Fashion Portfolio

Grazia

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A day in the life of a Fashion Buyer

Visual Merchandiser VS Fashion buyer

An interview with a Visual Merchandiser

Key mover and shaker Kendall Jenner

Key mover and shaker Paul Smith

Key mover and shaker Edward Enninful

Key mover and shaker Vivienne Westwood

Key mover and shaker Angella Kelly

Through the eyes of a designer at John Lewis

1990s PESTEE

Current day PESTEE

A day in the life of a Visual Merchandiser 9 10 11 13 15

90s vs Today PESTEE

A day in the life of a VISUAL

MERCHANDISER

They plan and build store displays in a visually pleasing way to increase sales and make the clothing/accessories seem desirable. Visual merchandisers are in charge of window displays, models, arrangements of walls and the general display of products across a store Their role is to create an experience and journey for the customers to encourage sales, perhaps making them buy things they didn’t even think they needed “The best visual merchandisers can turn their shop's window space into an intriguing art installation” (Drapers Jobs, 22/11/2013)

Visual merchandising is a very competitive field, a secondary level of education is required by most retailers (i e GCSES, A levels, Diploma, BTECH) however having a university degree can prove very useful and more desirable for employers

Certain skills are required to be a successful visual merchandiser like being creative, an eye for trends and confidence in decision making Having an critical understanding of the brand is vital for VM's as they need to be able to display collections exactly how the designers planned it to be portrayed Communication and leadership is highly necessary for this job role as without it a visual merchandiser wouldn’t be able communicate with their team to organise plan or carry out store displays

They design the customers experience using Micro and Macro overviews Micro overviews focus on the factors that make up a retail space by dividing it into levels High level overview involves the ceilings, architecture, lighting and anything else overhead; eye level is what a customer sees the most so this is where best selling products should be placed as well as the mannequins and countertop installations. Micro overview also involves placement of windows, poor placement of windows can influence the natural lighting of the store, however this can be used to a visual merchandisers advantage as they may have to display new collections that would benefit from having harsh stage lighting For example designer brands like ‘Fendi’ like to spotlight pieces in their collection (like the Fendi Baguette bag at NY fashion week) therefore their visual merchandiser wouldn’t place that in natural lighting along with the rest of the release, instead use a darker gloomy section of a store with perfectly positioned lighting to show the customer it is the star of the collection

Macro overview is the overall layout of the store for example if a VM uses a luxury minimal approach or if the store finds value from volume stocking. For example designer stores like Selfridges benefit from displaying a singular item of the product. “Museum-like product displays trigger connotations of luxury for the consumer, indicating authenticity, individuality and quality ” (Swales, K, 25/11/2019) Whereas, stores like Primark find value in having all their stock on display as it is easy and affective for both the customers and retail assistants

Fashion A day in the life of a BUYER

Their role is to plan and select garment and clothing ranges to sell in retail stores and/or online. Fashion buyers have to do extensive research to recognise what customer demand currently isconsidering modern day trends and price points. Analysis of a customer is a huge role for a fashion buyer as they must understand their clientele to predict future trends as well as best sellers.

The best way to get into becoming a fashion buyer is achieving a degree in fashion design, business or retail. Additionally having previous experience in accounting and mathematics would make a budding fashion buying look more employable. However people can still get an entry level fashion buyer career from college and sixth form qualifications if they are in the general areas of fashion, textiles, business or accountancy.

Fashion buyers need to have the ability to work in a team as their job role requires them to liaise with clothing suppliers all over the world. Within these teams they decide which clothing pieces would be suitable for their companies target market. FB’s have a role to source fabric and materials for their brand, choosing which prints and designs will best suit the upcoming season as well as insuring the fabric picked maximises the company’s profit. Designers work very closely with fashion buyers as the buyer in question may not find a material or design appropriate enough for their company’s (whether that be because its not in budget or just that they’re not happy with the overall design outcome) therefore they may have to create and weave an entirely new fabric with new prints dyes and colour combinations. “Oftentimes they will work with fabric agents that can offer advice and better trading terms with the mills” (Yu A 18/1/2019)

Tara Lawton (who is a Buyer at Pretty Little Thing) worked her way up without any previous fashion qualification into becoming a Buyer at PLT. She was originally hired as a BA (buyers admin assistant) then moved to an assistant buyer then junior buyer and then to her big role now – Buyer for PLT. She didn’t go to university or college and instead puts her passionate personality behind why she got to where she is now. Tara’s climb up the career ladder shows there is no direct educational route to achieving such a big position in the fashion industry and instead it comes down to a persons character, fresh ideas they come with and their drive for success.

Fashion buyers must have key employability skills like: organisation, negotiation, decision making, analytics and interpersonal. Organisation is key for a fashion buyer as they are in charge of the majority of the monetary side of a retail business so should make sure they handle all the information and tasks they receive in an organised conventional manner. Negotiation and decision making come hand in hand for fashion buyers as they need to have the ability to make well informed decisions outweighing all the positives and negatives of working with a specific supplier or picking a certain product/fabric for their collection. Having great interpersonal skills is required for majority of jobs, however it is vital for fashion buyers as they need to be able to successfully communicate and build professional strong relationships with suppliers and coworkers to gain the absolute most out of their business deals. For example, if a fashion buyer was unable to have stable relationships with their industry partners it could create huge devastation for the company as neither side of the party would be working together - unable to understand each others wants and needs.

