How can you use social issues to differentiate your fashion brand?

For me, using social issues is not just about standing out, it is about making a real impact. It is about being true to myself and the values I hold dear. Instead of chasing trends, I choose to align myself with causes that genuinely spark my passion and commitment. I want my clothes to be more than just fabric; I want them to be tangible expressions of my beliefs, whether through visual representation of the cause or incorporating sustainable practices when producing them. Social purpose should not just be a flash-in-the-pan marketing ploy.

Je n’ai pas fondé une marque éco-responsable pour me démarquer de la concurrence, mais pour offrir une option éco-responsable là où je n’en connaissais pas (location de tenues de scène pour les artistes). Et également pour montrer que c’est possible, et viable, de créer en respectant parfaitement ses convictions écologiques : upcycling, sans déchet et local, sans pour autant affecter style et créativité. Il est indispensable que ces valeurs soient réellement ancrées en nous pour prendre les meilleures décisions en ce sens, et ne pas se compromettre, dans une industrie où le greenwashing se généralise malheureusement.

I’ve always rooted my core values on my younger self. Think about things that you didn’t have, lack of resources, access, opportunities and find ways to fill those spaces through initiatives.

Clearly communicate your brand's stance on important social issues and highlight how your products contribute to addressing or raising awareness about them. This will help attract like-minded consumers who resonate with your brand's values.

Within my 30+ years in design and manufacturing, we have evolved into a fully certifiable brand company. Our brands go through rigorous testing both outside and within the USA. We begin with organic farmers and continue through certified factories. Our process, from fiber to yarn, is fully certified, and our factories use circulatory processes. We have switched all our packaging from plastic to bio-plastic (corn starch), and our branding is done with compost papers. We have even replaced poly nylon embroideries with wood pulp so that they will biodegrade in our lovely nature. Sustainable practice is what our brands resonate from beginning to sell-through, each stage is identified with our branding packaging and social media.

Dentro do meu modelo de negócio, eu escolhi trabalhar com o slow fashion, moda desacelerada que valoriza o trabalho por trás de cada pe?a, e valoriza a qualidade das pe?as acima de tudo. Meu propósito como marca é trazer a elegancia no dia a dia e fazer com que as pe?as sejam usadas durante muito tempo pela pessoa, n?o fomentando o consumo desacerbado.

I approach this as an ever changing tapestry. You can’t be all things to all people and now more than ever positive impact is possible - lead with authenticity and be willing to learn and change and evolve as the world and your own point of view does. Don’t be scattered but be evolving and showing up consistently.

A la hora de elegir temas relevantes, considera las tendencias en tu industria, las necesidades de tu audiencia y los problemas sociales actuales. Mantente informado sobre lo que está en auge y alineado con los valores de tu marca. La autenticidad y la conexión con temas significativos pueden fortalecer la relación con tu público.

choose social issues that are relevant to your values, your niche, and your target market. You don't have to tackle every issue under the sun, but focus on the ones that resonate with you and your customers. For example, if you value sustainability, you can choose issues related to environmental protection, ethical production, or circular economy. If you value diversity, you can choose issues related to inclusion, representation, or empowerment.

As a brand it’s vital to differentiate between which social issues are key talking points for your brand to participate in, and those that are not. For some brands that are heavily people-centric (ie. medical aid and insurance service providers), to make a well-informed, short statement that is either non-partisan and sensitive to their audience’s viewpoints would be beneficial- but you should have a clear intent to positively contribute to the topic of conversation. Be prepared, as the greater collective audience will hold your brand to uphold the values your brand portrays and within the digital space-nothing is ever erased.

Incorporate these issues into your designs in a way that's both meaningful and aesthetically appealing. This could be through the use of sustainable materials, culturally inclusive designs, or messages that advocate for social causes.

Para mim, faz todo sentido escolher 4 cores que representem o estilo da sua marca, dentro do meu negócio eu escolhi 4 cores principais e utilizo em toda comunica??o da minha marca, mas nas cole??es de roupas eu utilizo cores diferentes da marca, e tecidos que tenham a ver com o meu propósito, utilizo tecidos naturais duráveis porque prezo por qualidade e isso é transmitido wm toda identidade da minha marca, utilizo de cores neutras e clássicas porque minha marca é isso!

Definir o estilo da sua marca vai muito além da estética. O estilo é a personalidade da sua marca, quanto mais características tiver, quanto mais específico for, mais fácil será para mantê-lo no futuro. A pergunta que deve nortear todas as suas decis?es futuras é: “se minha marca fosse uma pessoa, ela gostaria disso? Ela preferiria X ouY?” Esse tipo de pergunta vai nortear suas decis?es e te ajudar a manter a coerência da sua marca. Quanto mais específica e clara for a personalidade da sua marca, mais fáceis ser?o suas decis?es.

