The purpose of this research and concept direction development book is to guide you through my personal journey of research and influences when in preperation of creating my final major project. This book aims to showcase how I went about researching different inspirations, discovering potential path outcomes and possible campaign narratives for my final creative campaign. This process of research was really beneficial in guiding my final major project, after allowing me to gain a deeper understanding and gain more knowledge across many fields within the fashion industry. My research is broad-ranging, thorough and was carried out with an open mind, in hopes of being drawn to topic areas, gaps in a market and allowing concept and narrative of my project to form.
The luxury market of fashion can be further divided into smaller segments to allow a sense of distinguishing between the different brands that sit within the luxury market level. This further market division includes the Haute Couture, Couture, Ready to Wear, Bridge brands and Diffusion brands. Showing no signs of slowing down, the luxury fashion market was estimated to be worth $111.50 billion in 2023, showcasing an industry of high value, status and huge prospects of market growth opportunities. The luxury market for many is a symbol of expression, inspiration and creates a feeling of aspiration for mass markets to be able to buy into something which has an emotional attachement and creates a feeling of adoration for owning a luxury item. Luxury market fashion brands tend to all share the similar brand values of craftsmanship, exclusivity, innovation, desirability, scarcity, ethical responsibility and the element of relevancy. “Many beautiful, capable, and well-made products are viewed as very common because their brands make their profit through accessibility. They aren’t viewed as luxury items because they’re common and easy to own. The final component of a luxury product is its rarity. If it’s difficult to access or own, it’s luxurious. Some intricately designed products with decades of engineering aren’t luxury items because they’re numerous” (Sternbauer, M. 2022). This idea that products and brands have this pre-percieved perception of ‘luxury’ due to the rarity of their products is interesting, as for mass market consumers, a high value and scarce item is not something that the everyday consumer can buy. It would seem that the luxury market is almost purposefully ensuring only select few consumers can buy into this market level, posing inspiration for considering how luxury could become more accessible for all.
Even though the luxury market level is worth billions to date, there are only select consumers who have the ability and level of disposable income to be able to buy into luxury. That being said, the idea of the fashion market pyramid having different levels such as bridge and diffusion highlights the idea of the luxury market being the first place holder of creating all of the trends, styles, shapes and colour ways that mass market consumers can then buy into at more affordable prices. I am particularly drawn to the looking into luxury market level for when campaign planning this reason, as I can appreciate the luxury market for being the primary source of inspiration and innovation when it comes to creating and setting new trends for market levels lower down to also experience and consume. “Luxury brands connect with customers by presenting new visions and new ideas, all in keeping with the core values of the brand” (Danziger, P. 2023). The way of luxury brands setting the season’s trends can create this sense of excitement and enthusiasm for supporting and following luxury brands, especially fashion forward consumers who are wanting to keep up with the latest trends. Key players within the luxury market level such as Gucci, Prada and Versace in particular are well known for their creative brand innovations, whilst still staying true to their brand as a creative individual. Linking to the idea of the luxury market being the core inspiration for trend setting, I am also intrigued by the luxury market as a way of creative expression and self exploration when it comes to fashion, as this market level is where audiences can see a lot of abstract and contemporary methodologies of fashion communication and marketing materials. “Luxury brands connect through the spark of artistic creativity as interpreted through the eyes of a designer or visionary”
(Danziger, P. 2023).
Researching further into the core fundimentals of the luxury fashion market level, I think this market level’s ways of communication in the form of marketing campaigns sparks an interesting conversation due to the levels of creativity and visionary thinking that lies behind them. Luxury fashion brands such as Versace, Jacquemus and Prada each have very distinctive and unique ways of exploring brand stories and messages through the art of styling, colour usage and creative set design. Taking key inspirations from luxury campaigns such as Versace’s Spring/ Summer 2021 campaign, I liked researching into what consumers and audiences appreciate about this campaign in order to generate a better understanding of what a potential consumer looks into when choosing whether to support a brand or service provider. Donatella Versace explained that “with these images I wanted to portray the modern Medusa. Or better, to highlight how her many faces can be drastically different from one another and every woman can actually be Medusa. All of us, with our differences and unique characters, we can express ourselves also in the way we decide to dress” (Versace, D. 2021). I really like the way such well respected designers like Donatella Versace within the luxury market also view creating marketing campaigns as a form of self expression. These types of campaigns can provide such valuable sources of inspiration for designers, communicators and marketers across all market levels, leaving a strong enforcement of the luxury market being a springpod of creative innovations.
