by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

What is a megatrend?

As the name of the blog indicates, this space is to talk about global megatrends, according to John Naisbitt (1982), Megatrend describe the significant social, economic, political and/or technological movements that shape our lives. Moreover, the megatrends are larger in magnitude,  longer in duration, and deeper in their effects than common trends, fads or fashion. In addition, Megatrends do not come and go easily or overnight, since they are great social, economic, political and technological changes, thus taking time to create and, once installed, they influence us for some time (Naisbitt and Aburdene, 1990). 

For other hand, the megatrends and their implications forms are an important component of a company’s future strategy, development and innovation process (Zeev Efrat, 2011). Also, Childress (2007) argue megatrends are basaltic in their effect, both in time and space. Although it was not known at the time, for example, the moment when the printing press appeared, this reached political, economic and religious structures exceeding what developers could imagine.

Finally, this blog will focus on three main megatrends which are:

  • Sustainability and Ethical Living
  • Digital Transformation
  • Gender Fluidity

 

by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

Digital Transformation, fashion is forced to adapt

In recent years, digital transformation along with globalization have undergone a rapid acceleration, among many other changes in society, and this has led to changes in consumer behavior. Digitization is a big part of everyday life for fashion consumers. In addition, this digital transformation has changed the shopping experience, especially in fashion, it even affects the way in which users follow fashion and trends since now everything revolves around social media (Hagelberg & Tuunainen, 2017).

The attitude that mainly reluctant fashion brands had towards social networks has changed a lot in recent years. Social networks such as Instagram, Twitter or Facebook are used by fashion brands as a means of connecting with their consumers and are a great opportunity to improve their communication with them (Kim & Ko, 2012). As Bautista (2013) argue the new media often influence the consumer throughout the entire process from creation to spreading the brand message, thus creating an interaction with the consumer.

Another novelty that has reached the world of fashion thanks to social media are influencers. As Khamis et al (2016) argue, they describe themselves as a kind of non-traditional celebrities who became famous due to their content and presence on social media. Also, fashion influencers on social media are more reliable and valuable than commercial ads, as well as easier for companies to measure their benefits, due to their two-way communication, participating in online discussions motivated by social improvemen (Gummerus et al., 2012; Bernoff and Li, 2008). Influencers often help you decide on what clothes to wear and what not, but for this there are the stylists who have also had to be forced to go online.

Nowadays applications tell us where to go, what to eat, what to buy, … why not how we should dress? The remote services of ‘personal shoppers’, stylists and designers that have always been offered are now becoming a survival tool for these face-to-face trades (Perez, 2020). This is nothing new about online advisers but it has increased its activity. Through emails, video calls or directly from applications, the possibility of hiring stylists or image consultants to help you with your wardrobe was expanded.

Not everything is an advantage over social media. As Pollay and Mittal (1993) argue in their model about product information, beliefs of ambition and materialism, falsifications and beliefs of abuse of power are important factors related to the attitudes of users who dislike social media. Further, not all people have the skills to handle social media to the fullest (Chowdhury, 2017).

To conclude, it is obvious that the future of fashion is going through technological digitization. Personalized products, recommended by artificial intelligence, with automation in the purchase and delivery, with massive data working for consumers and, every time, with less need for physical spaces.

by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

Gender Fluidity, new generation

Among the new generations, gender identity becomes more important, that is, the way they feel inside and how they externalize it through their behavior and appearance. According to Marsh (2013) The new generations increasingly challenge traditional gender stereotypes, according to the Fusion survey, half of American millennials agree that gender is not limited to women and men. Generation Z, in particular, is the standard-bearer for gender and sex diversity. Also, Generation Y has been dubbed the gender fluid generation (Marsh, 2013). This generation has references that are considered a fluid gender, such as the actress Ruby Rose or the pop singer Miley Cyrus.

“The boys wear blue and the girls, pink.” A mantra that from hearing it repeatedly, today already tastes stale. Also, about 100 years ago, women did not use / could wear pants, at the time of our grandmothers, fashion was divided into garments made for men and women, where one was different from the other by key elements that each gender carried (Arzaluz, 2017). But now, young people have shown that gender and sexuality are no longer categories to be pigeonholed as supermarket products and are being more flexible compared to previous generations.

For the first time in its almost 40-year history, this year 2021 London Fashion Week became a gender-neutral event. This year in addition to being online due to the circumstances of COVID-19, the nonprofit organization announced that the event will merge the men’s and women’s shows to make a gender-neutral platform (Seward, 2020). Thus, this is a great movement since this fashion week not only serves as an influence for fashion but is an event that has been heard throughout the world which can make a situation visible to the entire society. Also, The British Fashion Council (BFC) announced the change last year, and CEO Caroline Rush explained her goals of “redefining” the fashion week model (Pithers, 2020). It is necessary that this movement is not seen as a trend or a fashion and it is seen as a need for brands to get involved. 

