ROTATIVE WARDROBE EXPERIMENTAL WARDROBE ENDLESS WARDROBE SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE INSTANT WARDROBE EVERYDAY WARDROBE
a sustainablE fast fashion campaign In COLLABORATION WITH WEAR THE WALK, A BRITISH FASHION SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE. Sarah Young / Northumbria university
BUSINESS ANALYSIS Wear the Walk, founded by Zoe Partridge, is a woman’s fashion subscription platform operating both offline, at their studio in London, and online. This company prioritizes sustainable design and works primarily with ethically sourced brands and designers. They offer a range of monthly subscription packages to suit any lifestyle or occasion, starting from £30 - £120. Items available on rent range from smart jackets and office wear, to special occasion dresses and handbags. 47% of Wear the Walk’s key target audience fall within the 26 - 30 age range (WTW Business Plan 2018, page 3). These young professionals are based within central London, have a high level of disposable income so are therefore more than able to afford such a service. This transformative business model has proved popular in London; however it is yet to take off within the UK as a whole. Despite this, it has been proven that fashion subscription services can offer huge environmental gains in the long run. Fashion subscription services like Wear the Walk encourage a much more sustainble way of consuming fashion, pushing the ‘Experience Economy’ over the need for ‘Ownership’.
Outfit - Wear the Walk. Photograph via bdblggr.com, June 2017.
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THE CHALLENGE Below: Outfit, Wear the Walk. Photograph via bdblggr.com, June 2017.
The scalability of this business model, and potential environmental gains, is vast. However, for a large majority of consumers within the UK - such a service is not attainable. One of the key reasons for this comes down to affordability, and the common perception that fashion subscription is exclusively for special occasions. Only 10% of Wear the Walk customers are aged 20 - 25 (WTW Business Plan 2018, page 3). In two years’ time, this generation (Y & Z) will represent the highest spending consumer generation worldwide, therefore altering this business model so that it will appeal to consumers of this age range could prove to be a strategic move in the long run. This generation are a lot more environmentally aware than previous generations, and generally prefer access over ownership due to growing up amidst the Experience Economy. These traits make them the ideal consumers for fashion subscription services, however they cannot afford such a service, due to not having a high enough level of disposable income, therefore they typically get drawn in to the highstreets cheap, disposable fashion and range of designs as a result. The main challenge this business model faces lies in not only being unable to offer this generation a platform where they can afford to engage with fashion subscription services, but rectifying it as a more every day and instant service, rather than a service for special occasions. page three
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SUPPORTING RESEARCH WHY IT’S TIME TO WEAR THE WALK. 75% of clothing within the UK is disposed of before the end of their technical service life. 2017 WRAP Report, “The Cost of UK Fashion”.
The carbon footprint of clothing in use in the UK has risen to 26.2 million tonnes in 2016, up from 24 million tonnes in 2012. - 2017 WRAP Report, “The Cost of UK Fashion”.
In 2016, it is estimated that 1,130,000 tonnes of clothing were purchased in the UK, an increase of 20,000 tonnes since 2012. - 2017 WRAP Report, “The Cost of UK Fashion”.
““there is now an urgent
need to find new markets for used clothing” “ - 2017 WRAP Report, “The Cost of UK Fashion”.
THE PROBLEM.
THE SOLUTION.
The rise of ultra-fast fashion.
Encourage more sustainable clothing consumption within the UK.
Overconsumption of disposable, fast fashion items - technical service life of garments is dramatically shortened. An industry encouraging the act of mindless purchasing on the high street, and online. Fashion rental within the UK is limited to special occasions and generally expensive. page four
Increase material utilisation & exploit full use potential of clothing. Introduce an affordable fashion subscription package targeted at gen Y and Z, with British fashion subscription service, Wear the Walk.
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Proposed solution A Business EXTENsION. A Sustainable, Fast Fashion Campaign targeted at 20 - 25 year olds will launch a new, monthly subscription package with British fashion subscription service, “Wear the Walk”. This business extension will be primarily aimed at this generation of consumers, within the London catchment area. This new subscription package has environmental objectives at the heart of its ethos, and over time, will allows consumers to become more socialised into renting for the everyday, by offering them a hassle-free subscription platform and service that is, affordable, instant and above all, sustainable. The new package will be more affordable than the current subscription packages that Wear the Walk currently offer and will be priced at £30 per month. It will offer subscribers 4 - 5 items of clothing on rotation each month, with free returns and dry cleaning included. The reason for such a strong focus on this generation is that they typically do not have as high a level of disposable income as Wear the Walk’s current target audience, to spend on such a service, but wish to make a positive change to the UK’s clothing industry and the environment. Above Outfit
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- Wear the Walk. Photograph via bdblggr.com, June 2017. IT’S TIME TO WEAR THE WALK.
