Cora Byrne

About Cora Byrne

Posts by Cora Byrne:

PROFIT

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Profit is a pivotal cornerstone in the world of fashion: like many other industries, it is driven by pursuit of profit and financial gain. A blend of creativity and commerce, the industry is valued at $1.7 trillion dollars (McKinsey) ,this involves multiple products including clothing, fabric and accessories.

With the effects and uncertainty of COVID-19 still lingering in the financial world, we are in a time where consumers aren’t confident due to this fragility – this has affected the various sectors of the fashion industry. Sectors include from haute couture, streetwear, luxury brands to fast fashion, each having their own dynamics and individual growth. Luxury fashion is expected to grow 9-14% in China, the US are projected to grow between 5-10% and Europe at the lowest only at 3 and 8% whilst amidst a growing crisis (McKinsey, 2023). Fast fashion has struggled more due to consumer awareness of sustainability. For example, Zara has closed 3,785 stores worldwide with many other fast fashion shops, due to the digitalisation of shopping and understanding of fast fashion brands’ need for adoption of ethical practices. 

So how can brands appeal to consumers in uncertain economic times? In crises like currently, innovation and adaptability is crucial – brands should prioritise environmental and sustainable approaches, including low waste products, environmentally friendly materials and paying a suitable wage for workers. Another way brands can compete in uncertain times is through a secure digital presence. With the increase of online sales and mobile use, brands can adapt to consumer behaviour through online marketing and e-commerce. 

Creative directors are hugely responsible for these ideas by bridging the gap between creativity and commerce. Tasked with the commercialisation of art into collections and ensuring they resonate with the market – it is important to push the creative boundaries of the brand while making sure financial needs are met. An example of a creative director who managed to successfully do this is Virgil Abloh, pioneer of streetwear into high-fashion – the CEO of Off-White and Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton effectively adapted to consumer demands making luxury brands relatable to a younger and more diverse audience. When appointed Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, Abloh revived the brand’s image to captivate youth with his unique designs of deconstructed looks while still respecting the heritage of the brand. 

To summarise, the fashion industry is a huge force, with huge contributions to the economy in its multitudes of sectors with ranges of performance. To maintain security, brands should innovate and adapt to the new generation while still maintaining a flow of creativity and commerce.

References:

Yokta, S. (2018). A Brief History of Virgil Abloh’s Meteoric Rise, Vogue.

McKinsey & Company. (2019). The State of Fashion 2019. McKinsey Global Fashion Index

The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather (2022) McKinsey & Company

Peiyu, W. (2020). Analysis on the Different Response of Fast Fashion Brands and Luxury Brands to the Epidemic. Atlantis Press.

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PEOPLE

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People are an inherent part of fashion, arguably the most significant pillar. From the designers of clothes, the workers who manufacture them, and the consumers who wear them, people are the driving force behind fashion. In today’s technological society we are used to online shopping and being exposed to multitudes of advertisements everyday in our life. With technology only advancing and developing, how are the younger generations purchasing?

‘Gen Z is defined between the years of 1997-2012, ‘they are the first to grow up as digital natives – surrounded by technology and the internet for their entire lives.’ (Drapers, 2022) Being exposed to technology throughout life, we’re seeing a different kind of consumerism not seen from other generations – Individuality and expression are valued more and styles are constantly changing leading to fast-fashion brands trying to keep up with this quick consumerism – It is reported fast-fashion website Shein uploads 6,000 new items everyday to their website. (McKinsey, 2023) Despite this, Gen Z consumer habits can be defined as socially conscious – brands that align with sustainability, diversity and ethical practices are more favored. In 2023, 57.7% of Gen Z shoppers said it was fairly or very important brands are environmentally and ethically sustainable.

(Drapes, 2022)

So how can brands attract Gen Z and future audiences? The fashion industry has been dominated by western culture, the male gaze causes media to constantly promote the sexualization of women. As previously stated we are exposed to constant advertisement, a lot of them catering to the male view, showing unrealistic body standards and reinforcing the patriarchal views. 