Art School SS21

It is necessary that this movement is not seen as a trend or a fashion and it is seen as a need for brands to get involved.

by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

Sustainable fashion, the future is dressed ethically.

Faced with the depletion of natural resources and the serious consequences of climate change, the fashion industry decides to become aware. Finally sustainability and ethical conduct have begun to be a trend (Moisander and Personen 2002). 

In today’s fashion market there has been a growing trend towards “slow fashion” (Fletcher 2007, 61). The definition of slow fashion is the inclusion of small-scale production, the use of local materials and artisan production techniques. That is, it investigates the nature of the garment and the way in which it is produced. On the other hand, it uses design concepts that do not require seasons using slower production times to focus on quality products and durability, which is reflected in prices (Fletcher 2010; Holt, 2009).

The term slow fashion is linked to sustainability, but nowadays the fast fashion industry is slowly making its way into sustainable fashion, could be the case with H&M, one of the main fast fashion companies and promotes many sustainable initiatives, for example, the launch of the sustainability program, called “Conscious Action” in which recyclable resources are used in the production of garments and which has been created to try to instill these values in consumers and improve their behavior by one more ethical (Shen, 2014).

Adittionally, Zara has also created a sustainable line, Join Life, thus joining the ecological initiatives of fast-fashion. Inditex bases its model on its Green To Wear + standard, which has its application in Zara with the aforementioned Join Life line. In it, the garments are labeled according to their characteristics in 3 categories: care for water, care for climate and care for fiber. Zara ensures that during the production process, health and safety of the environment are guaranteed through the implementation of two standards: Clear to Wear and Safe to use (Inditex, 2019).

However, despite the attempts to also focus on a more sustainable public by investing effort in sustainability with the above mentioned sustainable actions and communication of these actions, Zara and H&M are continually questioned by the general discourse of society that does not believe in sustainability within the fast fashion industry (Gonzalez, 2017). Information that links sustainability to the actions of these companies generally gets a negative response from the public. Consequently, the image that these companies show is associated with the pursuit of economic benefits rather than a real interest in sustainable issues (Gonzalez, 2017).

In conclusion, the question is, is fast-fashion compatible with sustainable fashion? and above all are they part of an advertising strategy or is it really the beginning of a path towards improving conditions in the textile industry?

 

by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

Digital Transformation, the new era.

The development of technologies and digitization offer new opportunities for many companies that allow them to access greater productivity and relevance in a world that constantly changes. Besides, the digitization of the economy and society is called megatrend since its importance is widely recognized in many domains, on the other hand, the digital transformation is called disruptive megatrend, as a result of the pace of change and innovation it carries (Lederer et. al., 2018; Lloyd, 2017). Companies strive to be the most innovative and use the latest technologies possible. Finally, digital transformation has become an important issue for all companies globally (Westerman et al., 2011).

Imperial College Business School launches new Centre for Digital Transformation | Imperial News | Imperial College London

The fashion industry has been able to allow itself to be disconnected from technological developments, as it has usually been related to intangible values related to the product, but it has had to adapt. Rocamora (2017) claim the fashion has started a great digital transformation which is undergoing through all its processes and facets, from the supply chain to its communication. For instance, digital transformation, properly driven, could transform the fashion industry into a more sustainable and truly customer-oriented business (Bertola & Teunissen, 2018).

On the other hand, the pandemic forced many companies to boost investment in technologies and prioritize their digital transformation initiatives, since there was no other way of sale. Even, John Lewis for the first time in its 155-year history, during which we have faced various difficult periods, including two world wars and the 2008 financial crisis, would also close their stores on the same day (Elle, 2020). Apart from the effects of the pandemic, online sales of fast fashion have increased due to the growing penetration of the Internet, offers exclusively for online purchases and increased trust in paying through the Internet. Especially, mobile apps (Rey-García et. al., 2018). The competition is extremely fierce in the online segment of the United Kingdom fashion industry with brands like Jaded London, Miss Guided, ASOS or Pretty Little Things.

Zhou et al. (2007) indicate that convenience is the main reason why consumers choose to buy online. Since there are fewer inconveniences in the online process compared to those that can be found in the traditional purchase, for example, that the consumer has to queue (Ahuja et al. 2003). Another advantage for consumers of online sales is that they have the possibility of buying at any hour or moment of the day (Childers et al. 2001), while in traditional stores there are limitations on the opening hours of the stores.