Luxury market fashion campaigns also show great levels of interest capture and enthusiasm on the social media front of consumers across all mass markets, not just luxury consumers, of consumers being well engaged and excited to see what’s coming next within the luxury market. Swaravoski’s latest capaign featuring Bella Hadid went viral across social media platforms Instagram and TikTok, praising the luxury brand for creating such a well executed and considered campaign concept, which was perfectly reflective of the brand’s image that audiences and target consumers are fond of. I think it’s a really interesting concept to observe how some campaigns go viral for success and praise purposes, verses how some campaigns go viral for negative reasonings, such as the Balenciaga Christmas campaign scandal in 2022, which went viral for the completely wrong reasons. My research into luxury market fashion campaigns highlighted the idea that social media and the rise of digital technology can be such a determining factor when it comes to campaign success or failure, as the internet makes it so easy to scrutinise and deteriorate a brand’s image after one move or a negative campaign creation. I’d like to plat around with this idea of social media impact levels and usability within my campaign concept.
“As the term ‘luxury’ continuously redefines itself, so does the luxury market and, with it, the luxury consumer” (Wintermeier, N. 2021). There is no strict definition of a luxury consumer, as the face of the luxury fashion consumer is constantly changing. Whether this be new market developments, changes within the external economic environment or simply changes in fashion trends and market trends. Whilst there is no pure definition of who is a luxury consumer, there are some characteristics or values which can help to generate a more in depth understanding of what a luxury consumer may be looking for when it comes to supporting a luxury brand and buying into their products and services. “Yet while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to navigating luxury consumer psychology, there are a few psychological clusters that your customer segments likely fall under” (Wintermeier, N. 2021) and these include the need for uniqueness, the status that is associated with cost and wealth, and the feeling of having something which is exclusive. The luxury consumer is wanting something to showcase for their monetary exchange, whether this be the psychological satisfaction or the physical act of showing off an item, luxury market consumers want to be able to show to their friends, family or social media followers that they are a luxury consumer. I think this, with the connection of social media impact again really highlights the impact of digitalisation and visual displays of wealth and status in the new virtual society.
The luxury consumer motives could again be difficult to define precisley as all consumers are different as individuals. This said however, the luxury market has clear advantages of being involved within, such as the ability to boost one’s social status and to create a sense of differentiation when it comes to class ideologies. I think the luxury consumer motivation as a whole is largely driven by social media motivations, as not only the younger generations who have grown up with social media, but across a multiple of age generations are in the mindset of using social media to showcase the best parts of their lives. I think the rise of social media usage has really impacted the motivations and ideologies behind buying into the luxury market, not only within the fashion industry, but across all industries. “It’s easy to forget when scrolling online that what appears to be candid is rarely so as almost everything influencers and celebrities post will be edited in some way. Especially for those who make their living on social media, each post is likely a strategic choice, often one which has been approved by numerous people (Barber, E. 2022).
The luxury market is not shy of creating luxury brand collaborations and cross overs into different industries and market levels. Many luxury market level brands have emerged themselves into some form of brand collaboration, from examples including Fendi x Versace, Prada x Nike, Balmain x H&M, Louis Vuitton x Supreme and Converse x Comme des Garcons to name a few. The idea of creating a luxury market level brand collaboration in particualr really creates this idea of excitment and adoration for luxury market and mass market consumers. This is because of the psychology and consumer motivations when buying into the luxury market, as now, the consumer gets to benefit from being able to say they have a product from multiple luxury brands. Luxury brand collaborations further adds to the feeling of adoration and desire towards the luxury market level. In terms of value and monetary aspects within this market level, a branded collaboration also can aid in boosting revenue, sales interest and the label addition of both or multiple brands can allow brands to charge higher price points in regards to costings to the consumer within a collaboration. Therefore, a branded collaboration, especially within the luxury market can be a great benefit for all parties involved.
When researching into the purposes of brand collaborations in general, not only within the luxury market level setting, there appears to be clear benefits of experimenting within a brand crossover concept. From a brand perspective, a collaboration could help a brand reach new and previously untouched audiences, raising their levels of brand awareness and brand visability in regards to acquiring new audience bases. If the collaboration is between two largely unexpected brands, brands from different industries, or brands from different market levels, then the whole purpose of creating a branded collaboration could be very benefical for all involved. Increasing levels of brand visability and furthering the accessbility of your brand can be very valuable in increasing sales, social media support and overall media attention and interest within a brand. Collaborating within the luxury market could even have the potential to add value to a brand, as increasing brand visability in previously untouched audience bases could allow a brand to take off within their commerical success, or increase levels of consumer and audeience engagement on social media platforms - which is a key marketing tool in 2023.
