Perform Formative Proposal

MA Fashion + Business

PERFORM PROPOSAL + + + CIRC_LAR + U Circular Fashion Communication in an Ever-Digitising Fashion World

Annabel Lindsay (Read) | 19000613 Formative Perform Proposal MA Fashion & Business Manchester Metropolitan University

CIRC_LAR + U Investigating different digitised fashion mediums effectiveness, at communicating circular fashion concepts and initiatives to consumers.

AIM

SCOPE

To explore the transition of fashion into a digitally

The primary desired outcome is an omni-channelled

consumed outcome and how digitisation can be

Pop-Up Digital Event, hosted under my circular

utilised to communicate initiatives that advance towards

concept store brand CIRC_ULAR + U. This project

a circular fashion economy, through the running of a

will be completed for the 21st of September 2020.

digital pop-up event and personal research outputs.

Components for achieving this event will comprise of a digital research vlog journal, documented on YouTube, alongside synchronised relevant social

OBJECTIVES 1. To understand recent advances in the circular

media posts and a central website acting as the hosting vehicle for documenting project progression.

fashion economy and any digital capacities supporting its communications and promotion.

Accumulative Project Deliverables: + Personal research vlog journal.

2. Explore my own digital capabilities by creating circular fashion related digital content for social media

+ Central website hub documenting user-centric

and to document how my personal outputs are

research and for promotional purposes.

perceived by digital audiences. + Weekly statistics report summary for engagement 3. Investigate how existing fashion players are

and traffic across all in-use digital platforms.

digitally adapting during the Covid-19 pandemic, in comparison to before a nationwide lockdown and

+ Portfolio documenting research, planning

the effect it’s having on fashion events- particularly

scheduling, running and critical evaluation of the

pop-ups.

digital pop-up event.

4. Collate research to organise a user-centric digital

Project Success: The project will be determined

pop-up fashion event under my concept fashion store

successful if the digital event consists of relevant key

brand name, CIRC_LAR + U, by collaborating with the

circular fashion player collaborations and based upon

online sustainable fashion community and analyse the

the overall level of consumer participation and

digital content effectiveness at communicating circular

engagement across the digitally documented research

fashion initiatives.

and final event attributes.

BACKGROUND + RATIONALE

Lockdown has birthed social media into a whole new

The circular fashion movement has gained traction

dimension, with a recorded ‘25% increase in

amongst the fashion industry over the past few years.

engagement on Instagram and TikTok in the past

My passion for the concept of a circular fashion

month and 72% increase on #ad content by

economy spawned from an inner self-realisation. I’m

influencers’ (Adams, 2020:online). With articles

concerned by the environmental damage caused by

emerging on how brands can utilise social media at

the current systematic linear consumption of disposable

this time to maximise brand relevance, like: be a force

clothes, to which I was once guilty of contributing to.

for good, put your audience first, be authentic and

I now want to help realise a fully circular fashion

interactive and go ‘Live’ (Adams, 2020:online).

economy, by bridging the largely unaddressed gap between circular systems and vital consumer

Such advice is supported by Authors of ‘Waste to

awareness and participation.

Wealth’, Lacy and Rutqvist (2015) whom suggest that effective circular ‘ventures require a unique

Particularly with the ongoing pandemic crisis,

mind-set as information is often shared at levels that

discussion for creating ‘a more ethical and less

many... find uncomfortable’. Brands need to ‘see

environmentally damaging model for an industry...

beyond their core business and respond to trends

responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide

from consumer demand with a complete separation

emissions every year is more relevant than ever’

to existing linear models’. Scenario’s which Covid-19

(Bramley, 2020:online). With much of fashion now

has arguably brought forward amongst brand and

on pause, unsustainable ‘cracks of the industry’ are

fashion player considerations.

emerging. This gives an opportunity to transform the direction of fashion, from change in consumer

With the fashion industry and the world as we know

attitudes to a slowing down of the seasonal model

it drastically changing before our eyes, it can be easy

or an uptick in respect for the garment workers that

for sustainability to be pushed into the background.

power (Bramley, 2020:online).

