Losing the Passion: Why Fashion Should Be More Than Just Selling Stuff

Dec 20

Your stomach is gurgling as you decide what to order off the menu of the new trending restaurant in town. Your order comes and suddenly your hanger (hungry/angry) can wait a few seconds longer as you pull out your phone to snap a pic of your plate. You finish your dinner and head home for bed. Eyes slowly closing as you lay in a nest of blankets and pillows piled on your bed at 2 am. Close one eye and open the other, forcing yourself to stay awake just for one more video on your glowing, switched-to-night-mode phone. Wake up in the morning with the sun blazing in your room, eyes slowly grasping the space around you as your hand searches for your phone. Trendy TikTok. Influential Instagram. Fading Facebook. As you scroll through your social media of choice for your daily graze, do you notice anything in particular? We live in a world where buying and selling has become a sixth sense as our phones (or those mini digital shopping malls that can fit in your hand) are ALWAYS within reach. Small boutiques, start-up fashion brands, influencer merchandise, Etsy shops, and other apparel companies have emerged in the masses, and we don’t even fully realize it.

Fashion can be found everywhere; every single person uses it, and it is, and will continue to be, a widely discussed topic in our world. The original purpose of clothing was for warmth and security; it fulfilled one of our basic needs. Today, fashion showcases our own personal choices as it defines who we are, how we are feeling, and our level of confidence in ourselves. So, is this why it has become such an important part of our world? In July of this year, Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted on the set of And Just Like That… wearing a “Forever 21” bohemian printed dress along with a handbag from the Balenciaga and Gucci joint collection. Social media outlets were booming, and the internet was devastated as people expressed outrage over the mere idea of Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw, known for her high-end fashion taste, wearing a cheap Forever 21 dress [1]! I think the world might have been more irritated by this incident than when Donald won (sarcasm included). Also, for those still outraged, the dress did not actually come from Forever 21. It was actually from a brand sold at Nordstrom and Anthropologie called Raga [2]. Fashion speaks to who we are and the values and character we represent. Climate and environmental activists will wear sustainable or vintage pieces to align with their core values, while celebrities will wear the newest designer trend to promote brands. Carrie Bradshaw represented a woman who knew and loved luxury fashion; the idea of a fashion diva shopping at a fast fashion brand just did not make sense for viewers.

In addition to representing a person’s character, fashion tells a story. It promotes a cause. It speaks to different people. It evokes emotion. To be real, authentic fashion, it must provide us with a story. Fashion cannot just be an influencer’s latest attempt to make money. It needs passion and added value to truly appeal to consumers. Virgil Abloh, an impactful and beautiful streetwear designer who was taken too soon from our world, was not afraid of boundaries. He remained true to his beliefs and directed his businesses by his own rules [3]. He started in 2002 as Kanye West’s Creative director and grew to be the founder of Off-White in 2012 as well as the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton’s Menswear in 2018 [3]. His goal was to build a global community without the divisiveness that comes with subculture. He created scholarships and funded black businesses, mentored young black designers, aided immigrants in Paris, supported surfers and skateboarders in Ghana, and funded infrastructure developments in Chicago [3]. He wanted more for our world. Moschino is another brand that similarly tells a fresh story and provides passion in design. Founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino who decided to branch out and create his own label, the brand is unique in style with a touch of humor and social awareness regarding the fashion industry’s issues [4]. The brand focuses on having fun and being original; it points out problems within the fashion industry and promotes being fashionable, not a victim of fashion itself. The sassy attitude, bright colors, and extravagant style is what truly makes the brand [4]. Jeremy Scott became creative director of Moschino in 2013, drawing attention to the brand with his use of satire, pop culture inspired couture, and fashion-forward designs [5]. This brand showcases a passion for design as well as telling the story that fashion is not meant to be taken so seriously; have fun and be fun! Urban-chic brand Telfar is yet another brand that creates a beautiful story and inspires its consumers with quality pieces. Telfar was founded in 2005 by Telfar Clemens who designs genderless fashion pieces [6]. The brand’s focus is on selling quality, couture-worthy styles at affordable prices; the utilitarian aesthetic promotes the idea that any gender, budget, or race can own the products from Telfar [7]. The most desired piece from the brand is the “Bushwick Birkin” shopping bag that literally sells out within minutes of dropping on the website! The shopping bag launched in 2014 but did not gain popularity until additional colors and sizes were added in 2017 [7]. It comes in three different sizes and a huge variety of colors with prices ranging from $150 to $257 [7]. Its nickname comes from being an It bag like the Hermès Birkin but at a more affordable price. Telfar is focused on promoting its community as it posts actual customers with the bags on its social media. It tells the people who were shut out from buying luxury goods that they can still get those luxury goods at accessible prices. This two-way relationship makes consumers feel recognized, powerful, worthy, and beautiful!

