People

The People Pillar

People, profit, planet, and purpose are the four pillars that fuel the fashion industry. The people pillar focuses on individuals that drive the production and consumption of clothing, from fashion brands to their customers, making it one of the most essential components of this industry. 

Gen Z As Consumers

The generation known as Gen Z, which includes those born between 1995 and early 2010, is considered to be one of the most crucial consumer groups in the fashion industry. Since they were raised in an internet-centric environment and are known as “digital natives” (Moran, 2022), their purchasing patterns differ from those of earlier generations. For example, Gen Z would spend more money on eco-friendly goods, support inclusive brands, and be more likely to make purchases online or through social media platforms. Gen Z also has a heavy influence on other generations and their consumption habits, meaning their views affect the wider population and consumption as a whole (Francis & Hoefel, 2018).

Generations at a glance: Forbes (2021)

Attracting Gen Z

One of the most effective ways to attract Gen Z is through social media. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have snowballed over the last few years and are two of the top three social media platforms among Gen Z (Pew Research Centre, 2022). Creating brand video content on TikTok or collaborating with social media influencers on Instagram will assist in reaching the younger audience and growing the brand amongst Gen Z.

BBC News (2019)

A Fashion Brand’s Response To Diversity 

Diversity and representation within fashion have become the key factors for a successful business in today’s society. Consumers now seek brands that embody diversity and have a wide range of options for people of all shapes and sizes. An example of a clothing brand that has been able to reach Gen Z consumers through its inclusivity is TALA. In May 2019, Grace Beverly launched her sustainable activewear brand. The clothing was designed to make women of all sizes feel confident and comfortable whilst working out, with garments catering for sizes 4-20 and an option for taller women too. The TALA website also features a diverse range of models with different body shapes and sizes, as well as different ethnicities and disabilities. Beverly insisted on leaving the images unedited so customers are able to see how the clothing would look and fit on different bodies. 

References

Djafarova, E. & Bowes, T. (2021): ‘Instagram made Me buy it’: Generation Z impulse purchases in the fashion industry. 

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102345

Rackham, A. (2019): Grace Beverley: The 22-year-old taking on the gym wear world. 

Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-50732940

Moran, G. (2022): Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022. 

Available at : https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022

Francis, T. & Hoefel, F. (2018): ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies.

Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies

Vogels, A. Gelles-watnick, R. & Massarat, N. (2022): Teens, Social Media and Technology.

Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/

The People Pillar

The People pillar’s main focus is people, from the customers to the designers, and how the companies communicate with their consumers.

Who are Gen Z’s?

To build a successful business model it is vital to research your customer base. One way of categorizing your customer group demographically is through generations. There is no exact agreement on when exactly the Millennial generation stop and Gen Z starts, however usually demographers refer to Gen Z when talking about the people born in the early to mid-1990s through the mid-2000s. Gen Z is the first generation of consumers to have been raised in an entirely post-digital era. For Gen Z technology and social media is an inevitable part of their daily lives (Fromm, Read 2018). Therefore, social media has become one of the main tools when marketing to Gen Z. Each generation has a common set of values that affects their behaviors, one such value for Gen Z is human equality. With social media, they started to get more control over huge companies through cancel culture. When a fashion business uses some practices that don’t align with their beliefs, they use social media to spread the information and ‘cancel’ the brand for unethical behavior.

How to Attract Gen Z?

To attract Gen Z many brands have started using different social media platforms, such as TikTok. Companies started to hop on the latest trends to get their items viral on TikTok. In the summer of 2020, Cottage Core gained massive popularity on TikTok which helped Lirika Matoshi’s strawberry dress reach large amounts of sales. However, as the TikTok trend cycle is short, the brand didn’t keep up with it. After fast fashion dupes started to appear online, customers started to move on. To hold Gen Z customers’ attention companies have to show more personality to build a strong online figure that wouldn’t need to hop on every trend (Criales-Unzueta, 2021).

