People
People are one of the key pillars of Sustainability, and consumer awareness and choice can influence the demand for sustainable products, prompting fashion brands to adopt greener, more ethical practices. Fashion designers can design products with durability and repairability in mind, an approach that encourages consumers to invest in high-quality, durable products. From the time of production to the time the clothes are finally discarded, all one can do is buy sustainably used products and recycle or recycle garments. The fashion industry needs to increase transparency in the industry so that consumers can trace the origin of their clothing and ensure ethical practices. In today’s society Generation Z is currently the second youngest generation they are made up of people born between 1996-2010 and this generation is the main consumer that the fashion industry is targeting. Because the Generation Z population is growing rapidly, by 2025 they will make up a quarter of the population in the Asia Pacific region and are the most powerful consumers today. The oldest Generation Zs have jobs and mortgages, while the youngest are barely out of their teens. They are called “digital natives”. (McKinsey, 2023)
Gen Z has been reshaping the fashion industry in many ways as consumers.Gen Z is the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age, and has been surrounded by the internet and technology their entire lives.Gen Z is keen to buy from internet platforms and receives much of their information from the internet and social media.Gen Z seeks fun and inspiration in addition to convenience and speed when shopping online. inspiration. (Drapers, 2022) In today’s world, times are moving fast and people’s lives are becoming more and more fast-paced, so Gen Z are looking for convenience and they do not want to waste time and energy spending money and queuing up offline.Gen Z are passionate about inclusivity and diversity in fashion, and they would like to see different races, sizes and genders on models in advertisements and shows. In response to this Gen Z mentality, brands should start to appeal to them in this area by showing inclusivity and social responsibility.Thome Browne used 12 black people in their Spring/Summer 2021 show and their outfits were gender-neutral, which showed their gender inclusivity, and that boys can wear dresses too.(Friedman, V., Tillet, S., Paton, E., Testa, J. and Brown, E.N. ,2021)
Lastly, looking at the fashion industry as a whole, I think diversity and equality are key factors in how to make a brand successful. Diversity can be seen in many different ways such as gender, sexuality, religion and so on.
Reference list:
www.mckinsey.com. (n.d.). What is Gen Z? | McKinsey. [online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z..
Moran, G. (2022). Gen Z and Millennials 2022. [online] Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022.
Friedman, V., Tillet, S., Paton, E., Testa, J. and Brown, E.N. (2021). The Fashion World Promised More Diversity. Here’s What We Found. The New York Times. [online] 4 Mar. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/04/style/Black-representation-fashion.html.
Picture Reference List:
Nast, C. (2021). Thom Browne debutta nel childreswear. [online] GQ Italia. Available at: https://www.gqitalia.it/moda/article/thom-browne-childreswear-foto?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_brand=gq-italia&utm_social-type=owned [Accessed 15 Oct. 2023].