We have a vast array of older, as well as younger, designers who are bringing with them a sense of meaning, passion, change, and storytelling. Unfortunately, not every designer can be this amazing, thoughtful, or passionate. Some young “designers” are emerging but bringing with them a focus on the always-demanded fast fashion trend. Half of the younger generation (Gen Z) customers desire fast fashion like SHEIN because it gives them a new, cheap look every day for their social media OOTD (“outfit of the day”), while the other half is more focused on demanding sustainable pieces to better the future of tomorrow. Social media stars or influencers or regular people believe they can only post one or two pictures online with a single outfit, then that outfit cannot be worn or posted again. Some end up reselling these pieces on Depop or Poshmark, while others trash the look [8]. The pressure to keep up the “best life” on social media is sickening. Young people are already dealing with puberty, raging emotions, middle/high school, and the superficial world we live in. Now, they must also put on a face for social media, ensuring they have a different look every day [8]. This has some people buying secondhand items or researching companies before buying, while others order 50 different looks from SHEIN for $20.00 (exaggeration included) and go on their merry way. The dichotomy within this generation is concerning, comical, and scary. Adding to this is the idea that this generation is buying more fast fashion than other groups; 64% surveyed said they purchased clothes they have never worn, while only 44% of adults admit to it [8]. This is intensified by famous influencers like Kylie Jenner who promote fast fashion brands, pushing their followers and fans to do the same. She even came up with her own swimwear brand (“Kylie Swim”) complete with see-through, ten-sizes-too-small pieces, getting consumers everywhere to buy these bathing suits only to find out how distasteful they were in construction and quality. In addition to their interests and desires, this generation is also the generation of “entrepreneurs.” The influencer generation has grown up with young people quitting high school, starting a YouTube channel, and become filthy rich (hello, Jake Paul). This causes our youth to think it’s easy, not as much effort as gaining an education, and a quick trip to getting rich. This way of thinking can be both bad and good. Some people really push forward, find their passion, and succeed. Others end up homeless, depressed, and behind in society. I am not saying that being an entrepreneur is bad or wrong or unlikely. I am merely stating that it is like any other career choice; it requires blood, sweat, tears, effort, passion, and luck. Some amazing young people today end up making a beautiful fashion brand that tells the story, brings passion, and unites its customers. This just is not the case for everyone. On the opposite spectrum, we have older design houses. Unfortunately, a lack of creativity exists among older design houses, as they end up copying small businesses for profits. Bailey Prado is a small brand that hand crochets garments since 2019. This year, SHEIN released a replica dress from the brand as their own, along with 39 other copied designs [9]. Prado sells their handcrafted items for hundreds of dollars, while SHEIN sold the replicas for around $10 each. Fast fashion isn’t just killing the planet, it’s also taking quality brands down with it. Lazy fast fashion is at work as excess fills our world. This doesn’t stop with fast fashion brands, mid-level brand Jeffrey Campbell knocked off a pair of shoes from the black-owned brand Autumn Adeigbo (small business launched in 2018) this year, dropping it before the brand did [9]. We even see high-end fashion brands doing this too; Moschino’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection released this past week with face corsets drawing attention. The face coverings include lacing, detailed stitching, and corset hardware. Patrick Ian Hartley is an artist who has designed these almost-exact face corsets since 2002. He was inspired by the beauty industry that includes facial modifications; in 2002 he thought of a world where it was socially looked down upon to alter the face with surgery. A corset was originally intended to alter a woman’s waistline with pressure, so what if that same idea was applied to the face? Thus, creating a face corset [9]. Moschino denies having ever seen Hartley’s work, pointing to Rifat Ozbek neck corsets from 1995 as inspiration [9]. The worst part of it all is that this process of stealing design ideas is legal! [10]. Unless the graphic, saying, font, or other design piece is trademarked or copyrighted, it is fair game. The fashion industry is labeled as a manufacturing business, not a creative one, so a lot of the laws that would protect designers do not exist. Copyright laws were created in the 1970s when American designers were rare [10]. Imitations, knockoffs, and idea-stealing is a part of the fashion industry. It’s not fair, but it happens every single day.