The objective of digital transformation is continuous optimization, that is, when a company detects changes in the market and has the ability to respond quickly. Moreover, some advantage of the digital transformation are better quality of broadcasting, lower costs, more substantial programs and freedom of choice of services (Verhoef et. al., 2021).

by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

Gender Fluidity

The young people, in special, The Millennials and Generation Z are moving away from the ‘supposed normality’ of adamant cisgender conformity and are boldly exploring alternatives (Dimock, 2018), being able in this way, and feeling supported by the great movement, become the person that they really are. 

Fashion is a way of expressing your identity, so as long as identities are important, fashion will continue to be. However, the link between fashion and identity begins to become really interesting in the case of people who do not clearly fall into a culturally recognized identity, such as transgender, gender queer, agender… (Freiwald, 2001). Finally, fashion has achieved something that nothing and no one had accomplished, which is to ensure that the minorities that once lived in the shadows now attract the light of the spotlights.

runway

Each year’s official show calendar is divided into men’s and women’s fashion weeks, the fashion stores have a section for men and a section for women, the menus of their websites, the same… Nevertheles, genderless fashion is no longer in the background or hidden, it is even becoming the mainstream spotlight for fashion brands (Chapeck, 2017). It was a necessary step for all those people who dress in the clothes they like without looking at gender, as behind this category (genderless) there is a whole new system of thought, a set of ideas and values that it represents. 

Akdemir (2018) declare that fashion revolutionaries do not seek to feminize men or make women masculine, simply remove labels, and it means gender fluidity in fashion. In addition, There are many fashion designers who support this movement and emphasize that they do not make unisex or androgynous clothing, but clothing without gender, it. For instance, Vaquera, Ludovic de Saint Sernin or Petra von Kant.

Source: @vaquera.nyc

Also, major brands such as some of Inditex such as Zara or Bershka, or H&M even Guess are launching lines aimed at all genres (Chapeck, 2017).

Billie Eilish's 2020 collection for Bershka

However, currently all industries have been economically affected by the pandemic, according to The Business of Fashion report with McKinsey & Company they have published on the effects of COVID-19 on the economy of the fashion industry, it will recover in the third quarter of 2022 as long as online sales perform as well, if not better, than since the pandemic occurred (Amed et. al., 2020). This data is perhaps relevant to understand that it is risky for fashion companies to innovate today, but hopefully over time there will be significant large-scale changes.

 

 

by ALVARO TRUJILLO-BARBERAN -

Sustainability and Ethical Living

The sustainability concept according to Macnaghten et al. (1995) the sustainability implies move from a current unsatisfactory state, in which economic needs are pursued without taking into account absolutely nothing of the environment or the social needs, to a satisfactory state, that is, one in which social needs are amortized in a way that does not exceed the limits of the environment and taking care of resources. Being so, one of the main topics to which most of the thought is granted within the realm of macromarketing (Mittelstaedt et. al., 2014).  

5 Lessons for Paving a Digital Path to Sustainability - CIO Journal - WSJ

Sustainability as a megatrend takes on more importance because consumers are more aware each year with the environment, since the negative changes of pollution and climate change have already begun to wreak their havoc on the planet. Specifically on the fashion industry, as the fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and behind the oil industry is the most polluting in the world, it is quite a worrying figure, as a result of this consumers are really aware of the environment, and companies, either for marketing or awareness, too (Paton, 2019; Gaba, 2020). 

A new report from the Capgemini Research Institute (2020) ensures that 79% of consumers are changing their shopping preferences following criteria of social responsibility, inclusiveness or environmental impact. In addition to indicating advantages for consumers, companies also have a series of advantages such as greater customer loyalty and an increase in brand revenue. A main factor for these figures to be so high is the COVID-19 pandemic that has raised the level of consumer awareness (Capgemini, 2020). Consequently, the fashion business throughout the supply chain are becoming more environmentally, culturally, economically and socially sustainable every day, which in turn helps drive social change (Burns, 2019).

Of contrast, environmental consumption has not yet impacted on fashion purchasing decisions (Kim & Damhorst, 1998), since sustainable fashion products are more expensive, there is less variety of products, there are disadvantages in relation to aesthetic and functional aspects and relevant information is scarce. In addition, there are statistics showing that only 7 percent of consumers have sustainability as their main purchase criterion (Global Fashion Agenda, n.d.). Most organizations are left only on the surface of sustainability since there are many companies that consider that the impact it produces in cost overruns is a problem when implementing sustainability initiatives, and also companies feel that other issues are more relevant (Capgemini, 2020).

Thus, although sustainable development can help end poverty in the world and adjust social inequalities, serving human needs in a fairer way and reorienting technology to respect the planet and guarantee its viability, there are also negative consequences.