Milla Jadot

About Milla Jadot

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Purpose Blog

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The Purpose Pillar refers to a brand’s true motive for existing in today’s climate. What is its unique ability to create value? What special means does a business have to add worth and progress? The purpose of a brand, company or organization applies to their brand identity and brand anatomy. It is crucial to firmly establish a brand’s purpose to create  customer relations (Quartely, 2020). 

Brand philosophy is now more than ever important for buyers. In a podcast done by McKinsey & Company it was said that in today’s climate customers want to know who they are buying from as well as where their money is going to go when given to the company (Spagnuolo,2020). We are now entering a responsible retail climate where brands are held responsible for their effect on the social, environmental and economical stand points on society. People now more than ever want to buy from brands in which they believe in, brands that align with their own philosophy of retail experience (Londrigan,2018). 

Through a research done by Mckinsey & Company purpose in companies was investigated. Businesses should adhere to the 5Ps of purpose by Mckinsey & Company in order to provide value and instill purpose in their operations. The first P is ‘Portfolio strategy and products’ which highlights redefining the product line, updating the price structure with a purpose, reviewing the portfolio, and evaluating each asset’s purpose in relation to a set of standards. The second P is ‘People and culture’ it defines align hiring, employee development, and career trajectories to support the organization’s goals. Provide incentives to employees for reaching milestones. And clearly state and exemplify the ideal individual mindsets. The third P ‘Processes and systems’ defines the modification of operational procedures and the assurance that supplier conduct aligns with the objectives of the brand. The fourth P ‘Performance metrics’ establishes performance goals and introduces criteria for capital allocation based on the company’s definition of success. The last and final P is ‘Positions and engagement’ which emphasizes the customization of external interactions, the updating of external roles, and the synchronization of associations (Quarterly,2020).

Within the Fenix Outdoor Group, Fjällräven is simply one of numerous sustainable brands that have a distinct mission. Environmental standards, according to their Sustainability Manager, are the foundation of all the firm does and are not handled as a stand-alone initiative.  Fjällräven has organized plogging activities in honor of Earth Day, embracing this criteria. Plogging, which is essentially picking up rubbish while running, first appeared in Sweden in 2016. Plogging is a terrific project because, among other reasons, plastics can be recycled instead of contaminating the ground or ground water, and rubbish is merely unpleasant and may make our earth seem better. Additionally, animals who consume trash run the risk of becoming injured or killed (Adams,2023).

References

Adams, L. (2023). 5 Inspiring Brands With Purpose. Syndeca. https://www.syndeca.com/post/5-inspiring-brands-with-purpose

Londrigan. (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Jenkins.

Quarterly , M. (2020). The 5Ps of company purpose are much more than a mission statement | McKinsey. Www.mckinsey.com. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/more-than-a-mission-statement-how-the-5ps-embed-purpose-to-deliver-value

Spagnuolo , E., & Finneman, B. (2020). Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping (L. Rahilly, Interviewer) [Personal communication].

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Profit Blog

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The Profit Pillar is a crucial part of the study of psychology in the fashion industry, it highlights the importance of commerce and economics in the industry. An interesting part of this pillar is the relation between Creativity and Commerce, including the supplying, the retailing, the business model and the brands identity all leading to profit. 

1.53 trillion US dollars were estimated to be the market’s total revenue globally. However this estimate is predicted to increase rapidly in the coming years due to the rise of retail capitalism influencing society’s daily spending habits (Smith,2023). 

Discount and luxury brands outperformed the general market in 2020 despite a decline in margins, but the midmarket was still under pressure (Mckinsey, 2022). During much of 2021 and 2022, the global fashion sector saw a fast recovery. However, hopes of a sustained rebound can swiftly change in today’s unstable market. The majority of fashion executives are pessimistic about the coming year and believe that a variety of issues would severely affect their companies and clients (Amed,2023).

Brands need to establish multiple key skills and actions to remain competitive in these currently uncertain economic times. These skills represent establishing a strong brand identity and including a developed brand anatomy which englobes product, story, community, retail and digital. Technology is becoming so present in today’s industry it is now required to grow as a brand to include end to end technologies, digital supply chains, as well as understanding consumer focused technologies and the back end needs to be digital (Berg, 2022). 