VS

Fashion Visual Buyer Merchandiser

Visual merchandisers work in retail stores to plan organise and build store displays in an appropriately pleasing way to increase sales They research trends, best sellers and societal interests to psychologically design a store so that the customer feels like they’re experiencing a journey throughout the store instead of ‘just shopping’. By creating an experience customers are more likely to buy things they didn’t plan on buying just because of the pure excitement and hype of the product There is an artistry behind visual merchandising as they have to have artistic visions to create displays that suit a brands ethos - for example “stacking a limited supply of 500 boxes of specialty merchandise together in one place creates a sense of urgency to buy in customers and passerby” (Cardenas H, 2022). VM’s focus on specific design elements like colour, texture and order to create emotional and physiological responses cause an increase in sales

Fashion buyers work in head offices of retail stores to pick fabrics materials and products within collections that they know will drive sales and match current trends as well as adhering to consistent best-selling demands (like basic white shirts and denim jeans) Similarly, to visual merchandisers, fashion buyers have to do extensive research into what their clientele are currently buying so that they can figure out what they want in future collections The difference between them is that FB’s are part of the making of the clothing and VM’s focus on the displays Both of these job roles work together as visual merchandisers need to know the products that they have to display and fashion buyers will be able to inform them of the quantity, quality and their desired outcome of the collection.

To conclude, I would personally prefer to be a visual merchandiser as the psychological side of store displays really interest me Additionally, with my current job (working at House of Fraser) I have worked alongside visual merchandisers and admired their creativity and eye for merchandising Learning the ins and outs of store displays and why things are placed where they are really interests me and I am excited to go to university to learn more

interview An with a visual merchandiser

Q: What do you do day to day as a visual merchandiser?

A: It varies from day to day some days I will be creating new posters and signage for the store, the next I will be in meetings with inventory managers, retail buyers and suppliers to find out everything I need to know about the items coming into store. With this information I’ll then organise floor staff and instruct them on how to display the stock the best way possible.

Q: What does a typical work week look like in terms of hours, days off and holidays?

A: It is a full time job with a maximum of working 40 hours a week. Sometimes I will be working late evenings in order to set up displays when the store has closed.

Q: What are the key meetings in your diary and how often are they?

A: Majority of the job is liaising with my team. I typically will get into work on a Monday morning evaluate what have been the best sales that week then go on to have team meetings to share my findings with my team. I will also have a team meeting at around 11am to discuss with buyers and designers about what the next seasons range could be based on their data.

Q: What is your favourite part of the job?

A: Seeing my hard work pay off, nothing brings me more joy then seeing customers walk over to my displays and picking things up and buying them when they had no real need to in the first place – I love knowing my skills have attracted customers and caused sales.

Q: What training did you receive before becoming a VM?

A: I went to college for 2 years doing a Level 3 Diploma in Fashion Business and Retail during this I was working throughout many retailers and continued to after learning the tricks of the trade and admiring and learning from visual merchandisers in the store.I then progressed onto a Visual Merchandising apprenticeship where I was thoroughly trained about all the inns and outs of the job.

Q: What career progression routes are there for a visual merchandiser?

A: I have the options of becoming a team leader and managing other visual merchandisers, another route I could explore is interior design and moving onto homes which I have always been interested in from a young age. Interior design takes the design and organisation aspect of visual merchandising but not the marketing side of it – “Interior design’s goal is for the inhabitants of the space to enjoy it, the goal of visual merchandising is to encourage visitors to spend money.” (Aplex display, 3/5/16)

Key Mover & SHAKER

Paul Smith Sir

Paul Smith discovered his love for design at the age of 17 when

his life long dreams of becoming a professional cycler got crushed due to a nasty accident In his recovery he made friends with people from a local art college that opened his eyes to the colourful world of art and design At the age of 15 Smith began work in a Nottingham clothing warehouse as an errand boy, after his discovery of the fashion world he introduced this into his warehouse job - creating displays for the showrooms After this he was hired to be the company's menswear buyer

Grazia PEOPLE

Paul Smith has recently released a collection with Mini which mimics the collaboration he brought out with them in 1998. His original design has been reimagined and modernised with a 72kW electric motor. With this collection he is using the mantra "less is more" with a stripped back designbuttons and dials removed from the dashboard and instead replaced with a magnet to hold the driver's phone "This ‘less is more’ ethos can be seen throughout the Mini Recharged, with its bare bodyshell and unclad floor plan Recycling has been put front and centre of the Recharged, too, with floor mats made from reclaimed rubber " (Shropshire Star, 20/09/2022)

He met his wife 'Pauline Denyer' in 1969 Smith says she was the one to teach him the technical side of design - codesigning all the original pieces of the brand Also, she encouraged him to open his first store which was called Paul Smith Vêtement Pour Homme on 10 Byard Lane, Nottingham in 1970 The store was only 12ft square and was the only shop outside London to sell labels like Kenzo and Margaret Howell Smith used this store to showcase his own designs, eventually progressing to release his first menswear collection in 1976 in Paris, France In 1990 he released a children's collection and then 3 years later in 1993 he released his first women's collection "Paul Smith now has 15 shops and concessions in the UK and 200 shops worldwide, in markets including Japan, Paris, Milan, New York and Hong Kong. The business, still based in his native Nottingham, has turnover of £325million. As chairman and designer, Sir Paul is still involved in every aspect of it." (Sowray 1/11/2011)

I adore Paul Smith in every way imaginable and could not idolise a CEO more if I tried. From his devistating cycling accident to owning one of the biggest fashion brand in the world he truely does prove everything happens for a reason.

