Grace Knowles

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People

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The people pillar looks at how consumers interact with brands, exploring how a company can attract different types of consumers like Generation Z. Gen Z include people born between 1996 and 2010. This generation are the first ‘digital natives’ who use the internet in daily life. (McKinsey & Company, 2023, pg 2) This means that their consumer behaviour may be different to millennials (people born between the years 1981 and 1996.) For example, according to a survey (Moran, G,, 2022, chapter 8) ‘Nearly a quarter (23.5%) of Gen Z have purchased digital fashion items and would again. This compares with 13.3% of millennials.’ This demonstrates that brands need to adapt to a new generation of consumers in order to remain successful.

‘Gen Zers will make up a quarter of the population of the Asia–Pacific region by 2025.’ (McKinsey & Company, 2023, pg 2) therefore the demand for businesses to adjust to attract this group as consumers grows. When thinking about how a business can grow their consumers in this age group they must look to the values of Gen-Z and their consumer behaviour.  According to (Mckinsey & Company, 2023, pg 3)  Gen Z values ‘purpose and accountability, the creation of more opportunities for people of diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, and rigorous sustainable and green practices.’ In terms of the fashion industry, this can mean using sustainable materials, ethical production, promoting diversity and equality and having a purpose or story that resonates with consumers. It is important to note that Gen Z is much more concerned with the ethics behind products that they consume and this could be related to the accessibility to this information through technology, ‘Gen Z consumers are mostly well educated about brands and the realities behind them. When they are not, they know how to access information.’  (Tracy Francis and Fernanda Hoefel, 2018, pg 9)
The fashion industry has a problem with representation. For example, in the 80’s designers exclusively used thin models with no representation of other body types despite the fact that ‘the average size of women in the US is a size 14.’  (Jorgensen, T., 2021, pg 36. ) A lack of representation alienates consumers. Whilst this still remains an issue in the fashion industry, many brands have recognised the need for diversity and inclusion in fashion. Notably, brands like Savage X Fenty who have successfully engaged consumers by being more inclusive. It’s ‘Instagram account (with millions of followers,) includes photos of a variety of body types, ethnicities, sexualities, and shapes.’ and the company is worth a billion dollars (Jorgensen, T., 2021, pg 39 ), the brand perfectly signifies ‘the value of inclusivity’ (Jorgensen, T., 2021, pg 39.) Savage X Fenty is one of many brands like Selkie and Christian Siriano which are confronting the harmful lack of representation in the fashion industry.

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Planet

Planet

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The planet pillar looks at how the fashion industry needs to become more sustainable for the future and reduce its negative impact on the planet as it continues to harm the environment. Therefore, a change in the life cycle of clothing needs to occur.

In 2015 the UN adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development which included  17 sustainable development goals with the aim for a more sustainable future. When considering the fashion industry, number 12 ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ calls to ‘ substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse’ by 2030. Whilst the second hand clothing market is predicted to double in size from 2022 to 2027 and this growth being thanks to younger consumers (P.Smith, 2023) and more brands becoming conscious of using recycled materials like Patagonia which recycles bottles and manufacturing waste for the polyester fibres used in their clothes, 80 billion garments are still produced each year with only 1% of discarded clothes being recycled or upcycled (Katerina Rimarcikova, lecture at LCF 2023.) The scale of garment production that still occurs is detrimental for the environment through the use of fossil fuels for production and harmful chemicals and dyes ending up in waterways as well as the decomposition process of clothing in landfill that pollutes soil and releases harmful gas.

However, the fashion industry is becoming more accepting of its environmental impacts and businesses are realising that they need to change their practices in order to keep up with a better informed and more conscious society that cares more than ever before about protecting the environment. (Gwilt. A, 2020, pg 6) This includes the idea of a circular economy where materials are reused and recycled in order to reduce the negative impacts of fast fashion and early disposal of clothing in an age of social media where making 1 t shirt uses over 2700 litres of water and the fashion industry contributes to 10% of CO2 emissions. (Katerina Rimarcikova, lecture at LCF 2023) Therefore, in order to make the fashion industry more sustainable and reduce its impact on the planet, a circular economy is needed where on a larger scale it uses ‘safe and renewable materials, business models that extend the use of clothing and design and production approaches that allow old clothing to be made into new clothing at scale’ (Gwilt. A, 2020, pg 11.) 

References 

  • Smith, P. (2023) Value of the secondhand apparel market worldwide from 2021 to 2027. Statista 
  • Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books.
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