However, I believe it’s more important than ever to highlight the connectedness of circular fashion with

This is supported by Hirscher, (2013:3) whom states

planetary, social and mental health.

that ‘For a more sustainable production system, the general relationship between product–producer and

The future of fashion lies in ambitious fashion

enduser must shift towards slower cycles, more local

channels and outputs, and a new value paradigm

production and a much more valued product person

of fashion shifting from clothing acquisition to

relationship (Niinimäki and Koskinen, 2011)’.

experience, community and creativity. Aptly quoted by Nini, (2016:online), founder of Eco Warrior Princess,

Fashion has too long thrived from ‘abusing this

“We can’t just consume our way to a more

psychological need for individuality and belonging to

sustainable world”. Instead by championing

create an artificial desire for new products, expressed

creativity, circular fashion initiatives can

through different forms of planned obsolescence (Burns,

become fluid, open-minded and

2010)’ cited through Hirscher (2013:4). Now facing in-

user-centric for consumers, providing

creased scrutiny and accountability for the wasteful way

quality meaningful fashion

in which it operates, consumers are wanting ‘visible and

experiences with circularity at the

concrete information about circular clothing and how

heart of it all.

their behaviour has affected the environmental aspects of textile production. The communication should be

This project will undergo

timed correctly by using multiple communication

the experiential digitisation

channels’, according to Vehmas et al. (2018:online).

of the CIRC_LAR + U circular fashion

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a need for

concept store which

access to digital communication is also more

I developed in

prevalent than ever. So that we can remain connected,

the Realisation

stay or get creative, participate in society, learn new

project.

skills and unify our humanness. We are connecting in

Realisation

new, transformative ways, with many brands taking

explored

opportune to either establish or dramatically grow

how

their digital presence.

a brick and

The CIRC_LAR + U digital pop-up event will explore the effectiveness of digital outputs at generating... engagement in circular fashion conversation + + +

Primary, quantitative data in the form of engagement

mortar hub could be a catalyst for climate emergency

sources- some of whom have been identified within

activism through the medium of experiential circular

the Realisation project. These interviews may be carried

fashion advancing initiatives. This ethos will be

out solely for obtaining research, or in a practice-based

carried over into this project in the form of a digital

context, where said interviews directly contribute as a

pop-up event.

digital output that I share with a digital audience.

The CIRC_LAR + U digital pop-up event will explore

Mixed secondary sources will contribute contextual

the effectiveness of digital outputs at generating interest

understanding to the recent historical development of

and desired engagement in circular fashion conversa-

how both circular fashion and digitised fashion have

tion and initiatives across the fashion community.

progressed to where they are now. I will compare this

and traffic statistics across the mixed platforms, will allow me to analyse the successes of different digital media channels and identify which content types perform better and why.

By creating a journal vlog and hosting a digital pop-up event under my official retail brand name CIRC_LAR + U, it’ll allow me to draw comparisons on whether a professional brand image or my individual face and personality are perceived more acceptingly or widely across varied mediums in discussing topics surrounding circular fashion.

Primary data will also be obtained via digital, open-ended interviews with relevant third-party

with the types of communication channels that have Ultimately, I want to formulate a miniature digital world

thus far been used to achieve growth and development.

that shapes persuasive narratives for circular fashion.

With the end of goal of creating a community where circular fashion is not an exclusive discussion for just

LIMITATIONS

those with industry prestige or on the business side

There are a few project limitations to be mindful of.

of fashion. By building an online community where

Firstly, the current nationwide lockdown, as a result of

consumers have the opportunity to engage with,

the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, largely restricts my

promote and celebrate circular fashion initiatives, it’ll

research sources to predominantly online or digital.

hopefully command increased systematic changes

This may also affect the level of cooperation and

across the whole of the fashion industry.

engagement from third-party fashion players willing to support my primary research, as personal, private, or business matters may have to take priority in these

METHODOLOGY

unprecedented times.