CEO of designer brand 'Paul Smith"

Smith's new collaboration with mini

Edward Enninnful OBE

Edward Enninful is the editor in chief for British Vogue as well as the Europeaneditorial director of Vogue He grew up in Ghana and was labelled as quiet kid with a tough father and loving caring mother that ensured he always felt safe even though he lived on a military base. Enninful has struggled immensely throughout his life with his health as he was born with Thalassemia and developed Sickle Cell disease as he aged. Both conditions have impacted his eyes with his retinas detaching four times Enninful has found this condition especially difficult in his field of work, as he dedicates so much time to creating beauty and if he can't see his creative outcome, he doesn't know what his purpose in life would be

Eninnfuls September release of Vogue featured Timothee Chalamet as the cover model – the first male in British Vogues 106 year history to solo feature on the cover. He was hesitant to solo feature a man on the cover due to Vogue always being a space that celebrates women however thought Chalamet would be the perfect effortless way to do so. "With a style so innate and self assured that it inspires women and men alike, he was the perfect fit" (Enninful, 15/09/2022)

Enninful on the cover of TIME magazine

Edward Enninful began his fashion career as a model at age 16 for companies Arena and i-D, he then climbed the career ladder and assisted stylists on fashion shoots From this job he was then promoted to i-D's fashion editor at the ripe age of 18 He worked under Franca Sozzani at Italian Vogue, then under Anna Wintour at US

Vogue for 7 years until he progressed onto a fashion and creative director role at W magazine where he learnt to convert commercial articles into art He became editor in chief for British Vogue in August 2017

Enninfuls journey from being a quiet child with a rough family life to becoming the Editor in Chief for Vogue is unbelievably inspiring as it shows if you really want something you can dedicate the time and effort towards it and it will pay off From his beautifully worded instagram captions to his passionate Vogue article you can tell that Edward is in the exact job he was always destined to have

Timothee Chalamet

Dame Vivienne Westwood

vivienne Westwood met and married manager of The Sex Pistols 'Malcom McLaren' mid 1960s and went on to extend the influence of 1970s punk rock music into fashion. Together they opened a second-hand stall selling 1950s vintage clothing called 'Let it Rock' This shop re-branded a year on with Vivienne's newfound love for biker clothing, zips and leather She named the boutique 'Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die' Westwood used McLarens provocative ideas to create custom tshirts with rips and antiestablishment slogans and graphics as well as 'bondage trousers'. These clothing pieces sold out at their London boutique in 1971

Westwood was always inspired by classical sources when designing clothes, like paintings from Jean-Honoré Fragonard, François Boucher, and Thomas Gainsborough as well as taking inspiration from historical British dresses from the 19thcentury In April 2004 Westwood had her own exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London called "Vivienne Westwood: 34 Years in Fashion" She was awarded her OBE in 1992 and then her DBE (making her a Dame) in 2006

In 1981 the couple split after releasing their first commercial ready-to-wear collection 'Pirates', however they remained professional partners, with Westwood establishing her identity as a leading independent designer

Vivienne Westwoods unique approach to fashion in the 60s was so daring and new for the time it is phenomenal that it paid off and therefore granted her a spot as a key mover and shaker for the industry. Her punk rock style still wows audiences today proving she is well deserved of her fame and of course -her Dameship

Malcom McLaren and Vivienne Westwood

34 Years in Fashion

Key Mover & SHAKER Grazia PEOPLE

Angela Kelly

angela Kelly served as curator and designer of the late Queens

wardrobe for 30 years, she can also be described as a confidant and friend who had a home on the Windsor estate so was never too far from her Majesty. Kelly was originally a housekeeper for the British Ambassador to Germany 'Sir Christopher Malby'. This job role was where she first met the queen and was later offered the position as the Queen's personal dresser. Kelly never received formal training in the fashion industry however was taught by her mother how to sew and make clothes for her dolls. Angela Kelly was known to wear in the Queens shoes to ensure they were comfortable enough for her.

During lockdown, Kelly even cut the Queens hair. She also re-fashioned the infamous Royal Family's christening gown when the original one (first made for Queen Victoria in 1841) became too delicate to use. "Kelly worked closely with craftsmen in both Britain and Italy to get as close as possible to the original. " (Angell 6/7/2019)

Kelly has written two books one in 2017 called "Dressing The Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe" and a second in 2019 called "The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe". These books give an insight to why Kelly dresses the Queen the way she does and what tricks she uses to ensure her outfits stay perfect no matter the weather or occasion. For example, she explained she would test the clothes movement with a fan and would reinforce the hem with a lead thread to stop movement if necessary. Kelly also revealed in her second book that she would often shop in "bargain buckets" to adhere to the Queens love for a good deal.

Angella Kelly's 30 year dedication to the late Queen is inspiring as royalty are the spotlight of the UK and to have the pressure of dressing one shows pure talent and commitment. Her looks have shook the industry time and time again making news lines for all of the Queens appearances.