Savage X Fenty as an Example of a Successful Diverse Brand

As human equality is one of the values shared by Gen Z, diversity is vital when building a corporate culture and image. One brand that has succeeded in creating an ethical and diverse image is Savage x Fenty. When Rihanna launched Savage X Fenty in 2018, her collection already featured bras in sizes ranging from 30A to 46DDD (McKinnon, 2022). Savage X Fenty fashion shows feature models with curvy hips, tattoos, shaved heads, and prosthetic legs. The brand has gained a large audience by creating a positive diverse image and contrasting with brands such as Victoria’s Secret which has been lacking in representation and diversity and dropping in sales (Fernandez, 2020).

Important Skills for Running a Fashion Business

For each brand to be successful it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of your customers, therefore research skills are vital for running a fashion business. By being able to find customers’ deepest wishes and by quickly reacting to them, brands can build customer loyalty and trust which would make them willing to purchase new products that would be coming out. Another important skill to have is collaboration skill. There are many successful examples of brands collaborating with other designers or artists that achieved cult status. A perfect example is Vintage Louis Vuitton Takashi Murakami bags, which were first released as part of the Spring/Summer 2003 collection under then-creative director Marc Jacobs (Mondalek, 2021). In an age of social media, it is natural that brands have started to share more ideas which leads to them gaining attention and recognition in the fashion and art industry. 

• References:

• José Criales-Unzueta: To Hold Gen-Z’s Attention, Brands Need to Show Some Personality (2021). Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/marketing-pr/to-hold-gen-zs-attention-brands-need-to-show-some-personality/

• Chantal Fernandez: Is Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Lingerie Turning Its Hype Into Sales? Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/marketing-pr/rihanna-savage-fenty-victorias-secret-show-amazon-lingerie-megan-thee-stallion/

• Jeff Fromm, and Angie Read Marketing to Gen Z : The Rules for Reaching This Vast–And Very Different–Generation of Influencers (2018). Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=5275471

• Tricia McKinnon: How Rihanna’s Fenty Brand is Leading in Diversity &  Inclusion (2022). Available at: https://www.indigo9digital.com/blog/fentydiversityinclusion

• Erica Kagan: Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton: The Fashion Collaboration That Defined A Generation (2022). Available at: https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/takashi-murakami-x-louis-vuitton-the-fashion-collaboration-that-defined-a-generation

Images Sources:

1. https://lirikamatoshi.com/products/strawberry-midi-dress-black?_pos=2&_sid=9e195c2ce&_ss=r
2. Getty Images

Fashion is for everyone. Diversity in fashion is catering to different age groups, sizes, preferences in the items on sale and the faces representing the brand.

People look to the media gain ideas of what to wear, what they should look like, and who to be. But for many years there were very few black models and even fewer supermodels. (Clark,2022) Supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Grace Jones held the few spaces there were for black supermodels of the times, but there should have been more space to create diversity in fashion.

Gen Z is a generation wants diversity in fashion, they defined as the generation that was born from 1997 to 2012, people who are now teens and early 20s. They are passionate about social justice and leverage their identities to create a world that is better for everyone. (Diego,2020) www.thepeopleoverprofit.org

By 2026, Gen Z will be the largest generation at around 82 million people, globally with estimated $200 billion annual global spend power(unidays,2021), they are the future from a marketing perspective, essential to businesses long term success.

With tremendous purchasing power, to attract Gen Z consumers companies needs to have a deep understanding of their buying behaviours. 

Sustainable – Gen Z spend more on sustainable products, Mintel data shows 70% 16-19 years old agree that sustainability is an important factor when purchasing fashion items. To meet Gen Z’s requirements, brands need to be clear about how e-commerce works for a better, sustainable future. 

Social Media – Axios reports that the changing social online habits and preferences of Gen Z are dramatically reshaping the internet. To attract Gen Z, social media promotion plays a big role. Such as influencer marketing, 65% have an Instagram account, and they are more likely to discover new brands and products via celebrities or people that are well known.

Clear Value and mission – Gen Z are very more likely than older generations to believe a company has a role in improving society, for example Fenty savage by Rihanna worth $270million (Mustafa/2022), the main reason lead this new brand achieved such succussed is brand mission – inclusivity. In the look book there are different ethnicity, different body shapes of models. Compare with Victoria Secret’s brand concept, create ‘perfect’ body shape. Fenty Savage are more diverse. With the changing of the society, this concept by Victoria Secret has fallen behind, therefore the brand was being resist. 