Introducing Generation Z, those loosely born between 1995 to 2010. Generation Z are said to be the first digitally native born people which have proven to take the world by storm. Growing up alongside the internet and maturing during the rise of social media, Generation Z are very digitally and technologically skilled in all platforms. A study involving Generation Z’s characteristics discovered that this cohort has very progressive politcal views, they’re comfortable with technology, they have a strong social media presence, and they like to focus on personal finance (Bamboo, HR. 2020). Confident in their beliefs and dynamic ways of thinking, Generation Z are very vocal of their strong opinions and labeled to be changemakers within our progressive society. “Technological advancements have had both positive and negative effects on Gen Z. On the plus side: an abundance of information is at their fingertips, allowing Gen Zers to broaden their knowledge and be proactive in their learning. On the other hand, too much screen time can compound feelings of isolation and lead to underdeveloped social skills” (Foundation, AC 2023). This idea of technology and information being so readily available to this generation highlights their profound levels of education across the wider social society, from societal injustices to sustainability and ethical change, Generation Z are very well educated in a variety of different topics.
Who is the Generation Z consumer? The characteristics of a Generation Z consumer are constantly changing due to the ever changing dynamics of society, from the cost of living crisis around the world, to changes in social media trends, and changes in fashion, styles and innovations. One of the key characteristics of a Generation Z consumer is their ability to act as a pragmatic and shrewd consumer. “As consumers, Gen Z’s behavior reflects their values — and the influence of an increasingly digital world. Gen Z kids can rely on their tech savvy and extensive social media platforms to make informed purchasing decisions. Their pragmatism leads them to explore and evaluate a range of options before settling on a product. In addition, they are more likely to be swayed by the recommendations of real-life users than by celebrity endorsements” (Foundation, AC 2023). This cohort of consumers are very well educated and clued up when it comes to purchasing decisions and selecting which brands they choose to support and buy into, due to the easily accessible other alternatives out there if a brand isn’t fully catering to a Generation Z consumers needs and wants. As a consumer, this generation are very eager to enage within technology advancements, particuarly across social media channels, and are keen followers of trends of all kinds, not just social media trends.
Researching into the shopping and buying habits of Generation Z, I discovered a few interesting characteristics about their reasonings and choosings for shopping in certain ways. There is no question that Generation Z are keen online shoppers, shopping at online, mass market retailers such as PrettyLittleThing, ASOS, Zara, H&M and Mango to name a few. This generation also often uses social media channels to make purchases, with the evolutions of Instagram Shopping and TikTok Shop facilities, online shopping has never been easier. Not only does Generation Z love shopping online, Generation Z are also still keen to shop instore for purposes of trying on clothing and allowing the tangible feeling of quality assurace within store experiences. In regards to Generation Z shopping demands and requirements, the segemented audience have made it quite clear that online shopping is a strong group favourite when it comes to purchasing fashion in particular. Online shopping provides a strong level of convenience, simplicity, affordability and there is a structure of ease when it comes to online shopping. As a technology and social driven Generation, the ease of online and social media shopping has definetly created a strong influence on labelling Generation Z buying habits, and brands across all market levels should be aware of this generation trend, as Generation Z are very stuck in their ways of making their preferences clear and well-known.
My research process into Generation Z illustrated that this segmented audience have very clear expectations from brands across all market levels. “This is a generation that is well-versed in digital marketing, since more of them are engaging in building their personal ‘brand’ online. About three-fourths of Gen Z say that they are to be loyal to a company that speaks to social issues, posts information, or has advertisements about social change” (Snapchat. 2022). In terms of social change and brand loyalties, Generation Z are very well educated due to having social media and the internet so readily available at our fingerprints. As a result of this, it can be difficult for this Generation to ignore certain issues, especially revolving around social change, environmental and corporate responsibility across the international wider society. Brands not only within the fashion indsutry, but as a concept as a whole should take note of this idea that Generation Z are proven to be selective when it comes brand loyalty and brand supporting. Within the fashion industry in particular, no matter the market level, there are so many different availabilities of substitutions out there in the market, which highlights the importance of fashion brands taking notice of Generation Z and consumer demands in general because there are so many alternatives out there for Generation Z to shop at instead.