The Queens confidant and friend

"The Queen loved a good deal"

Through the eyes of a Designer

as a designer walking into John Lewis, I noticed the main colours for this autumn are red, navy and green. Red can be seen in multiple shades across John Lewis like burgundy fleeces and

bright scarlet red polo shirts. I also noticed there was a mass stock of warm winter fleeces and jumpers, this is to combat the cost-of-living crisis as now people are turning off their heating and instead wrapping up warm. To the right of the store there was a huge selection of core contemporary fashion under the brand ANYDAY. This brand stocked basic tees, trousers and accessories for men in a variety of colours at reasonable prices. The tshirts photographed on the left are part of John Lewis's ANYDAY range, they cost £9 and are made of 100% cotton.After further research online, I discovered John Lewis brought out ANYDAY with the idea of creating "great prices and great design, our new brand offers style and quality for modern living today.” I noticed on a lot of the John Lewis 'own brand' clothes there was a 'Better Cotton' label. The BCI (better cotton initiative) is an organisation that John Lewis work with to insure they're sourcing their cotton fabrics from responsible sustainable factories. At the back right of the store there was a huge selection of formal wear ranging from suit jacket, waistcoats, trousers and shirts. I noticed there wasn’t a huge selection of colours with them mainly being black grey or navy with a few beige trousers. The inside of the blazers had patterns; however, they were quite subtle designs – giving a more professional look to the overall suit jacket. Next to the formal wear was a display of men's accessories – including wallets, cufflinks and gift sets. Again, there wasn’t a huge colour selection instead a variety of brands and styles. The main focal point on this display was the bright green Ted Baker boxes, mainly due to the colour difference between the rest of the stock but also because there is mass supply of Ted Baker compared to the other brands.

My first competitor to John Lewis is Next as they are situated across from each other therefore attract many of the same customers. The main difference between John Lewis and Next is that Next sells majority own brand clothes compared to John Lewis being a department

store and stocking a variety of different brands. Another difference was the fact that Next had a huge sale displayed at the front of the store, but I couldn’t find any sales at John Lewis. The sale items at Next were all the end of last season's products with bright neon-coloured tops and jumpers and Hawaiin printed shirts all for really good prices compared to the quality. Next do four seasonal sales with this one being the "VIP autumn sale" The contemporary range in Next was quite like John Lewis in the sense that the colour pallet was Autumnal with burgundy's mustard's khaki green's and navy. Additionally, there was a mass stock of warm jumpers and fleeces – showing that the combat for the nation heating crisis is being displayed across all stores. I noticed on a few of the clothing items (specifically in the athleisure section) there was a Bionic Finish Eco label. After further research, I have discovered this means the product is made with ecological and pioneering technology to ensure the jacket is water repellent. It does this by removing fluorine from the textiles making it better for the planet and 'Just like nature’. Again, the formal wear was at the back right of the store and had a mass selection of different colours patters and styles. The main difference between John Lewis's formal wear and Next was that Next seemed more 'informal' and casual with it being suits teachers would wear rather than suits that would be worn to weddings and funerals. I gathered this from the more outgoing prints inside the blazers and on the back of the waistcoats as well as the bigger selection of colours. Despite all the fancy extravagant designs, the white shirt was still the best seller in store. Another thing I noticed was that, Next had their own rails and stands for sale formal wear at the front of the suits section which John Lewis didn’t have at all in store.

House of Fraser is similar to John Lewis in the sense it is also a department store and has many of the same brands like: Ted Baker, Fred Perry, Levis, Ralph Lauren and Original Penguin. Also, House of Fraser has a designated area at the back of the store for 'contemporary' items and brand (like John Lewis's ANYDAY). These items are where the cheaper brands like Jack Wills and Superdry are located, selling every day core products like tees, jumpers and joggers for affordable prices. Because of the layout of House of Fraser there wasn’t a clear show of trending colours and designs, however I noticed (like John Lewis and Next) that red, khaki green and navy are the key 'colours for this seasons collections. Like the burgundy Lyle & Scott jacket pictured on the right which was located at the very entrance of the store and was also available in khaki navy and black. Unlike both John Lewis and Next there were not many sustainable options in House of Fraser. One that I found which was much less advertised was on the inside of a Calvin Klien jacket. It read "Reconsidered Outwear 100% recycled polyester shell and lining". This understated advertisement shows that House of Fraser's target audience is quite different to both the other shops as they don’t show much care about sustainability. One fashion trend that stood out in House of Fraser was the amount of plaid jackets/shirts, mostly displayed on mannequins, around the store. This shows House of Fraser is a much more casual department store then John Lewis as they find success in marketing causal clothes in comparison to suits and formal wear.

GREAT PRICES AND GREAT DESIGN, OUR NEW BRAND OFFERS STYLE AND QUALITY FOR MODERN LIVING TODAY

theinsidescooponJohnLewisandit’scompetitors

Photos by Lily Wood

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1990s PESTEE!

Economy In the 1990s

Politics In the 1990s

In 1990, the new conservative Prime Minister was Sir John Major who overthrew Margret Thatcher's 11-year reign. Thatcher caused a lot of unemployment in her time as Prime Minister therefore when Major came to succession he faced a lot of backlash - a complete divide in public opinion. Due to this period of adversity, people turned to riot and rebellion; for example, the IRA bombings and poll tax riots. These riots meant people were needing a means to escape from the tension of politics, so 'Acid House' and 'Rave Culture grew in popularity. This meant fashion became outrageous and vibrant hinting to the 'hip' culture of the 60s. The most infamous symbol of 'Acid house' is the yellow smiley face which epitomised the pure euphoria that this movement represented. Accessories like bandanas and bucket hats were also globalised in this era along with oversized dungarees to give the ravers a 'cool' baggy outfit to combat the hot climate inside a club.