In addition to designers copying other designers’ ideas, younger generations promoting fast fashion, and youth desiring a creative career path, there is also a demand by design houses for these younger designers. Why the rush for young designers? Do couture fashion brands want to keep up with the TikTok generation, so they hire younger designers? Luxury brands have been attracting this new generation with urban, streetwear celebrities [11]. Tiffany & Co. is working with Beyoncé and Jay Z this year for a global campaign and Chanel has a strong relationship with Pharrell [11]. Why is this? Well, the Gen Z consumer group is growing and will soon make up a huge percentage of the market. Brands will begin to mix classic and modern to reach this market, while still staying true to the original intention of the brand. Alexandre Arnault became the executive vice president of Tiffany & Co. recently at the age of 28 [11]. He is popular for his collaborations with millennial designers like Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones, embracing the new generations [11]. This is just one example of how brands are beginning to gain younger employees to stay trending. Some luxury businesses do not welcome the change of adapting to the young customer base, but it may be necessary for their survival. Some brands have lost up to 30% of their young customers in a single calendar year [12]! Louis Vuitton and Dior have embraced this change by enhancing the customer experience demanded by Gen Z. These brands are increasing the quality in products, connecting digitally, creating memorable experiences, and telling a great brand story [12]. Has fashion breached the barrier of becoming just something to sell? Instagram influencers and Youtubers have become “fashion designers” and “fashion entrepreneurs” as they create online businesses to sell their “designs.” Don’t get me wrong, some influencers are truly passionate about the fashion industry and end up building amazing, quality brands, but this is not most cases. Today, it is so easy to become a CEO or business owner in our industry. Build an online website, pay the monthly fee, buy a domain name, and sell the designs (whether you actually make them yourself or not). This has caused the quality in fashion businesses to largely diminish. Influencers create a website or sell on Instagram and slap a logo on a mass-produced hoodie, calling it “good merch” or “streetwear.” Influencer-turned-model Erika Costell is one example of this; she recently founded the brand Akire Sport which consists of basic wear for the tomboy/sexy girl who is always on the go [13]. A simple bandeau (or small tube of fabric) is $36 on the website. She also is a Youtuber, model, music/artist, TikToker, and more. This is a consistent theme among the younger generations. They do not know what they want, so they do everything. Their career choice is simple; they are entrepreneurs in all aspects of life. They are involved in ten different businesses and decide to add fashion business owner to their LinkedIn as they make a basic website to sell basic clothing. No story telling or passion, just greed. The pieces they are selling have no substance. Just a hoodie with a logo screen printed on it to display the brand name (if even that much effort is put into the product). There is no unique feature about it. The most unique feature is that your favorite influencer founded it.

It is not all bad. The democratization of the industry has allowed young designers to make a name for themselves as they prioritize small design teams, being an actual leader who has a clear vision, and having control over the production process. They want to create a brand people want to buy from [14]. Anton Belinskiy is a young designer from Ukraine who brings political issues into his collections; he focuses on his identity and evokes emotion through his designs. He created a brown puffer jacket that resembled the leather couches of the Ukrainian government in 2018. He makes fashion personal by utilizing old photos, political references, and storytelling [14]. Another good example is Negin Mirsalehi. She started her beauty brand in 2013 by using her family’s passion. Her dad is a beekeeper and so is she; her mom started using the honey from the bee garden for hair nourishment and noticed amazing results. The Mirsalehi family continued to use this hair oil and other people started noticing the results too. Gisou was born in 2013 and has grown to include hair oil, hair perfume, shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, seasonal apparel, gardening tools, and more [15]! The brand has grown so much with some of the products being sold at Sephora! Negin is a social media influencer, brand ambassador, beekeeper, founder of Gisou, Youtuber, and fashion icon. In 2019, she created a small clothing collection with Express, designing quality pieces. She tells a story with her brand; she is promoting the environment with beekeeping. Gisou was even giving free flower seeds with every purchase, encouraging its customers to plant flowers for the bees and the environment. She also gave a free Gisou-branded tee-shirt with a purchase. She understands that a basic shirt with a screen printed logo is not high quality fashion. She has passion for what she does, and she tells a beautiful story, staying true to the brand’s identity and original purpose.