Nike is one of the most recognised brands, have amplified the voices of underrepresented communities, created a series of ads called ‘Until we all win’ to highlight the stories of indigenous people and LGBTQIA+, using power of sports. Nike knows how to use their brand influence to create a better society for everyone, and this is also what attracts Gen Z. 

Make peoples feel valued, no boundaries between peoples are a trustworthy brand. While brands are making the planet better, they are also building powerful business relationships that can take their business to an even greater level of success. 

References List 

Youtube/Thesandiegounion-tribune

fashionmingle.com

www.kornit.com

www.forbes.com

www.diarydirectory.com

www.theguardian.com

www.insiderintelligence.com

www.aib.edu.au

Youtu be/Deldel

Different groups of people are important key points to consider in the fashion business industry, for example, different cultures and customs or social relations. Consumers pay close attention to whether brands are giving satisfaction to their needs. With the increasing diversity of fashion products today, the fashion industry is promoting different merchandising strategies to appeal to different age groups (Ahuja, 2015). According to statistics, Gen Z contains 41% of the world’s impulse consumers (Djafarova, 2020; Bowes, 2020). They frequently use technology networks to purchase and consume their goods and are known as the “digital media demographic” (Djafarova, 2020; Bowes, 2020). Gen Z is the largest generation, accounting for approximately 32% of the global population, and is expected to have a significant impact on global consumer sales (Djafarova, 2017; Rushwoeth, 2017).

A fashion brand needs to consider a strategy to promote consumers to purchase its products. For example, a purpose is what a brand genuinely focuses on the issues facing society. Nowadays, there are 55% of Gen Z choose brands that use eco-friendly and socially materials (Thomas, 2020), A brand called TOMS Shoes has achieved how to increase purchasing power and also transmit information to raise awareness for a generation to improve the world (TOMS Shoes, 2022). The Gen Z demographic, known as living with the data age, spends a lot of time on the internet. Therefore, brands need to understand what marketing strategies will get the attention of the Gen Z. Video ads like Red Bull’s, offering a variety of active lifestyle videos like skydiving in Lake Tahoe, these are the reason the brand has garnered more than a few million subscribers on YouTube (Luce, 2022).

Rihanna’s brand Fenty Beauty significantly represents how to express diversity. Firstly, Fenty Beauty’s foundation has more than 40 shades. It has further advanced the shaping shape of the beauty industry, allowing all shades to find beauty status (Mayo, 2021). Not just for the beauty industry, Fenty Beauty’s lingerie collection is also an important place to represent an examination of style, body image, and institutional concepts with her new lingerie collection aimed at a wide range of women with different body types (Lian, 2022; Gwynne, 2022). It also shows an example of a long overdue category of diversity and inclusiveness.

Many competencies can drive a brand to success. For example, the ability to empathize with people who can take a different perspective on different issues in contemporary society and use corresponding strategies to achieve success. Secondly, the ability to innovate is key to the economic success of a brand in the face of the web-surfing Gen Z. Capturing the characteristics of this demographic and delivering content of interest is key to increasing the purchasing power of the brand.

References

Djafarova, E. and Bowes, T. (2020). ‘Instagram made Me buy it’: Generation Z impulse purchases in fashion industry. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, [online] 59(59), p.102345. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102345.

Djafarova, E. and Rushworth, C. (2017). Exploring the credibility of online celebrities’ Instagram profiles in influencing the purchase decisions of young female users. Computers in Human Behavior, 68(1), pp.1–7. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.009.

Ahuja, N. (2015). ‘Effect of Branding On Consumer Buying Behavior’: A Study in Relation to Fashion Industry. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, [online] 34(34),pp. 32-34. www.raijmr.com.

TOMS. (n.d.). TOMS® Official Site | We’re in business to improve lives. [online] Available at: https://www.toms.com/uk/impact-emea/report-emea.html.

Luce, J. (2022). How to Attract and Market to Gen Z Customers. [online] Simplr. Available at: https://www.simplr.ai/blog/how-to-attract-and-keep-generation-z-customers.

Mayo, J (2021). Fenty Beauty and Its Contribution to Diversity and Inclusivity in the Beauty Community. [online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fenty-beauty-its-contribution-diversity-inclusivity-community-mayo.

