ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY

70% of consumers said they bought no more than a quarter of their items through resale, meaning a third of consumers are buying at least a third of their streetwear items exclusively through the resale market.

(Hypebeast, 2022)

ADDRESSING

SUSTAINABILITY

A further reason for choosing streetwear as an undertone to this collaboration is its sustainable enterprise. Sustainability is a huge topic for generation Z, with most willing to spend 10% more on sustainable items. (Petro, 2021) The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world with 56 million tonnes of clothing bought each year and 30% of this currently ending up in landfill which has disastrous consequences on the planet. (Beall, 2020) Gen Z are particularly knowledgeable when it comes to sustainability this dictates their spending habits creating more conscious consumerism. Hence, it is important that this collaboration addresses sustainability, even in a subtle manner. Currently Chanel’s environmental rating is ‘not good enough.’ The brand has set targets to reduce greenhouse emissions by 50% by 2030 however evidence towards this is lacking. (Rauturier, 2022)

Looking to address overconsumption, the increasing popularity of resale platforms such as Depop and charity shops is transforming how consumers choose to shop. Gen Z are the largest second-hand shoppers with 45% growth in second hand shopping in the last couple of years. (United, 2020) Due to the exclusivity and limited availability of streetwear drops, the re-sale market for these types of collaborations is astounding. For luxury and streetwear brands alike, maintaining limited supply is a crucial component of the drops model because it rewards customers who are willing to put in extra effort for new items and feeds a growing resale market. (Hypebeast, STREETWEAR IMPACT REPORT - 004, 2022) Exclusive items from brands such as Yeezy, Supreme, Balenciaga and Off-White have all been resold for as much as 144% more than their original price. (Sawyer, 2019) The resale market allows streetwear to have some sense of sustainability, similar to luxury brands consumers are unlikely to throw away these pieces casually as they would fast fashion as they carry too much meaning and quality. Whether they keep them to themselves or sell them on to another enthusiast to appreciate the clothes are kept out of landfill therefore protecting the planet. By adding exclusivity and desire to this collaboration, this collaboration should maintain its sustainability with those who missed out on the collection looking to second hand purchases to become part of the community.