Following on from my research and concept development around the topic of a Generation Z consumer, I became really interested in looking into the sustainability conscious elements in association with Generation Z demands and expectations from brands. A study in Forbes Magazine shared, “The vast majority of Generation Z shoppers prefer to buy sustainable brands, and they are most willing to spend 10 percent more on sustainable products. The report also found that Generation Z along with Millennials are the most likely to make purchase decisions based on values and principles (personal, social, and environmental) (Petro, G. 2021). I think this idea of Generation Z being interested within environmental concerns, such as issues in limitations in sustainability within the fashion industry, is really intriguing as it highlights a positive light on the young and up and coming generations being interested and motivated to try to contribute for better change in an environmental sense. The fact that Generation Z are keen to contribute further into sustainability through sharing that they are willing to spend more on fashion purchases if they were produced in a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way. As I progress further into developing my final campaign, I am really keen to explore this idea further of continuing the progression of encouraging Generation Z into buying into sustainability, and supporting sustainably driven campaign narratives.
Sustainability is such an important conversation within the fashion industry, across all market levels, not just within the luxury market. I feel that consumers are often most familiar with the idea of sustainability and environmentally conscious fashion consumption is often most associated with the luxury market level. Many key players within the sustainable race across the luxury market, such as Stella McCartney, Burberry and Vivienne Westwood have pioneered the way of promoting sustainable fashion exploration and creative innovations. Researching into the sustainable fashion focuses within the luxury market level in particular, it is interesting to discover that the majority of sustainable fashion out there available for consumers to purchase is based off of the idea of creating sustainable fashion through exploration of sustainable fabrics and recycled materials and unconventional materials, also. I think when it comes to sustainability within fashion, it’s really important to question whether sustainability is being considered enough within the industry, and to question whether brands need to progress their sustainability efforts further beyond the use of recycled materials. “There are still very, very few brands who know where their stuff comes from in the supply chain, and even fewer of them have entered into active relationships with those suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint” (Greer, L. 2022).
The fashion industry’s response for overconsumption is also an interesting topic across all market levels, as again, the constant question stands as to whether fashion brands are doing enough when it comes to contributing a sense of sustainable practice within the industry. Luxury market brands such as Burberry do really well in visually illustrating their contributions to sustainable practice and design innovation, incorporating sustainable materials into their designs. The use and benefit of social media comes into play again when discussing the topic of overconsumption of fashion, as it is important for brands like Burberry to continue to spread the narrative of consciously and cautiously buying into fashion as an investment piece, rather than a quick one wear throw away habit of fashion consumption. Raising the awareness of sustainability and spreading positive change inspired messages across social media can be a really powerful marketing tool in creating higher levels of conscious consumerism amoungst all market levels, inspiring consumers to purchase and obsorb fashion in a more mindful and environmentally considerate way.
Continuing the conversation of the fashion industry’s responses and solutions to industry issues regarding sustainability nd the overconsumption of fashion, I think it’s interesting to think about the different ways further beyond physical and recyclable responses to sustainability. During my 360 campaign planning process and development in the previous module, I was really drawn to the idea of discovering the other potential ways and explorations of creating an industry which is more environmentally conscious. One of the ways that I wanted to look into and explore was the possibilities of virtual creation and digital innovations, as a compromise of physical and real-world activities. The new conversations about The Metaverse and digital fashion capabilities is such an interesting concept to consider, especially within the world of fashion, as fashion is a form of art and self expression, and looking into the possibilities of sustainable fashion that digital innovations can bring to the industry is such a promising idea in terms of new conceptual creativity.
The Metaverse is such a diverse and wide ranging concept to learn about, as the whole concept is everchanging, constantly updating and new innovations are developing each day. The Metaverse can be defined as so many different concepts, however to provide an overview of the technology development, The Metaverse can be defined as “a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the Internet. The word “metaverse” is a portmanteau of the prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and “universe”; the term is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe” (Hackl, C. 2021). The Metaverse can truly exist in any form of the creation dependant on each individual brand, creator, or innovator. In regards to the fashion industry, The Metaverse can take form of digital fashion creation, virtual reality concept creation, virtual fashion shows, game development and marketing communication efforts. Providing a response and potential soltuions for issues in limitations in fashion, I think the Metaverse poses such an inspiring and intriging conceptual response in delving fashion into a more virtual and digital space, expanding on the possibilities in futureproofing sustainable fashion.