Lian, J. and Gwynne, J. (2022). What Does It Take to Be ‘Savage’?: Diversity, Empowerment and Representation in Rihanna’s Savage × Fenty Fashion Show. Palgrave Studies in (Re)Presenting Gender, pp.99–113. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-99154-8_6.

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Freud, Aristotle, Aroson, and many other of the biggest thinkers that have led human thought have stated human races need to belong. Humans are social animals that need a group and a common culture within that group to feel realized and comfortable (Higgins T, 2012). Being accepted is a basic need, it is a natural and crucial factor to psychological well-being, but with mankind evolution it had been progressively set aside creating a society in which acceptance was not easily found and boldness was a threat to belonging.  

But the same way fashion is a recurring cycle of trends (Mingèlaitè U. 2019), human behavior tend to live in this same introduction-rise-decline-obsolescence pattern. This means that a lot of principles and preoccupations that had been mostly unattended are coming back, one of these worries being the acceptance of an individual in a group. 

This is where inclusion and diversity resource, with humankind need to belong. 

 Since Coco Chanel started creating fashion for the group instead of the individual buyer in the 1950s (English B, 2013) this concept of diversity as the fact and need of belonging in society has extended until where we are now, when there is no longer a need to discard individuality to be welcomed. 

 With the rising importance that this new generation give to their values on ethics, equality and diversity, this being 46.8% of gen z consumers demanding it (Fig. 1), and with the divergence in likings and trends (Moran G, 2022), it is clear that Gen Z, as consumers, are the living proof of the “group composed by individuals” thinking.

This next peer group are interested in the relation that their own personal style and their colleagues could create a group in which every style, personality, age, sexuality, nationality and race are taken care of (Hethorn J and Ulasewicz C, 2015). The future of fashion is to move away form the belief that a group is formed by a cumulus of similar consumers and get to accept and promote the idea that it is now a heap of very different people. To stop creating fashion for the mass without meaning is a need, and to start offering more customized choices is too. This is largely represented in the interest for vintage clothing, uniqueness and exclusivity being one of the most valued aspects of these pieces. Every small business has an opportunity in this new model, and stores such as Nasty Gal, an online vintage retailer, have grasped this chance and exceeded everyones expectations. 

Fashion industries biggest challenge right now is to find the balance between individuality and customization of the buying and design, and the need of diversity, values and sustainability Gen Z are increasingly demanding (Hethorn J and Ulasewicz C, 2015).

SOURCES:

A, P., Kruglanski, A.W. and E Tory Higgins (2012). Handbook of theories of social psychology. Vol. 2. Los Angeles: Sage.

English, B. (2018). CULTURAL HISTORY OF FASHION IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES : from catwalk to sidewalk. bloomsbury.

Hethorn, J. and Ulasewicz, C. eds., (2021). Sustainable Fashion What’s Next?: A Conversation about Issues, Practices and Possibilities. Second edition ed. [online] Fairchild Books. Available at: https://www-bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/encyclopedia?docid=b-9781501312250 [Accessed 14 Oct. 2022].

Higgins, T. (2012). Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology. [online] SAGE Publications. 

Mingélaité, U. (2019). Why Are Fashion Trends Returning? [online] L’Officiel. Available at: https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/fashion/why-are-fashion-trends-returning [Accessed 13 Oct. 2022].

‌Moran, G. (2022). Gen Z and Millennials 2022. [online] Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022.

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Due to the emergence of the epidemic, the internet era has grown rapidly in a short period of time.  Online is full of fresh especially for Gen Z. The virtual world of the internet, which has not yet been fully explored, has managed to attract the Gen Z population with a spirit of exploration. The advent of the ‘virtual’ has encouraged them, who are not yet saturated with experience compared to the previous generations, to seek confidence in integrating themselves into society in an innovative way.

Amidst myriad changes, it is obvious that the upsurge in social media has come out on top. It has provided the public with the possibility to access the world without having to travel and offers unprecedented commercial value to numerous brands. At the same time, the emerging generation is transparently presenting a strong sense of social responsibility on top of this. However UAL Fashion Business School defined the four pillars, planet / people / profit / purpose, which totally encompass it.

