WHY STREETWEAR?

Streetwear despite being hard to define, has helped to boost global sales of luxury goods by 5% in 2021. (Beauloye, 2022) A constantly changing sector streetwear rose as an expression of wider cultural, social and economic shifts. Propelled by brands and designers such as Off-White, Virgil Abloh and Demna Gvasalia streetwear has taken over the luxury market. However, before its dominance in luxury, streetwear brands were those built for those who are different and have a statement against normality. This philosophy underpins many street brands’ identities something Gen Z respect, understand and trust in. Streetwear is built for the youth allowing them to express themselves and identities through fashion, hence its popularity within Gen Z. Its exclusivity is contingent on knowledge creating a deeper foundation in brand-consumer relationships, the consequent hype culture created from this exclusivity in turn builds new communities of people who share common interests. Streetwear stems from cultural phenomena’s such as skate culture, 90s hip hop, increasing urbanisation, want for community and comfort dressing and represents more than clothing but a lifestyle. Parallels can be drawn between today’s streetwear culture changes and the impact on culture and social change Chanel had in her time. Chanel’s defining of style reflected the social change of her time leaving restricted corsets behind she gave functionality and practicality a new meaning using the ‘street styles’ of working class men to recreate the definition of femininity. This can be compared to how streetwear has redefined what ‘luxury’ is over the past few years. Luxury brands have slowly tailored their offerings to include ‘streetwear’ items understanding this is where the youth can be found, while interpretations of the style are wide and diverse, the original codes of streetwear still persist, and they are the driving force behind the larger market.

Therefore, for this campaign to draw a new emotional connection to Gen Z, it will seek to use the philosophy of streetwear to build relationships with the youth. A take on streetwear from Chanel will show the understanding of what is important to this generation, giving them the excitement and authenticity, they crave from creating an exclusive collaboration such as this.