The Death of Fast Fashion
The Art of Planned Obsolescence
Fashion (let’s include homewares and anything trend based in there) has been under scrutiny for its waste over the past couple of years. Particularly as our sensitivity to sustainability has become front and centre. In fashion, this is waste that is generated by the very fact it’s trend based. The ideal ‘capitalist’ model for any consumer product is to have planned obsolescence. For those of your unfamiliar with planned obsolescence it is the concept that products are designed to have a limited useful life…and so have to be re-purchased after a certain period of time. This is a reason to create purchase frequency. Businesses do this both consciously and unconsciously in order to help their sales line.
In the case of technology this is often created through the product breaking or software update glitches. In fashion this is created through the social currency of being on trend - and trends becoming obsolete after a season. Up until now the richest brands in fashion have built their fortunes on this concept - Zara, H&M, ASOS, Pretty Little Things, Mango, Forever 21, Misguided, Boohoo, Primark etc. Over the last 10 years we have looked to fast fashion as what constitutes success (albeit in hindsight an unsustainable version of success). These are businesses that thrive on product obsolescence.
I remember marvelling at Zara’s ability to have 6 week seasons…meaning there was always something new in store. The customer bought into this, and these businesses thrived on the back of this flawed concept. Over the 2010’s these brands grew at astounding rates and were owned by some of the richest people on earth. FYI Zara founder Armando Otega was the richest man in the world in 2017….arguably the height of Fast Fashion.
High versus Fast Fashion
Aside of the unsustainable outcomes of fast fashion, which rose to the forefront with the Netflix documentary ‘True Cost’, it has another notable enemy (aside from Mother Earth), which is High End Fashion. Fast Fashion copies high-end fashion, that is brands like Chanel, Balmain, Chloe, Dior etc, who set the seasonal trends. Fast fashion then exploits this IP and profits more from it than the actual creators. Just contrast Inditex’s (owner of Zara) 2018 sales revenue of EU$93.5B to LVMH’s Clothing Division (Owner of Louis Vuitton, Celine etc) EU$18B.
Left Gucci; Right Mango
Over the last 5-10 years this tension has bubbled to the surface. In fact when Raf Simons resigned from Christian Dior in 2015, the fashion world started to take notice. Simon’s reason for resigning was the pure pressure. Historically these high end fashion houses have churned out looks at an alarming rate, creating on average 6 shows a year of anywhere between 40 - 100 looks, two shows of which are haute couture where extra time is invested in the garments created. At a max we’re talking about creating 600 looks a year. To quote Simons:
“When you do six shows a year, there’s not enough time for the whole process. Technically, yes — the people who make the samples, do the stitching, they can do it. But you have no incubation time for ideas, and incubation time is very important.’
Unsaid in this the fact that the likes of Zara would take the catwalk IP and get ‘copied’ clothes to store before Dior ever could. Literally as Dior or one of it’s counterparts where hosting a show, Zara would be coping and putting these into production. This added pressure to the already crazy fashion cycle.
In essence, fast fashion has worked because high-fashion sets the trends. They (Zara, H&M etc) don’t have to invest in IP, or original design because it’s essentially outsourced….for free.
High Fashion’s Revenge
All of this has been playing about for the last 5 or so years. Yes there have been a couple of lawsuits, like Gucci suing Forever 21. However, it seems like this year is the one where High End fashion exacts it’s revenge..in a very clever way. Sick of being the ‘outsourced design department’ for fast fashion brands; they are leaning into sustainability and killing seasons. For without seasons, what does fast fashion have…and without seasons there is no product obsolescence.
This all came about in March - amidst the accelerator that is COVID - when Gucci - arguably the darling of fashion - announced that it would be moving way from the industry standard 5 plus catwalks a year in favour for two. Added to that these new catwalks would not follow the seasons at all. Instead they will be showing selection of clothes that stem Spring through to Winter and are ’transeasonal’. The reason…waste. Design Director Alessandro Michelle announced on Instagram that the brand intended to:
‘abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities and shows…to regain a new cadence’.
Being such a thought leader, of course other luxury houses have jumped on board with the notion. Saint Laurent (also owned by Gucci’s parent company Kering) announced that it would reshape it’s show schedule as well as pulling out of Paris Fashion week for the rest of the year. According to the brand:
‘Saint Laurent will take ownership of it’s calendar and launch it’s collections following a plan conceived with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity’.
Now most of you might be thinking, that’s just two brands…surely that’s not enough. When you are the thought leaders in an entire industry (ummm have you seen the lines outside of a Gucci store or the amount of knock of looks) you have to take notice. Fashion works like a pyramid, it is dictated by these brands and it will have rumbling effects all the way down to mass fashion. For those of you unfamiliar with this famous Devil Wears Prada scene it’s the perfect example of the influence of fashion:
This is something that will effect all of us in and around fashion. You can take the wheel and get on board…or be dragged into this future. We are entering an era of sustainable fashion and businesses that need strong creator direction. It’s no longer ok to log onto WGSN or head to Paris Fashion week and copy. This is the death of derivative fashion.
Why?
Without ‘seasons’ it’s easier to see when a design has been directly copied. Without ‘seasons’ brands like Gucci will be working harder to create transeasonal garments that are stitched together by creative direction. That is their brands signatures.
Now fast fashion - and even those middle market players that lack creative direction - are caught between a rock (sustainability) and a hard place (no seasons).
The Future: Sustainable and Seasonless
The move to seasonless and sustainable fashion is incredibly clever on behalf of high end fashion. Yes it has removed product obsolescence but that has never really been a thing for these brands as they are about ‘investment’. So essentially they are removing fast fashions advantage; as well as helping the planet in a big way. Added to that if you have two transeasonal collections are year you aren’t having to discount or move product as quickly. Instead you can sell less, more profitable. A shift from selling more, less profitably.
Here are some things - if you’re in fashion - you need to start thinking about.
Invest in creative direction NOW: if you don’t currently have a brand DNA, point of view or strong creative direction (that is you are relying heavily on trends websites) it’s time to invest. This is an investment in people and in the arts, it doesn’t always make sense particularly if you’re leaning too hard to the science/data side of fashion. That said, this is the future of your category and your business. Start to develop your creative direction now or solidify it, as there will be less stimulus to rely on in the future.
Rethink Seasons: It’s time to rethink the speed of fashion. We’re potentially shifting into an era where the consumer is looking for outfits that cross seasons. Plus, thanks to climate change…what even are seasons any more. It’s time to mix it up, base what you are doing around knowing your customers wardrobe not what is ‘next season’.
Sustainability is key: As we experience more and more the results of our actions (bushfires, floods etc), sustainability becomes more real. It’s important that sustainability isn’t an after thought or something that you look at as a cost- or something for a marketing tactic. It’s about doing the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. The big question is what legacy do you want to leave? One that benefited human kind or one that cost it. Tackle your supply chain, manufacturing and waste now…before you’re forced too.