Para crear un estilo distintivo en moda, enfócate en elementos que reflejen la personalidad única de tu marca. Define paletas de colores, patrones o siluetas que sean coherentes en tus colecciones. Considera también elementos como la sostenibilidad o detalles exclusivos que diferencien tus dise?os. La consistencia y la originalidad son clave para establecer un estilo propio y reconocible.

I like to express my artistic style and my value through surrealist art. It is the art that expresses my ideas and my style and is a favorite and basic source of inspiration in all my designs. Velvet fabrics, soft, flowing fabrics and their opposite are fabrics with pleats. The irregular pattern gives vitality. Unexpected and harmonious colors, not adhering to a fixed pattern in choosing colors, it is only better to choose colors according to the mood and inspiration, just like the unpredictable and fickle moods of cats, and this is the reason why I chose the cat’s paw sign to express myself. Paw-oOd ??

El compromiso con tu comunidad es esencial. Participa en eventos locales, colabora con organizaciones benéficas o realiza iniciativas que beneficien a tu entorno. Escucha a tus seguidores en redes sociales, responde sus preguntas y comentarios. Mostrar un interés genuino fortalece los lazos con tu comunidad, construyendo lealtad y confianza en tu marca.

Envolver-se e engajar com uma comunidade é um passo fundamental para criar uma marca de moda relevante. Mas é preciso cuidado e aten??o para que seja um relacionamento verdadeiro, pois mentiras n?o duram muito tempo. A moda, sobretudo, é um instrumento de transforma??o social.

Build a community around your brand that shares your values. This can be done through social media, events, and collaborations with influencers who support similar causes.

Of course, engaging with the community enhances the expansion of brands, constantly following up on events, and gaining the trust of customers and the labor market Through social media pages, publications, and sharing artistic ideas and inspiration

Make connections with people. Create for them. Build a community and ask them things. Get to know them. Talk about important topics and translate them to collection concepts. Create questionaires, games, events, contest. Share their works as they share yours.

Use your platform to educate customers about the social issues you support. Storytelling can be a powerful tool here, perhaps through the narratives of the people who make your clothes or the communities impacted by the social issues you champion.

Educar e inspirar a tu audiencia puede ser poderoso. Comparte información sobre sostenibilidad, procesos de fabricación éticos o tendencias en moda consciente. A través de tus canales de comunicación, crea contenido que no solo promocione productos, sino que también motive y eduque. Inspirar a tu comunidad con valores y estilo puede generar una conexión más profunda con tu marca.

Influence on society starts from changing the individual to himself in a way that contributes to the improvement of society, and sustainable development is the issue that preoccupies society to preserve the environment. Individuals should be aware of the importance of choosing sustainable development products, and producers should choose environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing machines. Encouraging recycling and manufacturing creative creations

The fashion industry is a huge platform. Everyone consumes fashion everyday and we should use it for good. To make people think, reflect and understand certain things because sometimes an image speaks more than words. The first collection from Less buy.less was about mental health issues, a theme that was and still is a tabu in our country. Based on a questionaire we were are able to translate the some feelings into the clothing, from extensive high necks (fornthose who feel that they can't speak), color changing fabrics on certain part of the body (were some people described to feel pain or anxiety),dark colors(the colors that people associated with the feeling when they're down) and messy brush print (for the caos in their head)

Continuously assess your brand's impact on these social issues. Be open to feedback and willing to make changes to better align with your values and the causes you support.

People naturally align themselves with a cause or purpose, and what truly holds significance is the way a brand shapes its products to foster a community within the given niche, providing a unique perspective and value. For instance, consider how Apple has built a community of tech enthusiasts around its products, creating a shared identity and sense of belonging.

Fashion has been an integral part of the societies we live in and represented cultures, beliefs and the self as well as changes as bodies move through space and time.There has been instances, when fashion had revolutionised the way we perceive style. For eg, the counter cultures of 60s,70s changed the face of fashion in ways that we still refer to them for inspiration.Fashion has the power to initiate change and it should be used not solely as a marketing tool.When, I was working in my label, i would encourage my clients to bring in their unused sarees and shawls and i would upcycle them to jackets and dresses.So, yes I believe as creative individuals we must use our creativity to support causes that we feel strongly about through Fashion.

Fashion is a powerful indicator of social changes. Trends are the soul of fashion and cultural shifts influence the way people behave. Fashion is not only dressing up but is a human way of living according to societal changes. Fashion can be a great force for good. That’s why social issues are very important for fashion brands. An investment in sustainably sourced materials, innovation, circular economy, social protection, education, and inclusive governance can help fashion brands to improve their reputation, customer loyalty, and competitive advantage. However, using social issues to improve your fashion brand is not a simple or straightforward task.

Consider the broader impact of your actions. Ensure that your engagement with social issues is authentic and not just for marketing. Transparency about your supply chain, fair labor practices, and genuine contributions to social causes can strengthen your brand's credibility.