There must be a reason and purpose for the product, other than just to wear it. What makes it different? Why are we buying it? It cannot be because our favorite podcast star or social media brand ambassador told us to. Just because you can wear it doesn’t make it fashion. Is it a means to an end, a mere commodity? To be successful, brands must create something that resonates with the customer base. A business cannot just be made to sell. During the pandemic in 2020, 4.4 million businesses were founded in the United States alone [16]. This included businesses ranging from fashion start-ups to software applications to services; 4.4 million businesses is the largest number recorded in a year. January 2021 also saw a huge uptick in small businesses with 500,000 being created; these founders are focused on being self-sufficient, optimistic, and digitally intelligent [16]. The surge in start-ups is focused on creativity, being your own boss, being stuck at home during the pandemic/ layoffs during the pandemic, selling directly to consumers, needing minimum cash to start the business, and being an online-only business [16]. Around 80% of new businesses sell D2C (direct to consumer) using online platforms to reach these customers [16]. Fifty-nine percent are employing at most five staff members, making it possible to start these small businesses with a small budget [16]. Fifty-two percent created these start-ups with less than $10k, the other almost half utilized less than $5k to open their businesses [16]. Not all these 4.4 million businesses will stay afloat. On average, 20% of them will fail within their first year [17]. Around 130,000 businesses failed in 2020, and 2021 may lead to 160,000 more closures for new businesses [18]. Store shutdowns during the pandemic are forcing 75% of fashion companies into debt [19]. North America is worsening the problem with a crowded industry of almost 24 retail square feet per person [19]. This is a huge problem for in-person stores, but online businesses can still be affected. The fulfillment of orders is being disrupted with issues in the supply chain, pandemic site cleaning, and distribution/ manufacturing shutdowns due to pandemic precautions. Is the influx of start-up fashion businesses just a trend? Is it almost insulting that anyone thinks they can be a designer?

In addition to young designers emerging, we have a polarized sense of style today. Young “designers” are making fast fashion pieces at the speed of light, while older designers are making vintage pieces that are also sustainable. Gary, runner-up on Making the Cut (Amazon’s fashion design series), designs vintage pieces using decades-old carpet and other brocade/jacquards to create unique pieces [20]. His designs sell out almost immediately (with some being hand painted by him) and can be seen on young, middle-aged, and older customers! We have an interesting divide with younger customers wanting vintage pieces and middle-aged customers wanting fast fashion that is just easier to buy, requiring less effort. Millennials and other groups are utilizing subscription services for their ease in use. Little do they know that these companies are selling fast fashion in a box. Stitchfix used to get some of its pieces from Byer California who provides cheap clothing to Macy’s junior department (they only stopped because their facilities closed in that area). They continue to sell fast fashion pieces at more expensive prices, along with a lack in quality as some sizes are not accurate [21]. Their website vaguely describes a list of brands they sell as well as in-house pieces. Stitchfix claims to also sell sustainable pieces if you select it as a preference in your profile [22]. Brands need to do better. Older brands as well as younger start-ups need to focus on quality, storytelling, and passion in their designs.

Will this era of selling fashion just to sell ever end? Will influencers and inexperienced brand ambassadors become the new fashion designers and business owners? Will technical designers, pattern makers, graders, and other professional roles be sent overseas or automated? Will craftsmanship and attention to detail be lost forever in the industry? Will remote work and online only businesses be unavoidable as the new normal? Will fashion as we know it change forever? Is this change good? The next time you make a purchase, will you think first? Maybe if we begin to opt for the vintage, quality pieces that cost a little bit more than the Zara knock offs our world will slowly begin to change for the better. Only time will tell…

REFERENCES

[1] https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a37171197/sarah-jessica-parker-wears-forever-21-satc-reboot/

[2] https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/sarah-jessica-parker-didnt-wear-forever-21-in-satc-reboot/

[3] https://www.vogue.com/article/virgil-abloh-obituary-tribute

[4] https://www.brandingmag.com/2011/09/18/moschino/

[5] https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/jeremy-scott

[6] https://fortune.com/40-under-40/2020/telfar-clemens/

[7] https://www.thecut.com/2020/01/how-telfars-shopping-bag-became-the-bushwick-birkin.html

[8] https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/oct/06/out-of-style-will-gen-z-ever-give-up-its-dangerous-love-of-fast-fashion

[9] https://www.instagram.com/diet_prada/

[10] https://www.vox.com/2018/4/27/17281022/fashion-brands-knockoffs-copyright-stolen-designs-old-navy-zara-h-and-m

[11] https://www.glossy.co/fashion/why-luxury-brands-are-targeting-gen-z-with-streetwear-icons/