The relationship between the world and people has been magnified to the greatest extent possible, and focusing on the fashion industry, how to effectively connect the two has certainly become an unignored topic. Shifting the perspective to the internet era and a larger community with strong curiosity. According to the Moran （2022） study, the concept of the metaverse is known and respected by 61.6% of GenZ due to the development of digital technology. Obviously, countless brands effectively engaged with recent largest consumer group, the GenZ, via the creation of avatars and virtual worlds.

For instance, RTFKT snapped by Nike, a brand of high-end digital clothes and sneakers popular in the metaverse, created virtual sneakers with artist Fewocious selling 600 pairs online (Fig1.), with a total profit of over 2.3 million pounds (Behrmann, 2021). Additionally, Gucci has made significant efforts to attract a younger generation. A virtual lounge, featuring the function to try on and purchase a newly launched collection with unique brand elements(Fig2.), was partnered with the Roblox gaming platform, followed by more than 42 million active 17-24-year-olds (Mcdowell, 2021).

On the other hand, GenZ’s awareness of sustainability and ethicality is also extremely considerable. According to Moran’s analysing data （2022）from exclusive survey of 2,000 consumers, 48.4% of GenZ are willing to give up on fashion items as the brand does not demonstrate transparent sustainability, ethics, quality and diversity (Fig3,). Therefore, if the brand desires to reach the GenZ more directly, these key points should not be neglected.

In terms of how a brand has responded to diversity, Reformation completely stood up. Girls of almost all shapes have the potential to buy freely here and to select the fashion items that showcase their strengths. In other words, Reformation treats females with the utmost respect and admiration, while subliminally responding to diversity in a natural but powerful way (Fig4.). Precisely as a result of the deepening of its own brand value , it has gained a more loyal potential audience basis.(Reformation,2022)

For a number of key skills are important to the success of a brand. Initially, those working with fashion brands require a comprehensive understanding of the aesthetic preferences and spending habits of their target consumers to assist brands in generating a more effective B2C strategy. Ultimately, this can drive consumer buying behaviour and realise revenue. Secondly is the ability to communicate effectively, due to the development of social media, more consumers choose to discover brands, learn about brands and buy brand products online, so social media is a good bridge to connect consumers and brands. Therefore, brands should set up a brand image to spread the brand concept on social platforms attracting more consumers.

Text Reference list

 Behrmann, A. (2021) Nike snaps up metaverse start-up, Drapers. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/news/nike-snaps-up-metaverse-sneaker-start-up (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

Moran, G., 2022. Gen Z and Millennials 2022 – Drapers. [online] Drapers. Available at: <https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022> [Accessed 15 October 2022].

Mcdowell, M. (2021) Inside gucci and Roblox’s new Virtual World, Vogue Business. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/inside-gucci-and-robloxs-new-virtual-world (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

Our stuff: Better, Sustainable Materials (2022) Our stuff | Better, sustainable materials. Available at: https://www.thereformation.com/sustainability/our-stuff.html (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

Picture Reference list:

Giulia Velvet Top Es (no date) Reformation. Available at: https://www.thereformation.com/products/giulia-velvet-top-es/1311677PAG.html?dwvar_1311677PAG_color=PAG (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

Kolbrener, C., 2022. The FEWOCiOUS x RTFKT Sneaker Project is Paving the Way for NFT Collaborations. [online] One37pm. Available at: <https://www.one37pm.com/nft/fewocious-rtfkt-collaboration-sneakers> [Accessed 16 October 2022].

Ladue knit two piece (no date) Reformation. Available at: https://www.thereformation.com/products/ladue-knit-two-piece/1311848BAB.html?dwvar_1311848BAB_color=BAB (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

McDowell, M. (2021) Inside gucci and Roblox’s new Virtual World, Vogue Business. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/inside-gucci-and-robloxs-new-virtual-world (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

Moran, G., 2022. Gen Z and Millennials 2022 – Drapers. [online] Drapers. Available at: <https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2022> [Accessed 15 October 2022].

Zoe Skirt Es (no date) Reformation. Available at: https://www.thereformation.com/products/zoe-skirt-es/1306069BLK.html?dwvar_1306069BLK_color=BLK+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.voguebusiness.com%2Ftechnology%2Finside-gucci-and-robloxs-new-virtual-world (Accessed: October 15, 2022). 

Week 3 – Please upload your 2^nd blog post-People by the 16th October