At the start of the 90s there was a recession due to the end of the Cold War, the Political situation after Major took over Thatcher and the oil crisis. This meant middle and lower class citizens didn’t have as much discretionary money so couldn’t afford high end brands, therefore their was an increase in popularity of lower-cost fashion brands like Zara, New Look, Gap which was affordable yet high quality. “the phrase "fast fashion" was coined by the New York Times in reference to Zara boasting that it took them "15 days between a new idea and getting it into the stores".”(O’Neill, 2020). In 1994 unemployment decreased due to the recession lifting, this caused consumer spending to increase as people now had money to spend and could afford to treat themselves to luxuries like clothes. Evidence of this increase is how many fast fashion brands expanded into menswear and home accessories in the 90s.

society In the 1990s

Princess Diana of Wales wore an infamous revenge dress in November 1994 to the Vanity Fair party. This shook the nation because it was on the same evening that Prince (now King) Charles revealed all about his affair with Camila. This dress became so famous as it was seen as raunchy for a member of The Royal Family – a black off the shoulder cocktail dress showing Princess Diana’s cleavage and shoulder. The dress was commissioned from Christina Stambolian 3 years before the Princess wore it, however she never wore it due to how daring and controversial it was for a royal wearing it. This dress marked the start of an Era for Princess Diana as it showed she stopped following the royal dress code of huge ball gowns and instead embraced shorter skirts and sleek tailoring – defining the elegant yet sexy look of evening wear in the 90s. Diana also dabbled in introducing athleisure to everyday wear – often pairing biker shorts, sports socks, trainers and an oversized jumper or tee. The biker shorts trend went viral with everyone wanting to dress like "The People's Princess“ Teenage girls in the late 90s took their fashion inspiration from the "Spice Girls". With five women having all different styles there was something they wore that every teenage girl wanted – whether that be the platform trainers, crop tops, scrunchies, crazy neon colours or animal print. "They dressed with their Girl Power mantra in mind. They unapologetically celebrated what it means to be a woman. Their individual styles suggest that whoever you are and whatever you are interested in, you can be proud of your womanhood and, dare I say it, be a feminist.” (Blatchford, 02/03/2018). The term 'Supermodel' was coined in the 1980s and therefore supermodels became a prominent in the 90s with models beginning to have their own voice and be treated more like a celebrity then an accessory to a fashion show. In January 1990 British Vogues cover featured Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Tatjana Patitz. This cover was major at the time as it marked the start of an era showing that beauty had broadened and a model wasn’t just a one size fits all profession anymore – in comparison to the crazy big hair and extravagant makeup of the 80s, this cover was stripped back: black and white, minimal makeup – showing the pure beauty of women.

In the 1990s technology

Photoshop was invented in 1990, this was vital for technology’s effect on the fashion world as it provided a modern form of marketing and advertising. As well as this, it became a platform for fashion designers to create and render looks online and be able to edit colours, textures and shapes instead of having too rely on expensive machinery and production staff. eBay was founded in September 1995 when French man Pierre Omidyar grew an interest in web based commerce and wanted to explore it himself by setting up an online marketplace to sell and auction goods. In just 6 months eBay had grown to become a million dollar business. The invention of eBay meant that people could start selling and auctioning their own clothes online – a new way to create personal businesses.

Ethics In the 1990s

The minimum wage was introduced in 1999 at £3.60 for adult workers over the age of 22 and £3 for 18-22 year olds. Minimum Wage was created by the Labour Party in order to protect low-paid workers without hurting jobs or the economy. The fact that low paid workers were now required to earn at least minimum wage, meant that low income families could now afford to treat themselves to clothes therefore causing a boom in the fashion industry. In 1991 an American labour activist exposed Nike for their scandalous factory practices in Indonesia, this included child labour, workers being paid less then minimum wage and unhygienic factories that could be likened to a sweatshop – putting everyone that worked their’s health at risk. They were further exposed later in the decade when a college student (Jim Keady) released a film showing that workers were only paid $1.25 per day and were forced to live in slums next to open sewers sharing bath water and toilet with multiple families. In 1996 Life magazine reported on a 12 year old child sewing a Nike Soccer Ball in these treacherous conditions. In 1998 Nike to have to lay off workers due to their declining sales, this turmoil caused CEO Phil Knight to publicly make changes to the company. In his speech he owned up to the labour issues within the brand and explained how they were going to change “Nike also raised the minimum wage it paid workers, improved oversight of labor practices, and made sure factories had clean air.” (Lutz 6/7/2015)

Environment In the 1990s

The 90s marks the start for sustainable fashion with many brands like Esprit launching eco-lines –clothing made from sustainable fibres. Sustainability wasn’t a huge buzz word like it is today so brands weren’t enforcing the anti-fastfashion movement, more the conscious making of eco-friendly clothes. Eco-lines wasn’t hugely popular in mainstream fashion and was more worn by activists to make a statement and set themselves apart from none sustainable fashion trends. “Garments were rather functional than stylish and colours were earthy and bland so that the overall image was a ‘sloppy looking eco style’.” (Kedar, 8/4/22) Lean Manufacturing was a method used by America in the 90s to manufacture clothes that focused on the components that added value and cut back on unnecessary waste. This philosophy came from Toyota, they suggested to cut out the Seven Wastes: Transportation, Inventory, Motion, waiting, overprocession and over-production defects. By cutting out these Seven Wastes it made manufacturing more efficient, protecting the planet and saving both the manufacture and consumer money and time.