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SWOT ANALYSIS This business extension will offer the only fashion subscription service of it’s kind within the UK - boasting rigour/originality.
Broadening the target audience/making the service more attainable will add to the operational challenges and company costs.
Strong environmental objectives. Offering this new target audience a chance to enjoy a rotative and endless wardrobe, guilt free.
Flexibility/quantity of this new subscription packages provides incredible value for money.
EN
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S TH
4 items on rotation will lead to huge stock turnover, leaving customers with nothing they would like to rent.
WE AK
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SES ES
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OPP O R TU
A partnership deal with Graduate Fashion Week, where new, ethical designers can be scouted for WTW, and a direct channel to reach the key target audience for this new business extension.
H R E
Expanding into other UK based cities.
Ensuring a constant stream of new styles available at all times, for subscribers.
N
Outfit - Wear the Walk. Photograph via bdblggr.com, June 2017.
Thus, satisfying consumers cravings for ‘newness’ and desire to be on trend.
The ‘stigma’ attached to renting fashion and wearing clothes that have been worn before may hinder this business extension from taking off as an ‘everyday’ service.
Threat of new entrants to the market.
Key competitors such as ‘Girl Meets Dress‘ or ‘FarFetch’, introducing a similar business model.
Market Diversification. This target audience represent highest spending consumer generation worldwide - altering this business model so that it will appeal to consumers of this age range strategic move in the long run.
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THE CAMPAIGN A PLAY ON WORDS. This campaign will be called “It’s Time to Wear the Walk”. “A Sustainable, Fast Fashion Campaign” will be used as the strap line for this campaign. This unlikely word pairing should gain attention, and will hopefully become a talking point. The purpose of this campaign is to introduce our target audience to an alternative way of shopping, that will offer them the choice and efficiency of fast fashion, without contributing to the deterioration of the UK’s environment. Marketing Acquisition - This year-long campaign will be delivered via an ‘Opti-Channel Engagement Strategy’, providing a personal and direct approach to targeting a new audience. Tactics such as influencer marketing and voucher/discount codes, similar tactics used by fast fashion outlets, to appeal to a younger generation.
Graduate fashion week launch.
Wear the Walk X Beaufort House Fashion Showcase - London, September 2017. Photograph vis Chicmi.com.
The campaign for this new business extension will be launched at Graduate Fashion Week 2018. Wear the Walk will host their own ‘talk’ with a panel of ambassadors discussing the ethos behind this new business extension, followed by a live fashion presentation from WTW, showcasing brands and designers new to the service this AW 2018.
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KEY OBJECTIVES ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES. Offer a sustainable and environmentally sensitive alternative to ultra-fast fashion outlets. Begin to alleviate pressure upon the UK’s landfill sites and surrounding environment within the first two years of operation. Aid the process of extending a garment’s technical life-cycle, allowing it to reach full use potential.
Photograph via Shuttershock.com.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES. Offer a unique fashion subscription service which is affordable, instant, every day and easy to use. Encourage a younger generation of consumers to engage in fashion subscription, as opposed to ultra-fast fashion chains. Within the first 6 months of operation, see the percentage of WTW consumers aged 20 - 25 increase from 10%, to 20%, then by the first year of operation, see this figure increase by a further 15%.
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ORIGINALITY UNIQUE SELLING POINTS. While there are many fashion rental companies throughout the UK, none have environmental objectives at the forefront of their company ethos, and are usually for luxury, one off event-ware, rather than a more every day and instant service. This business extension does not stop at rental pieces for special occasions. It aims to scale this model for almost anything, and any occasion. Offering a sustainable fashion subscription package which is affordable and attainable for a younger generation of consumers, not just those with high levels of disposable income. Increasing the ease of this fashion subscription service.
Screen Shot from Wear the Walk Website - Demonstrating how the subscription service works.
Above Outfit - Wear the Walk. Photograph via bdblggr.com, June 2017.
Step inside your endless wardrobe page nine
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CONSUMER PROFILE meet VERA. Vera is 23. She is in her second year at CSM Collage studying Arts and Cultural Enterprise. She lives with three other university students in a flat, in Clapham. Vera and her friends have a wide social circle, and they enjoy going out for drinks to trendy bars and beer gardens with friends, most weekends. She spends on average £40 - £50 a month on items of clothing, usually purchased online from ASOS or Missguided, as it’s cheap and offers fast delivery. Vera is aware of the dangers of fast fashion; however, she feels as though, with her low disposable income, there is no reasonable alternative to these fashion chains, that beats the on-trend pieces and affordable price tags. Vera wants to help make a positive difference to the UK’s fashion landscape. She still wants to be on trend, and experiment with her style. Outfit - Wear the Walk. Photograph via bdblggr.com, June 2017.
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