Purpose
The purpose pillar in fashion is crucial for brands to drive and inspire businesses and consumers. As Bourdieu once said, ‘what is involved is not the rarity of the product, but the rarity of the producer’ (Bourdieu, 1983, as cited by Stevenson, 2023). The people in the fashion industry and the values that they are passionate about are individual and can bring authenticity and purpose to their brand.
The philosophy of a brand can refer to the values and vision it represents. Silva (2020) explains that brand philosophy helps create a strong identity. This can allow differentiation for a brand to be unique within the market. By spreading the values of a brand to the target market, it could result in more profit if consumers feel aligned with the principles and vision of a brand.
There are many methods for brands to communicate and engage their propositions or values with Gen Z such as online communication. In a 2020 Drapers article, research found that TikTok is most popular with Gen Z as ‘50.3% use it versus 25.7% of millennials’ (Moran, 2020). This statistic indicates that brands could reach Gen Z’s attention through visual content on social media platforms. The article also highlights that there is an increase in fashion consumption via social media for Gen Z which may encourage companies to utilise digital platforms further helping to promote its values.
Brand philosophy also includes its objectives or mission which brand communication can help raise awareness. Christopher Raeburn, a British fashion designer known for his environmentally conscious and responsible design methods, includes sustainability into his brand philosophy. RAEBURN has an eco-conscious purpose and offers free lifetime repairs as well as fully compostable bags (Sutherland, 2020).
Other designers are also prioritising the environment into their vision through design. In the book ‘Psychology of Fashion’, Mair (2018) discusses how compulsive buying disorder could be environmentally harmful and cause overconsumption. As a psychologist, she explains that a ‘framework of emotional durable design’ may be a solution for consumers with compulsive buying disorder (Mair, 2018). This suggests a psychological approach in sustainable design may help achieve environmental goals which could align with the purpose of some fashion brands.
Bourdieu, P. (1983) as cited in Stevenson, C. (2023) lecture. Fashion: Art and Commerce
file:///Users/mia/Downloads/Week%204%20Intro%20To%20FBS%20Profit%20Reflection%20Writing.cleaned.html
Mair, C. (2018). The psychology of fashion. Taylor & Francis Group (pp 75-89)
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=5303445
Moran, G. (2022). Drapers, Gen Z and Millennials 2022. Drapers
Access
Silva, P. (2020). Why philosophy has much to do with brand-building (and what that looks like). Forbes.
Sine, R. (2022). How to Appeal To Gen-Z Without Obviously ‘Marketing’to Get-Z. Forbes
Sutherland, E. (2020). Raeburn’s ‘three Rs’ of sustainable innovation. Drapers