Katarina Paksiova

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Purpose

Purpose

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It is difficult to determine what exactly the purpose of fashion is—once we exclude the sociological and practical importance of covering up and protecting our body parts respectively, that is. Beyond said practical reason for the manufacture of garments, there lays an artistic one. Clothing and accessories signify to others what kind of people we are and what social status or traits we might possess. “It is fascinating how much we think we can guess about someone from his or her appearance—and frightening how often what we guess holds true.” (F. Corner, 2014)

Fashion represents an expression of one’s soul and affinities, and it may serve as a connecting point to people with a similar taste to ours. It is deeply ingrained in our lives; different cultures have individual fashion styles depending on which part of the world they inhabit. The most simplistic purpose of fashion is communication.

“We evolve a language of clothes just as we evolve speech patterns, trying out new clothes the same as we try out new words.” (F. Corner, 2014)

Aligning with the values and visions of their customers is essential for brands, especially nowadays, when the importance of sustainability, of the impact on the environment and of fair treatment of factory workers is greater than ever, as the fashion industry crisis is getting worse each day. Customers appreciate transparency and expect brand philosophies to speak to them directly. They are looking for value in the products they purchase and invest in, rather than mere quantity, as people try to be more mindful about spending their money and the ways they are spending it.

Generation Z is a very different consumer compared to previous generations, and brands must adjust.

Figure 1, Antoni Shkraba, Hindustan Times, 2022

“Gen Z is a generation that tends to value authenticity, transparency and individuality. They have grown up in a world where they are constantly exposed to a plethora of information and are often quick to spot anything that appears to be fake or disingenuous. They can make or break a brand’s reputation. In today’s world, marketing is no longer about merely selling products; it is more about selling a brand’s story and connecting with the customers on a deeper emotional level.” (Forbes, 2023)

Bibliography:

  1. Corner, F. (2014) ‘Chapter 67’, in Why fashion matters. London, United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson, pp. 91–91.
  2. Corner, F. (2014) ‘Chapter 81’, in Why fashion matters. London, United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson, pp. 109–109.
  3. Figure 1, Shkraba, A. (2022) Millennial fashion tips: Outfit ideas for those who like to keep style fuss-free, Hindustan Times. Available at: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/millennial-fashion-tips-outfit-ideas-for-those-who-like-to-keep-style-fussfree-101661414300561.html (Accessed: 30 October 2023).
  4. Anderson, M. (2023) Council post: Connecting with gen Z: Effective strategies for brands, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2023/05/05/connecting-with-gen-z-effective-strategies-for-brands/ (Accessed: 30 October 2023).
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  1. khaled: You actually expressed it superbly.

    • Katarina Paksiova: Thank you

Profit

Profit

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Fashion, as much as it is considered a form of art, is also a business and thus it measures its success by the profit it makes. The fashion industry represents the 4th largest industry in the world.

“The revenue of the global apparel market was calculated to amount to 1.53 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022, a slight decrease on the previous year. However, revenue was forecast to increase in 2023, to more than 1.7 trillion dollars.  In 2021, China led the rankings for the highest value of apparel exports. The U.S. was second only to the EU in the value of apparel imports.” (Statista, 2023)

Figure 1, Revenue of the fashion market in the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2027, Statista, 2023

The fashion industry grows exponentially each year despite adverse geopolitical and economic circumstances such as the current energy and cost of living crisis, in part caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

These factors are affecting the way we shop and behave as consumers—we are unlikely to see massive growth on the graphs if people are struggling to meet their most basic needs. Brands have to take this information into consideration while trying to target and approach their customers in an appropriate manner, which, with high saturation on the market, has proven to be increasingly difficult every year. Therefore, creative directors should not only strive to design products with fresh, unique ideas, but they must also foresee where demand is going to be and what specifically customers will desire in order to be able to sell their products.

“In 2023, the global fashion industry will need to weather inflation while finding opportunities in shifting consumer patterns, channel and digital marketing strategies, and manufacturing approaches.” (McKinsey, 2023)

If we see a decline in one sector, we might yet observe a rise in another. For example, recent years have brought about an increase in the prevalence with which clothes and accessories are purchased from second hand markets instead of conventional retail stores. This trend is caused mainly by the environmental impact the fashion industry has had on the planet and, to a lesser extent, by the prices being more affordable, as many high fashion brands continue to raise their prices annually.