CURRENT Day Pesteee

Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Ethical, Environmenal

Politics in 2022

Fashion has always had a major influence on peoples perception of the government, for example in the modern day government, Liz Truss is often been seen wearing budget items like a £4.50 pair of earrings from Claires accessories. This fashion statement shows she doesn’t feel the need to wear designer items and she is perfectly content with high street accessories – showing the public she is not too different from them and she hasn’t let her high position and power within the UK influence her fashion choices. These earring were worn during Truss’s campaign for PM and were highly raved about – comparing her to rival Rishi Sunak’s £450 Prada Loafers. This status symbol from Sunak didn’t gain much momentum from the public almost creating a socialist divide whereas Truss seemed more relatable for todays cost-of-living crisis. Another political influence on current day fashion is how there is about to be a new monarch. The late Queen Elizabeth II had a major influence on the fashion industry with her iconic colourful dresses and hats to her appearance at London Fashion Week in 2018 to launch the QE11 Award for British Design. Her death was widely acknowledged in the fashion industry with hundreds of brands showingtheircondolencesonsocialmediaandmanyretailstoresclosingonher funeral. The relationship between the Crown and the fashion industry will never be the same now King Charles is in power, as there will never be the same excitement about his new suit as there was with the Queen’s frocks. In recent news articles like Grazia’s “All The Unexpected Style Lessons You’ve Learnt From King Charles Without Even Realising It” details of the specific wool Charles wears is explained (like how it is 100% biodegradable), and yes you may argue that this is important for the Crowns representation but it is not nearly as socially interesting and viewed online for as the Queens coverage on the media; thisshowswearecurrentlyexperiencingamajorshiftinfashion.

Economics in 2022

Covid-19causedahugesurgeinE-commerce,withmanyconsumersstill choosingonlineshoppingratherthenshoppinginstore.Thelockdownsin2020 and2021meantthatretailstoreshadtoshutsopeoplecouldonlyshoponline, thiseffectofthepandemicaddedanextra$218.53billiontoUSe-commerce sales.Thisthriveinsaleshascontinued2yearsafterthefirstlockdownwith sourceslikeAdobeexpectingonlinegrocerysalestotop$85billionin2022.This accelerationcanbeexplainedbypeoplestillhavingafearofcontracting coronavirusaswellasthefactconsumerbehaviourhaschanged–theygot comfortableorderingclothes/food/furniturefromthecomfortoftheirown homeandnowaren'tinterestedinshoppinginstore.Ihaveseenthischangeof behaviouratmyworkplace‘HouseofFraser’withthestorenotbeingnearlyas busyasitwaspre-pandemicandtheoverallcustomerprofileswitchingentirely withmillennialsmainlycomingintostoretopickupclickandcollectratherthen takingthetimetolookaroundthestoreandhandpickitems.Anothereconomic affectoncurrentdayfashionishowtheUKiscurrentlyexperiencingacost-oflivingcrisiswithpricesinAugust2022being9.9%higherthen12monthsprior. ThewarbetweenRussiaandUkrainehascausedamajorityoftheUK’sinflation withoilandgasbecomingharderandhardertoresourcefromRussia,aswellas foodpricessoaringduetoUkrainelimitingtheirproductionandcostofgrain. Thiscost-of-livingcrisisismakingretailerspredictthattherewillbeadownward trajectoryonclothingsalesaspeoplenolongerhavethesparemoneytospend onclothesastheycanbarelyaffordtopayforheating.

“Truss contrasted Sunak’s privileged upbringing, attending the costly Winchester College public school, with her own education at a Leeds comprehensive, and claimed his tax policies risked pushing the UK into a recession.”

(Stewart, 25/7/22)

Society in 2022

At Paris Fashion week, Kanye West wore a shirt with “WHITE LIVES MATTER” printed on the back and a photo of Pope John Paul II with the words “Seguiremos Tu Ejemplo” meaning “We Will Follow Your Example” printed on the front. This controversial statement t-shirt was posted by Kanye on his Instagram (and later deleted) with the caption “EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW ITS OVER YOU’RE WELCOME”. The AntiDefamation League has categorised ‘White Lives Matter’ as a hate slogan reframing BLM. Kanye described his concept behind the shirt as funny, however he has received a lot of criticism and backlash from the media as the shirt makes a mockery out of a very serious and touchy movement (BLM), that caused dozens of deaths and national devastation. Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have always been put against each other in the media for their different approaches to Royal fashion with Meghan taking a more casual chic style and Kate has a more sophisticated ‘Duchess’ sense of fashion. At the Queen’s funeral, Kate Middleton wore the late monarchs four strand pearl and diamond necklace to adhere to the Royals tradition of wearing pearls in the mourning period. Along this she wore a black coat dress by Alexander McQueen and a Philip Treacy wide-brimmed hat with a subtle black veil. Kate has previously worn a white version of the same coat dress at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Meghan wore a black midi cape dress by Stella McCartney paired with a wide-brim asymmetric hat (that like Kate’s had a subtle black veil) and pearl earrings that were gifted to her by the late Queen as an engagement present. Meghan had also worn this outfit before in a navy version at the Queens 92nd birthday celebrations.

Technology in 2022

Bella Hadid shocked the world with her ‘spray paint dress’ at Paris Fashion Week. She walked onto the runway only wearing skin coloured underwear and then was dramatically surrounded by a team from Fabrican holding spray guns, who stood for 15 minutes spraying a white substance on her body which formed a white body-con maxi dress with strap sleeves. After the basic shape was sprayed onto Bella a Coperini employee went up to the model and began altering the dress shortening the length, draping the sleeves and adding a slit. Bella then walked around the room showing off her technical masterpiece of a dress to the wide-mouthed audience. The spray-on-fabric from Fabrican is a liquid made up of natural and synthetic fibres (like wool, mohair, cotton, nylon and cellulose) suspended in a polymer solution so when the liquid touches to body it evaporated to form a non-woven fabric. This technique was founded by Spanish scientist and fashion designer Manel Torres in 2003. This moment has been described as ‘fashion history’ by people on the media after it went viral on multiple social platforms – receiving 9.7 million views on TikTok.