As of recently we’re seeing much more of a change in this, including more gender neutral and inclusive fashion which are not centered around the traditional gender roles and are more catering for the LGBTQIA+ community by steering away from traditional norms. One brand which has responded to a Gen Z audience is Mowalola, “I try to push the boundaries of showing skin, being comfortable with your sexuality, with menswear as well as womenswear.”

Nigerian-born designer Mowalola not only breaks gender norms while still using sex appeal to capture audiences, especially with many pop culture figures wearing their clothes such as Solange, Skepta, Ecco2k, Rihanna and Drake. Brands that aim to be successful through younger audiences should prioritize inclusivity, making sure everyone from all backgrounds and identity are represented, not just cis-gendered, white able-bodied models. They should appeal to the individuality of Gen Z’s style by offering unique and distinct pieces and authenticity, building trust with future generations with transparent marketing and being genuine. 

References 

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

Patricia A. Cunningham (1992) Gendered Appearances in Twentieth-Century Popular Media, Dress, 19:1, 90-92

What is gen Z? (2023) McKinsey & Company. 

Adegoke, Y. (2019) Subverting stereotypes with Mowalola, The Face.

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PLANET

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“The fashion industry, including the production of all clothes which people wear, contributes

to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions due to its long supply chains and energy

intensive production.” (UN, 2018). It’s no surprise that the fashion industry is detrimental to

The environment – one of the most influential fields of the world has affected our planet beyond

repair. One proposed solution involves the adoption of circular economic principles. The

main goals of a circular economy are longevity, sustainability and material reuse/recycling.

This promotes practices such as reuse of old garments, sparing use of resource intensive

materials, and the introduction of sustainable alternatives. This presents a vast contrast to

our current linear model of mass-production, followed by end of life discarding – often to

landfill.

Materials favoured by the fashion industry, such as cotton – with an annual worldwide

production of over 24.5 million tonnes (F.A. Esteve-Turrillas, M. de la Guardia, 2013) are very water and chemically intensive and produce large amounts of CO2 emission. Environmentally friendly options such as organic cotton and bamboo fibres require less land use and less intensive farming techniques. Synthetic alternatives such as recycled polyester make use of pre-existing material and reduce waste sent directly to landfill. Use of these materials presents a strong first step to a more sustainable future. Further attempts to reduce the impact of the fashion industry can be seen with The United Nations proposed Sustainable Development Goals. These are a set of guidelines for all countries to address the social, economic and environmental challenges currently faced in

today’s society.

There are 17 goals, which can all hold relevance to the fashion industry. One especially notable goal is SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. For the consumer, the goal aims to promote the purchase of longer lasting, higher-quality clothing and to avoid buying from fast fashion. These labels often make use of environmentally destructive and intensive mass-production techniques to provide low-cost items in response to high demands. Brands can aim to adhere to this goal by opting for low waste, ethical, and environmentally friendly materials, ensuring consumers are informed on the environmental impact of their purchases, and paying a liveable wage to workers.

The Sustainable Development Goals propose industry wide advocacy for these targets by

2030; with less than 7 years before this date, and considering current industry trends, it is

clear that large systemic changes are necessary. This is dependent on

brands taking initiative to implement principles aligned with the UN’s SDGs and an adoption

of a circular economic framework. 

REFERENCES

United Nations, (2018), UN Helps Fashion Industry Shift to Low Carbon

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

F.A. Esteve-Turrillas, M. de la Guardia, (2017) Environmental impact of cotton production and trade. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 161.

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My Favourite Fashion Brand – Mowalola

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Mowalola can be defined by bright, bold and gender-fluid designs and uses many different materials and silhouettes to create works inspired by Nigerian and London youth. Mowalola Ogunlesi studied at Central Saint-Martins in 2017 and held her first show at London Fashion Week in 2019. She shot into the spotlight after Naomi Campbell wearing one of her dresses. Mowalola has been seen as controversial with a few looks and gains more and more traction daily.

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