“A Chanel bag nearly doubled in price in the past five years.” (Forbes, 2022)

Figure 2, Chanel classic flap medium lambskin, gold hardware, 1983

Only time will tell how these phenomena are going to impact the luxury goods sector in the future.

Bibliography:

  1. Smith, P. (no date) Topic: Apparel market worldwide, Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/apparel-market-worldwide/ (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
  2. Figure 1, Published by  Statista Research Department and 16, A. (2023) United Kingdom (UK): Fashion market revenue 2018-2027, Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/forecasts/480843/e-commerce-revenue-fashion-forecast-in-the-united-kingdom (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
  3. The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather (2022) McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
  4. Loeb, W. (2022) Luxury brand prices rise sharply – will it cut demand?, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2022/02/21/luxury-brand-prices-rise-sharply–will-it-cut-demand/ (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
  5. Figure 2, Chanel classic flap medium lambskin gold hardware – luxury shopping (2022) Luxury Shopping -. Available at: https://loveluxury.co.uk/shop/chanel-classic-flap-medium-lambskin-gold-hardware-04/ (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
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People

People

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Fashion is for people and from people. No matter the gender, race, age or where they come from, all people are inherently connected to the fashion industry and form part of it, either as a customer or producer. Unfortunately, many people working in the fashion industry are underpaid, underage or working endless shifts. “Factory managers typically pressure employees to work 10 to 12-hour days, and sometimes 16 to 18-hour workdays with hours increasing as order deadlines approach” (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2013).

Figure 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2013. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

Generation Z, which is a generation born between the years of 1996 and 2010, is trying to change this situation by converting to different ways of shopping — they are looking more at the morals of the company, sustainability and the whole story that surrounds the brand.

“Gen Z’s behaviours are shaped by how they grew up. Young people today have come of age in the shadow of climate doom, pandemic lockdowns, and fears of economic collapse.” (McKinsey & Company, 2023, p.2)

Additionally, they were born into a digital age where online shopping and targeted online marketing, principally on social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram, are part of their everyday lives. Spending multiple hours per day on their phones scouring reviews of products and attempting to find the best and most suitable ones to their needs before purchasing is a common practice.

“Many Gen Zers throughout Asia see the internet as the first place to go when researching new products to purchase; in the United States, 40 percent of Gen Zers admit to being influenced online, often by the brands featured in the videos they watch. Members filter a lot of information, from influencers, family, and friends. To decide where and how they want to spend.” (McKinsey & Company, 2023, p. 4)

A great example of brands that appeal to Gen Zers are Fenty Beauty and Savage & Fenty, owned by Rihanna, which respond to the need for diversity and inclusion for people of all sizes and skin colours. The brand has become widely successful in the beauty and fashion industry since their launch in 2017. “Fenty Beauty, founded by Rihanna, has an annual revenue of $582.8 billion and 12 million Instagram followers, making it the world’s most successful celebrity beauty brand, according to Cosmetify.” (Happi, 2023)
   

Figure 2, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, March 12, 2022, Los Angeles

They have applied all the key people skills required for a successful fashion brand: great presentation, creative skills, efficient planning and organization, finding the gap in the market, targeting the appropriate audience and satisfying the needs that were previously unmet.

Bibliography:

1. Clean Clothes Campaign (2013) Working Hours and overtime: 96-hour workweeks, Clean Clothes Campaign. Available at: https://cleanclothes.org/issues/working-hours (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

2. Figure 1, Low pay in the garment industry still a reality despite pledges – study (2019) The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/may/30/despite-fashion-living-wage-pledges-low-pay-still-a-reality-study-says (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

3. What is gen Z? (2023) McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

4. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is the world’s most successful Celebrity beauty brand: Cosmetify (2023) HAPPI. Available at: https://www.happi.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2023-04-01/rihannas-fenty-beauty-is-the-worlds-most-successful-celebrity-beauty-brand-cosmetify/ (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

5. Figure 2, Johnston, R. (2023) Rihanna debuts Fenty Beauty’s new ‘Hella thicc’ mascara, Billboard. Available at: https://www.billboard.com/culture/product-recommendations/rihanna-hella-thicc-mascara-fenty-beauty-1235359101/ (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

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Planet

Planet

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Between the years of 2000 and 2015, the overall production of clothing increased twofold and, with industry output at an all-time high in 2023, we have yet to see a deceleration of this trend.