Ethics in 2022

Fast fashion is a major concern in todays world, with clothing pieces coming in and out of trend almost monthly, brands like Pretty Little Thing, SHEIN and Primark have found value in sampling ideas from catwalks/celebrity culture and turning them into cheaply made alternatives to sell both online and on the high street. Because most of these items are just ‘trends’ shoppers tend to impulse buy them when the item is at the height of popularity then discard them after a few wears when its no longer socially acceptable to wear so it ends up in landfill. These clothes are so cheaply made because of how poorly ad underpaid the manufacturers are – for example many large fashion brands have no control over their supply chain as laws are different in third world

countries making both child and forced labour possible. Minimum wage is currently at £9.50 for adults over the age of 23 £9.18 for 21-22 year olds £6.83 for 18-20 year olds £4.81 for under 18s which has massively improved since the 90s but currently isn’t enough compared to the cost-of-living crisis the UK is experiencing. For instance a recent new article on the BBC interviewed a teenage girl who’s bus ticket to work was less then she was earning in an hour. "The bus ticket into town, for the day, was around £4.80 I think, so my bus ticket was more than I was earning per hour.“ (Isabella, 13/10/2022) The national outcry over how little the minimum wage is increasing compared to the rise of inflation is causing strikes and protests all over the country, with the public demanding the government to take action and increase the minimum wage to a liveable standard in 2023.

Environment in 2022

In 2022, sustainability and global warming is on most peoples mind, especially when it comes to clothing. Most clothing brands will have a section on how environmentally friendly they as a company are – like where they source their fabrics from and the process of making their garments (factories that are conscious about limiting greenhouse gas emissions and fabrics made of recycled materials). Websites like ‘good on you’ inform the public on how to make informed conscious decisions about how ethical and environmentally friendly their favourite stores are. For example, ‘good on you’ rates Zara as “Not Good Enough” for its sustainability as it is a major fast fashion brand and they don’t show any evidence on how they minimise textile waste in the manufacturing process. However they are successful when it comes to their recyclable packaging and their repair and reuse program called ‘Closing the Loop’ – this offers customers to drop off used garments in-store so Zara can offer it a second life.

P E S T E E

TODAY VS THE 90S

POLITICALECONOMICSOCIALTECHNICALETHICALENVIRONMENTAL

Politics

Thereisamirroredeffectforpoliticsin1990comparedtothis yearasbothshowatimewheretherehadtobeanewsuccessor fortheConservativepartyasthepreviousPrimeMinister causedtoomuchnationalupsetthattheyhadtostepdown. ThatcherwasforcedtoresigninAutumn1990duetotheriots forthepolltaxandthefactshealienatedherConservative ministerswithherchancellorevenresigningandessentially leavinghertofendforherselftheyearprior.BorisJohnsonhas facedsimilarbacklashtowhatMargaretThatcherdealtwith–accusationsofparty’sduringlockdownandadiscoveryofhis deputychiefbeingasexualpredator.Thesetwoeventshave causedanationalout-roarmakingJohnsonnotverylikedin boththepublicandhiscabinetministerseyeseventually leadingBoristohavenootheroptionbutresignandhandthe roleovertoLizTruss.Thechangeinprimeministerinthe90s markedamilestoneinthefashionindustryasThatchers infamoustailoredshoulderpaddedsuitsbecameathingofthe past,itleftpowerfulyetfemininesuitsinthe80sandmade roomforthecomfyathleisurelookeveryonewasstylinginthe 90s.Tocoincidewiththis,wearealreadyseeingtheshiftwithin fashionintheHouseofCommonstodayasmediaarecriticising andreviewingeveryoutfitLizTrussisseenwearinganddaily mailevenreportingthatsheseesMargaretThatcherasher fashionidoldespiteherangersheportrayedtoGBnews“Itis quitefrustratingthatfemalepoliticiansalwaysgetcomparedto MargaretThatcher,whereasmalepoliticiansdon’tgetcompared toTedHeath.”(McLean,6/9/22).Thisfrustrationperfectlysums uphowfemalepoliticiansaretreatedintheUKwiththemalways beingcomparedtoThatcherassheisseenasthe‘idol’despite herdownfallandunsuccessfulrelationshipwiththeUk throughouthertimeasPM.

TheUKiscurrentlyexperiencingarecessionmuchlikehowwe lastexperienceditin1990.Energybillsarerisingandthecostof-livingiscausinganationaloutcryaspeoplearen’tableto affordbasicnecessitiesanymoreastheirbillsarejusttoohigh. 1990sBritainexperiencedasimilarrecessionwith unemploymentratesatanalltimehighandinterestrates increasingmoreandmoreoverthemonths.Thecausesofthese tworecessionsaresimilarinsomewayswithbothbeing influencedbyawar–1990sbeingtheColdWarendingand2022 beingthewarbetweenUkraineandRussiameaningoilis becomingharderandhardertoresource.Thecurrentday recessionisalsoaaftermathaffectofCovid-19astaxeshave nowbeenraisedtobeginthepublicprocessofpayingbackall themoneythegovernmentandNHSusedinthepasttwoyears. Theseeconomiccrisis’haveandwilleffectthefashionindustry withpeoplenolongerhavingmoneytospendonluxurieslike newdesignerclothesandinsteadwillbespendingitonwarm basicslikejumpersandblanketstokeepthemselveswarm withouthavingtopayextortionatepricesforheating.