A largely practice-based research methodology will be adopted throughout the duration of this project. Where

A practice-based research method approach incurs

‘practice embedded in the research process’ and

time management risks. There is less of a pre-planned

‘research questions arise from the process of practice,

structure to this method, as the research route is

the answers to which are directed toward enlightening

determined by the ongoing findings throughout the

and enhancing practice’ (Candy and Ernest, 2018:63).

project duration. Whilst creative research output can be undertaken, ‘the outcomes of practice must be ac-

This will allow me to connect closely to existing digital

companied by documentation of the research process’,

communications, but provides means of exploration for

alongside, ‘textual analysis or explanation to support its

me to apply crucial circular fashion theory across my

position and to demonstrate critical reflection’ (Candy,

practices. Enabling research that extends existing work

2006:2). Therefore, the project timeline must allow for

in a personal sense, alongside contributing to the wider

creative flexibility in order to adapt to the potentially

understanding of digital fashion communication.

shifting nature of the project’s roadmap.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

REFERENCES

Due to the collaborative nature of the project, particularly of the digital pop-up event to be hosted

Adams, C. (2020) OPINION: Social media for brands

towards the end of the project, there are a series of

during lockdown - how to adapt to the new nor-

relevant; important ethics.

mal. 8th April. The Drum. [Online] [Accessed on 27th April 2020] https://www.thedrum.com/opin-

Wherever there is human-participant research, I will

ion/2020/04/08/social-media-brands-during-lock-

take informed consent, provide participant information

down-how-adapt-the-new-normal

sheets and a consent form to sign.

Bramley, E, V. (2020) ‘‘Lockdown has been a wakeFor my vlog journal research series, I need to ensure

up call for the industry’: what next for fashion?’. The

that I avoid any type of video editing which could

Guardian. [Online] 22nd April. [Accessed on 27th April

cause any information to be misleading.

2020] https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/

Representation of primary data findings in a biased

apr/22/lockdown-fashion-wakeup-call-coronavi-

way must be avoided also.

rus-lockdown

A fully detailed and approved EthOS form will ensure

Candy, L. (2006) ‘Practice Based Research: A Guide.’

my research adheres to the updated Data Protection

Creativity and Cognition Studios, 1:0, pp. 1-19/ [On-

Act (2018) and protects the privacy and data of any

line] [Accessed on 27th April 2020] https://www.

project participants.

researchgate.net/publication/257944497_Practice_ Based_Research_A_Guide

Candy, L. and Ernest, E. (2018). ‘Practice-Based Research in the Creative Arts Foundations and Futures from the Front Line’. Leonarodo, 51:1, pp. 63-69.

[Online] [Accessed on 27th April 2020] https://www. mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/LEON_a_01471

Hirscher, A. (2013). ‘Fashion Activism Evaluation and Application of Fashion Activism Strategies to Ease Transition Towards Sustainable Consumption Behaviour.’ Research Journal of Textile and Apparel. 17, pp.

23-38. [Online] [Accessed on 28th April 2020] DOI: 10.1108/RJTA-17-01-2013-B003.

Nini, J. (2016) 60 Great Quotes About Sustainability, Green Living and Our Environment. 11th January. Eco Warrior Princess. [Online] [Accessed on 27th April 2020] https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2016/01/60-gr eat-quotes-about-sustainability-green-living-our-environment-2/

Vehmas, K., Raudaskoski, A., Heikklä, P., Harlin, A. and Mensonen, A. (2018). ‘Consumer attitudes and communication in circular fashion.’ Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 22:3, pp.286-300.

[Online] [Accessed on27th April 2020] https://doi. org/10.1108/JFMM-08-2017-0079