Fashion has become a distraction from more salient issues that we are facing in our lives; people are no longer shopping out of a necessity for clothing to survive harsh winters, or in order to cover up in a world in which wearing clothes is a legal obligation, or perhaps due to a sincere love and admiration for the art — they acquire and obtain, but often by virtue of vanity, giving rise to overconsumption.
Unfortunately, excess somewhere generally creates deficiency elsewhere. In this case, the cultivation of certain plants and the breeding of livestock for leather, fur and textiles in general, eminently threatens the future of crucial natural resources such as water and soil, as well as the quality of our air. The damage has been and continues to be done; as of right now, the fabrication of 1 kilogram of clothing requires approximately 100 to 150 litres of what frequently happens to be drinking water, which, in the process, is invariably made unfit for human consumption due to the chemicals used to dye the fabrics. Eventually, the resulting wastewater may sometimes be diverted back into the environment, poisoning flora and fauna alike.

We should try to minimize our impact on the planet by incorporating a circular economy approach into our everyday lives. Circular economy is a model of production and consumption that makes an attempt to maximize the use of natural resources by repairing, refurbishing, leasing, sharing, recycling—essentially reusing—pre-existing items for as long as possible, rather than unnecessarily manufacturing them anew.

The Conversation, 2014

Sustainable fashion is the future and the only way to prevent irreversible damage from being inflicted upon the environment. Being sustainable by choosing ethical brands that use recycled or responsibly sourced materials and non-toxic chemicals, as well as making the decision to purchase our clothing from second-hand markets, where garments are commonly either almost unworn or in very good condition, is the best path to take in tackling this issue. Sustainability starts with the brands and ends with the consumers and their conscious choice to be a part of the solution rather than being a part of the problem.

“Clothes touch us all. We may not all be interested in fashion, but we can’t avoid getting dressed, which means that every time we gaze into our wardrobes wondering what to wear, we could be making a choice that has a positive or negative impact.” (de Castro, 2021)

Additionally, the United Nations have set 17 sustainability development goals that intend to achieve an improvement of some of the enviromental, political and humanitarian issues with which we are currently confronted. Point № 12 in particular, which pertains to the ensurance of sustainable consumption and production patterns, is directly related to (as the biggest polluter in the world) the fashion industry and its increasing overproduction.

“We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.” (UN) These changes are much needed and its very important that every country is included and together we can set on a better path before it’s too late.

Green Business Journal, 2014

Bibliography:

1. de Castro, O. (2021a) ‘Chapter 1’, in Loved clothes last: How the joy of rewearing and repairing your clothes can be a revolutionary act. London, UK: Penguin, pp. 1–1.

2. Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development | department of economic and social affairs (no date) United Nations. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (Accessed: 09 October 2023).

3. Domenech, T. (2023) Explainer: What is a circular economy?, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-circular-economy-29666 (Accessed: 09 October 2023).

4. Miller, B. (2023) Redesigning the fabric of Sustainable Fashion • Green Business Journal, Green Business Journal. Available at: https://greenbusinessjournal.co.uk/redesigning-the-fabric-of-sustainable-fashion/ (Accessed: 09 October 2023).

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My Favourite Brand

My Favourite Brand

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Since the establishment of the brand more than 60 years ago in Vicenza, Italy, Bottega Veneta has focused on crafting artisanal leather goods of exceptional quality that people have only rediscovered in recent years after the brand experienced a decline around the early 2000s, which eventually led to its bankruptcy. After being acquired by the Gucci Group later on, Bottega Veneta found its place in high fashion once again, rising from the ashes in 2019 with Brand of the Year, Womenswear Designer of the Year, Accessories Designer of the Year and Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards 2019. 

Bottega Veneta bags have become a staple in the fashion world and are instantly recognizable due to their unique weaving design called “Intreccatio”.

Bottega is a breath of fresh air in an industry where many brands display pieces that have already been seen before as well as one-season trends that likely won’t be around next year. Brands like Bottega make me believe that new, fresh ideas are still possible in fashion.

Beautiful craftsmanship combined with high quality materials and a love for the heritage of the brand are what make Bottega special to me.

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