In connection to my explaination of interest into Metaverse and digital fashion capabilities, I started to research further into the capabilities and real creation prospects of what the Metaverse can bring to the fashion industry, across all market levels. One of the most interesting Metaverse capabilities is the idea of briging new concepts, ways of marketing and communication into a virtual universe, which can help make fashion, and luxury fashion in particualr, more accessible for the everyday consumer and Generation Z. The Metaverse’s virtual capabilities creates such an interesting conversation in briging the luxury market into a more accessible, consumable and engaging space for mass markets, no matter your level of disposible income, location or social status. I really like the idea of the Metaverse acting as a non-existent platform of creative self expression, with no judgement or connectivity limitations or restrictions. Pairing the Metaverse concept with the idea of Generation Z being so technically fluent and social media obsessed, I think the Metaverse showcases a really promising future for the world of fashion in relation to Generation Z as an upcoming digital cohort. As Metaverse innovations are improving and advancing everyday, I really look forward to looking into the different ways that Generation Z in particular will be able to absorb this new media outlet, and allow the Generation to roam freely with their own elements of creativity and digital innovation.
Expanding on my interest and knowledge into the Metaverse and it’s capabilities, I decided to look further into discovering what fashion brands have already entered The Metaverse and looking into what the types of digital innovation that these brands have created or started to engage with. One of the most interesting luxury market Metaverse crossover I looked into was Balenciaga’s entrance into the digital gaming world, crossing over to a new market completley, creating a digital clothing collection of skins with Generation Z hit, Fortnite. This Metaverse and fashion collaboration concept was really interesting to research into, as I find the concept interesting of blending different industries and market levels into then creating a concept in which brands can benefit from new and increased levels of brand exposure and brand visability. “Self-expression is one of the things that makes Fortnite so unique, and there couldn’t be a better first fashion partner than Balenciaga to bring their authentic designs and trendsetting culture to millions of players around the world” (Epic Games, 2021). This idea of luxury fashion brands crossing over into new markets to express their brand image, design style and overall brand influence can be such an influencial concept to discuss. The fact that Fortnite has multiples of millions of monthly players on the game, you can see the benefit of Balenciaga choosing to collaborate on this Metaverse project in order to gain a boosting of brand visability and brand exposure to a new market with younger Generation Z consumers, hopefully acquiring a new consumer base.
The exciting world of the Metaverse further expands to the innovations of digital fashion creation. Again, digital fashion can take the form of multiple different concepts, such as virtual reality based clothing, hologram installatons, virtual fashion social media concepts and NFT creation (Non-fungible tokens). Likewise to the virtual world of the Metaverse, digital fashion supports the idea of futureproofing the fashion industry, finding a way to potentially reduce issues in fashion overconsumption and excessive landfill pollutions. Digital fashion creates an exciting approach to not only fashion design and virtual clothing creation, but also through the idea of creating immersive and engaging consumer experiences in relation to creating virtual social media filters, virtual clothing mirrors when shopping in stores, and creating contemporary ways of absorbing fashion media outlets. I think in relation to a Generation Z consumer, digital fashion concepts could be a promising avenue to continue down in relation to creating a social media campaign which incorporates the use and technology of digital fashion innovations. My research into Generation Z shows that they are always willing to adapt and learn new technologies, and particulalry with their interest in buying into the luxury market at a more affordable and accessible cost, digital fashion innovations could act as a good campaign concept to cature the attention of the generation, whilst also contributing to a sustainable fashion narrative.
Looking further into who’s doing what in relation to the digital fashion innovation potentials, I started to look into digital brands that have followed through with a sustainably driven conceptual brand narrative. Many popular luxury brands have already entered their way into the world of digital and virtual fashion, such as Dolce and Gabanna. In 2021, Dolce and Gabanna realsed a NFT (Non-fungible token) collection, which was a virtual clothing concept, illustrating to mass markets the ability of technology in relation to fashion design. As digital fashion is a virtual based reality within the world of the Metaverse, this luxury NFT collaboration went viral on social media, as audiences internationally, not just a Generation Z focus, loved the idea of incorporating re-wearable digital based clothing into their wardrobe. “You have world-renowned designers creating something absolutely unique, with attention to detail — it is beyond what you expect to see in a typical digital rendering — and it’s a one of one. It makes perfect sense that there would be an NFT collector in the world who would value it” (Thomas, D. 2021).
What is an NFT? An NFT means non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are generally created using the same type of programming used for cryptocurrencies. In simple terms these cryptographic assets are based on blockchain technology. They cannot be exchanged or traded equivalently like other cryptographic assets. NFT’s are similar to the concept of digital fashion innovations, in which luxury fashion brands, artists, designers or businesses can create a unique piece of ‘art’ in a digital format. An NFT can take form of clothing, art, music games, and books to name a few examples.
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