The gap between creativity and commerce highlights where a brand needs to invest in its true artistic identity to lead to profit, but is that want for creativity truly sincere or is it only focused on profit? An important part of this are the creative directors, they manage the creative design process as well as their teams. Creative directors have a vision and their team is present to accomplish that vision but that vision needs to generate revenue which is how superiors will evaluate the creative directors performance. They bridge the gap between creativity and commerce by highlighting a responsibility for artistic processes and visions that need to result in economic success, which can be challenging (Mitterfellner, 2023). 

Overall profit is a key part of the fashion industry but in some cases it is becoming the principal driving factor of brands which takes away any creative expression thus reducing the fashion industry to its capitalist form rather than a way to explore creativity and art. 

References 

Amed, I. (2023). The State of Fashion 2023. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/state%20of%20fashion/2023/the-state-of-fashion-2023-holding-onto-growth-as-global-clouds-gathers-vf.pdf

Berg, A. (2022, June 23). How current global trends are disrupting the fashion industry | McKinsey. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/how-current-global-trends-are-disrupting-the-fashion-industry

McKinsey. (2022, November 29). The State of Fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather. McKinsey; McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion‌

Mitterfellner, O. (2023) Luxury Fashion Brand Management and sustainability: Unifying fashion with sustainability. New York: Routledge.

e-book: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac- detail.pl?biblionumber=1546849&query_desc=kw%2Cwrdl%3A%20Mitterfellner

Smith, P. (2023, August 31). Global apparel market – statistics & facts. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/apparel-market-worldwide/#topicOverview

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People Blog

People Blog

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The People Pillar highlights an important branch of the fashion industry concerning individuals involved in each part of the process from designers, workers to consumers. It truly represents human, moral and ethical values concerning the overall conduct of a brand towards the collective. One important group concerning the people pillar is Generation Z. 

Generation Z refers to those who were born between 1996 and 2010. Digital technology, concerns about the environment, evolving financial situations, and COVID-19 have all had an impact on this generation’s identity. There are numerous crucial factors that businesses should consider when marketing to Gen Z. They prioritize access to consumption over ownership. Consider the leasing of pricey autos and streaming services as examples. Because they are aware that their tastes may change, Gen Zers are more likely to spend money on things that enhance their everyday lives. Reorganizing items to cater to Gen Z tastes has been quite successful for brands since this generation is concerned with usability, such as easy online transactions (McKinsey, 2023).

An important part of the people pillar is the customers and the diversity the brand offers to them. One brand who highlights this very well is Skims, a shapewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian. Shapewear conjures up ideas of constricting, dowdy, beige girdles that are used to conceal the body. Skims are all about highlighting your curves and empowering the ladies who wear them. In fact, the body-positive shapewear brand has been slowly transforming the worldwide undergarments market since its start in 2019 with its inclusive philosophy and varied product selection that accommodates all shapes, sizes and skin tones. Displaying a true sense of organizational and world view diversity (Weinstock,2021). 

According to a study on fashion by Kopplin, athletic apparel is advertised as demonstrating happiness, physical prowess, and self-care. Therefore, sports fashion companies should identify a strong connection between sustainability and future orientation, self-care, caring for others, and engaging in physical activity, frequently in the great outdoors. One effective people skill would be to promote healthy lives, practice corporate social responsibility, and show inclusion and diversity in your brand’s values (Kopplin,2023). This would indeed promote a successful environment for the brands growth but those values need to be sincere as it has been shown in the past that brands lack true care for their part in the people pillar of fashion. And rather use it as a social label for their brand to be seen as “good”,”ethical”, and “inclusive” opposite to an objective moral manner. 

