Jemma-Jane Wood

About Jemma-Jane Wood

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People

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Individuals and collectives play an integral role in a garments supply chain; thus ‘People’ is one of the four vital pillars established in the fashion industry. Whether it is Orsola de Castro (co-founder of non-profit organisation ‘Fashion Revolution’) liberating factory workers from slavery and exploitation or Rhianna’s ‘Fenty Beauty’ employing models with a diverse racial profile to market skin tone inclusive beauty products; people are involved in every step of the fashion supply chain. The success of a brand has been found to be synonymous with its people skills- in a report by McKinsey (2020) ‘Gender and racial diversity on executive teams correlated with between 25% and 36% percent above-average profitability’. This provides an incentive for new and upcoming brands to cater to all individuals.

To ensure success as a fashion brand, a good relationship between the company and people must be formed. Fashion designer Patrick McDowell believes thinking in collaboration and nurturing creative collaboration ‘conversations spark change’ is essential to a brands development. He has put his networking skills into practice, partnering with prominent brands such as Burberry and Swarovski; leading his brand to gain attention from likes of Chief editor of VOGUE Anna Wintour and the wider media. His brand aims to support people and uplift the queer community; through this he has gained reception with a crucial type of consumers- the Gen Z audience. According to research by Francis and Hofel (2018) Gen Z ‘value individual expression and avoid labels’- consequently being attracted to brands such as McDowell.

One may question who these people coined ‘Gen Z’ are and why they play a quintessential role in the fashion industry. Gen Z is a collection of individuals born roughly between 1995-2010 made unique by being the first generation in which the internet has been part of their entire lives- greatly impacting their identity. With the ascension of Google glass, nano-computing and 3D printing during this time they have grown up as true ‘digital natives’ (Drapers 2022). They are idealists searching for truth and demand ‘purpose and accountability’ (McKinsey 2023).

Due to Gen Z’s being non-conforming activists for positive change with a broad perspective on identity, brands must carefully consider their marketing agents in attracting this group. Social media advertisement captivates Gen Z and is where 60% of merchandise is bought (Drapers 2022). Fashion companies should look to advertise on popular apps using real people, not paid actors. According to Drapers (2022), TikTok usage has increased yearly with Gen Z utilising it twice the rate of millennials. In the first Metaverse Fashion week hosted by Decentraland, premium brands produced digital products such as virtual, and augmented reality and video. The usage of new digital technology within the fashion industry not only attracts Gen Z- but it is also globally considered an exciting prospect, people are enthralled by fashions evolution. It is a cycle where consumer ideologies inspire fashion and vice versa.

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

McKinsey & Company (2020) Diversity wins: How inclusion matters

McKinsey & Company (2023) The A to Z on Gen Z

McKinsey & Company (2023) What is Gen Z?

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

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PLANET

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The climate crisis we are facing globally is one of the most serious issues we must rectify if existence on planet earth should continue. A major contributor to world pollution, (emitting 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 annually) is the $2.5trillion fashion industry. Our planet is unable to provide an abundance of raw materials, yet with a production of 120billion tonnes of garments per year and 85% of textiles being sent to landfill- fashion is abusing the system.

Industries fail to address the problem when participating in a ‘make, use, dispose’ production chain known as linear economy. In an effort to combat climate change product design must be more intentional and fashion designers’ cognitive processes should be geared towards finding ways to reduce waste and pollution. Circular economy, (underpinned by three main principles: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating high value materials and regenerating nature) decouples economic activity from the consumption of natural resources. Evidently, pioneers such as Patrick McDowell are striving to make a change and engaging in these principles. The fashion designer has previously used fabrics made from Ortego- repurposing scraps from old jumpers while also reinventing vintage heels to be shown in his collection ‘Marie Antoinette goes to Liverpool’.

In the ‘Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022’ by Moran.G he refers to ‘an approach by smaller companies that works to exactly match desire for clothes with immediate production’- this made to order scheme has also been adopted by McDowell who decided to not do any wholesale for his AW23 collection. According to Anna Wintour, ‘sustainability is at the core of everything Patrick does’- his repeated exposure to society accredited by celebrity role models has sparked social change in consumer buying habits and led to partnerships with high status brands such as Burberry and Swarovski. The climate crisis is ‘unequivocally caused by human activities’ (UN’s IPCC report) therefore society must be involved and positively reinforced into repairing, reusing and adapting resources.

As of 2012, the UN’s creation of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) to tackle global challenges we face as humanity has been seen as a beacon of hope in solving the environmental damage we have caused. Goal 12 ‘responsible consumption and production’ is directly linked with the fashion industries supply and demand chain. It is estimated by the Drapers 2022 consultancy that 40% of all items produced by the fashion sector are sold at markdown; in order to stop overconsumption a relationship between circular economy and fashion brands must be established. M&S producing quality timeless clothing instead of fast fashion items as a proposal to reuse clothes for styles in years to come has proven this is possible. Buying second hand encourages people to stop buying clothes which haven’t left the production line and instead ‘make do’ with what is already available to them. Brands are now turning to resale platforms in order to captivate younger, environmentally and cost-conscious shoppers which in turn eliminates overproduction and encourages individuals to buy responsibly. It is down to humanity to rethink the relationship of sustainability and fashion and alter behaviour when spending if we want a future on this planet we call home.

McDowell.P (2023) Planet lecture

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022

Rimarcikova.K (2023) Planet Earth and Fashion lecture

UN IPCC report (2023)

UN Sustainability report (2012)

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My Blog fav fash brand

My Favourite Fashion Brand is Schiaparelli

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My Favourite Fashion Brand is Schiaparelli as her recent Haute Couture spring/summer 23 show presented at Paris fashion week was striking. The lifelike animals perched on the models and intertwined into the clothes captivated me. With the likes of Shalom Harlow sporting a leopard head on her chest and Naomi Campbell with a jet black wolf appearing out of her faux fur coat, the show was full of surrealist surprises. I am a lover of classic and structured silhouettes and the way Schiaparelli uses a variety of textures and materials to transform these silhouettes is genius as the brand creates luxurious and unique statement pieces.

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