Blog Post 2

Through the lecture series, I felt inspired by a range of topics, from technology to online advertising. I think it’s important to be aware of the contemporary issues we face and use it to guide my future work, making it relevant to today’s society. 

As discussed in Julia Crew’s ‘Power’ lecture, social media is one of the major ways consumers interact with fashion brands. This abundance of information, which is available to every user, means the average consumer is more educated on the issues we face. In a study by Accentune, 630 cross-disciplinary brand executives agreed that ‘inability to meet customer needs’ resulted in the failure of a product or service, with a further 50% attributing failure to a misconception of customer values (Kuniavsky, M. et al. 2012). Evidently, consumers are looking for brands that reflect their ethos, which is reflected in the growing popularity of eco-focused brands such as Vin + Omi, who have 33.6 K followers on Instagram. With 45% of British Instagram users following fashion accounts, this online landscape will become a major component of the work I produce in the future. It’s the cheapest and fastest way to advertise globally, not to mention the ease of direct customer engagement through comments and sharing.  

Consumerism and fast fashion were the topics which influenced me the most, as going into the industry to advertise and market fashion, I want to ensure that I’m not promoting unsustainable consumption. As pointed out by Julia Crew, media and advertising is driving consumption to an unsustainable level as around 75% of the clothes we buy end up in landfill (Crew, J. 2020). Furthermore, Ehrenfeld’s comment on contemporary consumer culture stood out to me as it’s apparent how we no longer find gratification in the things we buy.  

The failure to find authentic satisfaction may be one of the root causes of our society’s relentless preoccupation with speed. We can’t wait until the next model of phone, car or shoe; replacing them well before they wear out to keep up with the latest trends.  

(R. Ehrenfeld, J. 2008) 

Therefore, I want to focus on using advertising in a new way, rather than big budget campaigns. For example, how Comme des Garcons pop-up store in Warsaw (2008) had very little advertising, rejecting the excess and decadence of regular fashion advertising (Arnold, R. 2009). Their project accentuated uniqueness, making an experience memorable and special to the consumer; an approach I would like to utilise in my future work. Another notable brand is Veja. Through the exclusion of advertising campaigns, they are able to sell their vegan and ethically sourced shoes on par with big brands, despite costing 5 times more to produce (Veja, 2020).  

Bibliography: 

Arnold, R. (2009) Fashion: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP. 

Ehrenfeld, R. J. (2008) Sustainability by design: A subversive strategy for transforming our consumer culture. New Haven: Yale University press. 

Crew, J. (2020) Power [Lecture] Better Lives: FU001708. London College of Fashion. 10 February 2020. 

Kuniavsky, M. Goodman, E. & Moed, A. (2012) Observing the User Experience : A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research. Elsevier Science & Technology, Saint Louis. [online] Available at: ProQuest Ebook Central. Accessed: 1 April 2020. 

Veja (2020) Project: Transparency. [online] Available at: https://project.veja-store.com/en/single/ transparency. Accessed: 23 April 2020.