References

McKinsey & Company (2023) What is gen Z? https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z

Kopplin (2023) Scopus preview – Scopus – Welcome to Scopus. (n.d.). Www.scopus.com. https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85168117988&origin=resultslist&sort=plf-f&src=s&sid=d0ef4430e041634aa707adea18a023b6&sot=b&sdt=b&s=TITLE-ABS-KEY%28fashion+AND+happiness%29&sl=30&sessionSearchId=d0ef4430e041634aa707adea18a023b6

Weinstock, T. (2021, March 8). “It Felt Like The Perfect Time To Bring A Fresh Perspective”: Kim Kardashian West On Revolutionising Shapewear. British Vogue. https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/kim-kardashian-west-future-of-skims

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Planet Blog

Planet Blog

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The fashion industry requires an immediate and fundamental paradigm shift to demonstrate a clear commitment to respecting and caring for people and the earth in the face of the current climate emergency (Condenast,2020). The planet pillar is introduced as a fundamental section of the Fashion Business School; it calls attention to the importance of developing an industry in which our planet flourishes. Finding ways to produce and fuel the creative process while avoiding harm to the environment truly underlines what sustainability means in relation to the fashion industry. 

Circular economy is a key point for a sustainable future, it refers to an alternative to the traditional linear economy in which the resources are kept in use for as long as possible. More specifically circularity in fashion highlights getting the most out of resources as well as recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of product life. In 2023, Strübel et al. conducted research to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had affected societal attitudes towards sustainable fashion, whether it could inspire long-term sustainable consumption patterns, and whether positive psychology might be relevant to that (Strübel, 2023). Positive psychology is known as the study of the circumstances and mechanisms that promote the flourishing or ideal operation of individuals, communities, and organizations (Gable,2005). Thus through this study, we can recognize the possible benefits of positive psychology-based marketing in fashion and how this could lead to an increased want for a sustainable and long-lasting industry accentuating circular economy principles. 

An important part of sustainability in every field are the UN’s SDGs, they highlight wanted goals for 2030 to better the environmental, political and economic aspect of our society. One specific goal that has relevance and impact on the industry is goal 13 “Climate Action”. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1992) defines “Climate Change” as changes in climate that are directly or indirectly attributable to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that are in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods (Campbell,2018). A study done by Jacometti in 2019 investigated existing EU policies that have an impact on the fashion industry’s adoption of sustainable practices and the shift to a circular economy. They observed the main problems highlighted energy, water, soil consumption and the use of biocides created by the usage of non-renewable resources resulting in increased CO2 emissions (Jacometti,2019). Concluding the very real impact the fashion industry has on the environment, steps are being taken to improve the industry’s impact but can we imagine a future where the fashion industry and a flourishing planet can co-exist? 

References 

Campbell, B. M., Hansen, J., Rioux, J., Stirling, C. M., & Twomlow, S. (2018). Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13): transforming agriculture and food systems. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 34, 13-20.

Condenast.com. 2020. Condé Nast Launches The Sustainable Fashion Glossary.

Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology?. Review of general psychology, 9(2), 103-110.

Jacometti, V. (2019). Circular economy and waste in the fashion industry. Laws, 8(4), 27.

Strübel, J., Goswami, S., Kang, J. H., & Leger, R. (2023). Improving Society and the Planet: Sustainability and Fashion Post-Pandemic. Sustainability, 15(17), 12846.

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A favorite fashion brand

A favorite fashion brand

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One of my favorite brands is PARADOXE Paris. This brand focuses on textile work and each piece is made by hand and completely unique. 

The creators, Jeremy Sebaoun and Elie Saada, reunited in 2017 around their shared love of craftsmanship, which marked the beginning of the Paradoxe Paris tale. 

By giving their brand a distinct, subterranean identity, they create a brand that sticks out. Paradoxe Paris is a brand that incorporates a blend of methods and fabrics, differentiating itself from the mainstream by drawing inspiration from our distinctive vision. In their Parisian workshop, where cuts and volumes come to life, each hand-made piece is painstakingly constructed.

They think that the choice of materials forms the basis of a spectacular piece. Because of this, they carefully choose only the most beautiful and elegant fabrics, giving premium materials like buffalo leather or denim made entirely of cotton a preference. They make certain that each product exhibits craftsmanship.

All of the Paradoxe team displays their own uniqueness and creativity in strong correlation with the brand essence. 

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