci is a fashion house founded in Paris in 1932 and although the brand has been established for a long time it was only recently I became familiar with the brand. In Septemeber 2022 Harris Reed became the new Creative Director of Nina Ricci and became the youngest designer in the brands 91 year history at just 26 years old. Harris Reed is a designer who I have been inspired by for many years after seeing his designs at the Met Gala and on celebrities such as Harry Styles and Florence Pugh. When Reed became the Creative Director of Nina Ricci and showcased his first collection with the brand in March 2023 at Paris Fashion Week I immediatly fell in love with the brand and began following the fashion house on social media. The main reason I love this brand is their diversity in their runway shows the brand is widely diverse across age, race, size, gender and beauty as Harris Reed wants Nina Ricci to be “for everyone”, which I find very inspiring. Furthermore, I also chose Nina Ricci as my favourite brand as their fashion really stands out to me compared to other luxury brands. The last 2 seasons at Nina Ricci have focused on bold gender fluid styles, something Harris Reed has brought to the fashion house, their eyecatching silhouettes and vivid colours are what made me love this brand.