Nevaeh Di-Paolo

About Nevaeh Di-Paolo

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Establishing a sense of purpose is an integral and pivotal aspect of creating a thriving fashion brand. For a brand to achieve success, it must construct a cohesive framework encompassing a well-defined mission, a compelling vision, and a set of core values that resonate with its specific target market. This cohesive framework is commonly referred to as the brand philosophy.

Brand philosophy is essential because it gives a brand authenticity and allows them to share values directly with their target market – a good example of this is Vivienne Westwood. She has used her collections and catwalk shows as a platform to campaign for positive activism. The values the brand portrays reflects directly on their customer base and encourages consumers with similar values. Furthermore, brand philosophy helps brands stand out from competitors. Being authentic and communicating your purpose clearly with customers allows a trustworthy relationship to form between consumer and brand. This is vital to Gen-Z who demand transparency from brands. ‘’There’s a real authenticity to the Gen Z generation in saying they want to breathe new life into what corporate responsibility looks like.’’ (McKinsey, 2020). 

Brands communicate their purpose to Gen-Z through a variety of ways including the metaverse, VR, and social media channels. Gen Z spends about four and a half hours daily online. (WGSN, 2021). By using methods that resonate with the generation – brands are more likely to gain a loyal customer base and customer retention.

A brand’s purpose is rooted in its values, mission, and vision. In an era where Gen-Z consumers increasingly demand transparency and reliability, companies must establish clear goals and a guiding philosophy. This not only garners consumer support but also facilitates understanding of a brand’s purpose. As consumers become more socially conscious, fashion brands that embrace purpose will make a positive impact and thrive within the fashion industry.

References:

Finneman, B., Spagnuolo, E. and Rahilly, L. (2020). Meet Generation Z: Shaping the Future of Shopping | McKinsey. [online] McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping. [Accessed 26th October 2023].

Napoli, C (2021). US & UK: Gen Z Digital Mindsets. [online] Wgsn. Available at: https://www.wgsn.com/insight/article/90340 [Accessed 26th October 2023].

‌www.viviennewestwood.com. (n.d.). Activism – discover more | Vivienne Westwood. [online] Available at: https://www.viviennewestwood.com/en-gb/sustainability/activism/. [Accessed 26th October 2023].

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Profit Blog

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For a business to be successful within the fashion industry, it needs to generate profit. The fashion industry is worth over 1.53 trillion dollars (Statista, 2023), and many different sectors contribute to this.

One of these sectors is: luxury fashion brands. These maintain high profit margins due to their exclusive appeal, premium pricing, and focusing on existing clients. On the other hand, the fast fashion sector focuses on a quick trend-led turnover of inexpensive clothing. They have a smaller profit margin but make up for it with high sales volumes and frequent stock turnover. Another sector is e-commerce, online retail has seen major growth in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and technological advancements. E-commerce companies also generally have lower operating costs in comparison to brick-and-mortar retailers, which can lead to better profitability.

To maintain a competitive edge in uncertain times brands can aim to diversify product ranges. This caters to a broader customer base, offering affordable, more premium, and essential products will make a brand appeal to a wider audience. Dynamic pricing is one of the core capabilities to set innovators apart in the retail landscape of the future. (WGSN, 2023). Furthermore, brands can invest in marketing and branding to cater to their specific target audience. This will help them stand out and encourage brand loyalty. Another way to maintain a competitive edge is to prioritise customer engagement and listen to feedback or reviews from customers. This can be engaging through social media or other channels to give customers a voice.

Creative directors can assist with these through market research, they can conduct thorough market research to stay informed about customer preferences and current trends. The information that they gather is then used to inform creative choices and directions that are likely to resonate with customers. 

Profit is the driving force in the fashion industry, keeping a balance between creativity and commerce is crucial to the success of a business. Brands must innovate, adapt, and respond to changing trends and consumer demands to thrive.

References:

Medeiros, C (2023). Value Fashion Retail: Pricing Strategies. [online] Wgsn.com. Available at: https://www.wgsn.com/insight/article/64f7500ea4fbea6820c2c736 [Accessed 20th October 2023].

Mitterfellner, O (2020). Fashion marketing and communication: theory and practice across the fashion industry. Abingdon, Oxon: New York, Ny: Routledge. [Accessed 19th October 2023].

Smith, P. (2023). Global apparel market – statistics & facts. [online] Statista.com. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/apparel-market-worldwide/#topicOverview [Accessed 19th October 2023].

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People Blog

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The fashion industry is built around people and consumers, for a successful business, companies need to consider the wants and needs of their customers. 

Gen Z are a huge proportion of the target market for businesses within the fashion industry and are currently the 2nd youngest generation – born after 1995 and up to 2010. The Gen Z consumer is a ‘digital native’ (Mckinsey, 2023) and grew up with the internet as part of daily life, they are very technology focused and spend a lot of time online. For Gen Z, the social media platform TikTok has a big influence on their feelings, opinions, and spending habits – and they make up 60% of the platforms one billion plus users. Gen Z also have a strong demand for accountability and purpose, creating more opportunities for people from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds and living in a more sustainable and green way. 

To attract the Gen Z consumer, brands should focus on utilizing social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as this is where majority of Gen Z can be found on a day-to-day basis. Partnering 2with influencers and showing authenticity within your marketing is most likely to attract the Gen Z customer.