Economy Society Technology Ethics Environmental

TheevolutionofeBayinthepast27yearsistrulyphenomenal withacustomerbaseof182millionusersinover100different countriesworldwide–itisoneofthebiggestsellingplatformsin themoderndayandofferedonlineretailerstheperfect platformtosellandgrowtheironlinebusiness.eBayhasnoend ofsuccessstorieswithpeoplebecomingmillionairesthrough sellingthingsonthewebsitegrowingtheirbusinesstoheights theyneverevenrealisedwaspossible–thecompanyevenhosts ‘TheeBayforBusinessAwards’wheretheycelebratesuccessful sellerswitha£10,000cashprizeandbusinessbenefitstohelp enhancegrowthfortheirstore.eBayrecentlypartneredwiththe 2022seasonofLoveIslandofferingpre-lovedclothesfromtheir onlinemarketplacetocombattheriseoffastfashionand globalisetheirrecycledclothesinattempttochangetheway viewersshop.EveWilliams(theChiefMarketingOfficerateBay UK)statedtheymadethechoicetopartnerwithLoveIslandasit issuchanincrediblyinfluentialprogrammeandtheyhopedit would“inspirethenationtothinkdifferentlyandmakemore consciouschoiceswhenitcomestotheirwardrobes.Whether thatissellingadressthatissittingatthebackoftheirwardrobe orshoppingfortheirfavouriteislanderssecond-handlooks” (Williams,2022).ThissustainablepartnershipbetweeneBayand realityTVshowshowfarthebrandhascameprovingits astonishinginfluenceonthefashionindustry.

EthicalMinimumwagehasincreasedbyalmost£6sinceitwas firstintroducedin1999–thisincreaseseemslikequitealotto sayithasalmosttripledinjust23years,howeverthecurrent minimumwageiswaytoolowincomparisontothecurrentcostof-living.TheminimumwageincreaseinApril2022wasthe fourthbiggestriseinhistoryhoweveritisstillnotenoughto combatinflationcurrentlybeingatitsfastestratesince40 yearsago.TheRealLivingWagewassetupbyacharitytoreflect onwhatthecostoflivingactuallyisandrecognisethat minimumwageisn’tacceptableinmodernsociety.Many employerslikeIkea,NationwideandBurberryhaveaccredited theLivingWagepayingtheiremployees£10.90anhour,£1.40 morethentheywouldbegettingonminimumwage.Thischarity criticisestheminimumwageandmakesworkersseemmore valuedandrespected.Anincreaseinwagesmeansthatpeople willbeabletoaffordthingsotherthenfoodandbills–funding thefashionindustry.

Theroyalshavealwaysbeencomparedtooneanother,withthe mediaalwaysfavouringoneoveranother.Whatweare experiencinginthemoderndayregardingMeghanMarklenot beingrespectedbythecrownisanexactreplicaofthe disrespectPrincessDianafeltbackinthe90s.Meghan’s relationshipwithpaparazziandthemediaseemtogiveadéjàvu affectwithreportershavinglittletonorespectforherprivacy, ethnicityorfashionchoices.“Ofthe721respondentswho identifiedasjournalists,361(50%)saidtheyhaveseencoverage ofMarklethattheythoughtwas“racistintoneor presentation”.”(Turvill,1/4/21)Thisbullyingfromthemedia showstherehasbeennoprogressionsincethedeath(murder frompaparazzi)ofPrincessDiana.Dianawasconstantly harassedanytimeshesteppedfootinpublicwithreporters wantingtoknowhereverymovethencriticisingitinthetabloids givingtheprincessnoescapefromacelebritylifestyledespite herdivorcefromtheroyalfamily–thisharassmentessentially ledhertoherdeathwiththemainconspiracybehindherdriver crashingbeingbecausehewastryingtoescapepaparazzi.Her sonandalsothewifeofMeghanMarkle–PrinceHarryhasfaced noendoftraumawithhavinghismumdieatsuchayoungage andseeingthesameharassmenthappentohiswife,somuchso hehadnochoicebuttoleavehisroyaldutiesbehindandput thesafetyofhiswifeandchildrenatthefrontofeverything. MeghanMarklecanoftenbeseenreplicatingoutfitsofherlate mother-in-law,likeattheQueensfuneralherdresslooked strikinglysimilartoonewornbyPrincessDianaduring RemembranceSundayin1991.

The90smarkedthestartofsustainabilitywithpeoplestarting tobecomeawareofglobalwarmingandtheircarbonfootprint. However,sustainabilitywasn’tveryglobalisedbackthenlikeitis nowandcompaniesdidn’tmakemuchprofitonasustainable clothinglineasveryfewpeoplecaredaboutthematterand insteadweremoreinterestedinthenewfastfashionmovement: “Duetotheriseinglobalcommunicationandoffshore manufacturing,fashionbecamecheaperandmoreaccessible thanever.Productionandconsumptionratesacceleratedeven more.FastFashionwasborn.”(Rauturer,24/4/2019).Nowadays, sustainabilityisoneveryone’smindasthefearofglobal warmingisconstantlyplasteredoverthemediamakingpeople worryandthinkconsciouslyabouttheircarbonfootprint. Becauseofthisdiresituationintodaysnewsfashionindustry’s benefitoffofmanufacturingsustainability–withswingtags oftenstatinghowmuchofthefabricusedisrecycledandhow theitemwasmanufacturedtoreleasetheleastamountof emissionsintotheatmosphere.