People
The pillar People closely follows the partnership between the community and the fashion industry. Generation Z, the group of people roughly born after 1995 and up 2010 (Francis T. and Hoefel, F. 2018) are becoming the new international voice of the world as they age up and more of them take center focus on the world stage. Singer Billie Eilish became the face of Calvin Klien in 2019 for their “#MyCalvins” campaign, the campaign showed multiple models and celebrities wearing the brands clothing with body imperfections such as stretch marks and scaring (Highsnobiety 2021). With Gen Z’s buying power estimated to be $360 billion in disposable income, brands must look to harness this newer generation to remain relevant (Fromm, J. 2022)
Generation Z are the most people conscious generation to date, with access to the internet from an early age they have been open to the wider world than any other generation before them. This knowledge has allowed Gen Z to feel more empowered and open than those who came before them with 1 in 6 members of the generation identifying themselves as queer to some extent (Schmidt, S 2021). Gen Z’s everchanging identity can be seen reflected in the buying habits and beliefs, 75% of Gen Z have claimed that they would boycott a company if they found it to discriminate against race or sexuality in their advertisements (Francis T. and Hoefel, F. 2018)
Despite considering themselves the socially responsible generation, Gen Z does not always match their ethics with their actions. Brands such as Shein and Pretty Little Thing have been able to flourish due to their quick delivery times and low prices despite evidence that they do not practice sustainable or ethical behaviours, it has been found that Shein releases 70 – 100 new items on their website each day with most items not remaining in rotation for more than 3 months, this fast fashion turn around not only creates a major stress on the planet but also relies on poor working conditions often involving child labour with low pay for their factory staff (Elan, P. 2021). This rise in fast fashion has being popular amongst Gen Z stems largely from the low prices.
A brand that has responded well to the world around them and showing great strides in diversity is Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty. The singer has stated that “you can never be inclusive enough” (Global Grind 2021) with each new show the brand aims to represent new groups showcasing its lingerie lines using models of all races, body types, gender identities as well as using disabled models all in one show. This massive use of inclusivity has allowed Savage X Fenty to change the face of the runway as well as the public perception of what is expected in a fashion show.
References
Elan, P. (2021). ‘Worst of the worst’: why is fast fashion retailer Shein launching a reality show? [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/aug/29/fast-fashion-retailer-shein-design-reality-show.
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.
Fromm, J. (n.d.). As Gen Z’s Buying Power Grows, Businesses Must Adapt Their Marketing. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2022/07/20/as-gen-zs-buying-power-grows-businesses-must-adapt-their-marketing/?sh=1fe4e9aa2533
Global Grind. (2021). Rihanna Continues To Champion Diversity & Inclusion With Savage X Fenty Vol. 3 Show. [online] Available at: https://globalgrind.com/5164716/rihanna-continues-to-champion-diversity-inclusion-with-savage-x-fenty-vol-3-show/.
Gonzales, E. (2020). Tracking All the Stars in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Vol. 2 Show. [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/g34239597/savage-x-fenty-cast/.
Highsnobiety. (2021). How #mycalvins Set the Benchmark For Inclusivity. [online] Available at: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/calvin-klein-mycalvins/.
Schmidt, S. (2021). 1 in 6 Gen Z adults are LGBT. And this number could continue to grow. Washington Post. [online] 24 Feb. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/02/24/gen-z-lgbt/.