Fenty beauty is a brand created by singer Rihanna, ‘’so that women everywhere would be included.’’ It launched with 40 foundation shade ranges that included shades for everyone and an extremely diverse marketing campaign. It was named one of the 25 Inventions of the Year by Time magazine, and it changed the make-up game, suddenly brands were launching more shade ranges and accommodating to a broader variety of skin tones. 

‘’Fashion businesses are starting to look for people who come from a technology background’’ (Business of Fashion, 2022). The key skills needed to run a successful fashion brand are becoming technology and IT focused, with the emergence of the metaverse and digital fashion – brands need to move with the times and Gen Z are a great advocate for this, they are technologically advanced and able to adapt easily.  

As we move forward, the collaboration between the fashion industry and Gen Z promises to be a transformative force that leads to a more ethical, inclusive, and innovative future for fashion. 

References:

Brzezicki, A. (2022). Marketing to Gen Z: What the new wave of consumers want. [online] Bazaarvoice. Available at: https://www.bazaarvoice.com/blog/marketing-to-gen-z/. [Accessed 12th October 2023].

Fetto, F. (2020). How Fenty Beauty Changed The State Of Play In The Industry. [online] British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/article/rihanna-fenty-beauty-diversity. [Accessed 12th October 2023].

Francis, T. and Hoefel, F. (2018). ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and Its Implications for Companies. [online] McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies. [Accessed 12th October 2023].

Saltzman, S. (2017). SEE EVERY PRODUCT FROM RIHANNA’S DEBUT FENTY BEAUTY COLLECTION. [image] fashionista.com. Available at: https://fashionista.com/2017/09/rihanna-fenty-beauty-makeup-products-collection.‌ [Accessed 12th October 2023].

www.mckinsey.com. (2023). What is Gen Z? | McKinsey. [online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z#. [Accessed 12th October 2023].

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Planet Blog

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How is the planet linked to the fashion industry? The 2.5-billion-dollar fashion industry is contributing greatly to the current climate crisis. It produces 20% of water waste and 10% of global carbon emissions which is more than aviation and shipping combined. Micro-trends and the accessibility of fast fashion have led to fast rates of trend adoption and rejection, and while it offers affordability and constant novelty to consumers, it also takes a heavy toll on the environment. (Gwilt, 2020).

Due to this, we must work towards a circular economy in which we reuse and regenerate materials to continue production in a more sustainable way, rather than repurchasing and throwing garments to landfill. ‘’Today people buy 60% more and keep their purchases half as long compared to 20 years ago, according to a McKinsey study.’’ (WGSN, 2023).

To address these issues, sustainability within the fashion industry has gained momentum. Sustainable fashion aims to minimize the impact on the environment and maximise positive contributions. Some examples of this are use of eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing. Sustainable brands use organic, recycled, or renewable materials for their clothing which reduces the environmental footprint of production. Also, prioritizing fair labour practices and ensuring that workers receive fair and safe working conditions.

The UN sustainable development goals report highlights key transformations needed in different sectors to achieve a more sustainable way of living. One SDG that relates to the fashion industry is ‘responsible consumption and production’. The planet is running out of resources; however, the population is still growing. If the global population reaches 9.8 billion by 2050, we will need the equivalent of 3 planets of resources to sustain our current lifestyles. On average, it takes over 2700 litres of water to produce 1 t-shirt, 10,000 litres of water to produce a pair of jeans, and about 50 million people on this planet have no access to water. Don’t throw away clothes because they are no longer ‘trendy’.

Sustainability in fashion is not a trend, it is a necessity for the health of the planet and its people. How future generations deal with overabundance, fair labour practices, and environmental concerns is of paramount importance to the well-being of the planet (Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2015). As more consumers and brands embrace more sustainable practices, we can create a fashion industry that values the environment and workers.

REFERENCES:

Gwilt, A. (2020). Practical Guide To Sustainable Fashion. S.L.: Ava Academia. [Accessed 3rd October 2023].

Hethorn, J. and Ulasewicz, C. (2015). Sustainable fashion : what’s next? : a conversation about issues, practices and possibilities. New York: Bloomsbury, Fairchild Books, An Imprint Of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc. [Accessed 4th October 2023].

Moran, G. (2022) Sustainability and the Consumer 2022 report, Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/drapers-bespoke/sustainability-and-the-consumer-2022-report. [Accessed 3rd October 2023].

United Nations (2023) Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/. [Accessed 5th October 2023].

WGSN (2023) Challenging Overconsumption: Shifts & Strategies. Available at: https://www.wgsn.com/insight/article/6510c1fece88e0e28f22f744 [Accessed 6th October 2023].

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Named Collective

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Named Collective is an independent British fashion label. All of their garments are designed in East London and ethically made to last. I was first introduced to Named Collective via TikTok where I saw their marketing strategies and thought they were so intriguing. They have a unique way of generating hype for their brand by utilising their social media following. I love how they hide products all over London and the first person to find it gets to keep it, I’ve always wanted to be nearby when they do one of those posts because the product gets found so quickly. I also love their focus on sustainability and how they only produce ranges in limited runs to minimise waste. They have a big focus on being anti-trend and create investment worthy items.

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