IDENTITY
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Identity defines who or what someone or something is, encapsulating characteristics, feelings, and beliefs that set us apart. In the fashion world, it shapes our expression and style. Is it a source of inspiration or limitation? Explore our reflections here.
In our modern world, the concept of personal identity is ubiquitous. The 20th century kickstarted and pioneered the rise of individualism, and now the 21st century has emblazoned it on the hearts and souls of seemingly every Gen-Z’er in the Western hemisphere. The individual is the brand: influencers, micro-influencers, celebrities, content creators, etc. This new zeitgeist is not an inherently bad thing. Modern individualism can be used as a means for not only self-empowerment but as a full-on career opportunity. According to Statista¹, a nano-influencer (defined as someone with 1,000 to 10,000 followers) earns (on average) over $200 per post. Meanwhile, macro-influencers (500,000-1,000,000 followers) make an average of $1,800 per post but can easily earn over 10x that as well. With the acceleration of this new individualistic social climate, the landscape for brands has shifted. Rather than relying on the community and tradition that so many companies have cultivated, it is much easier to generate sales through influencers and celebrities marketing their products. Brands are effectively utilizing these individuals for growth and popularity, but, in many ways, this success is an illusion. When customers buy these brands’ products, are they doing so because they like it for its intrinsic aesthetic or practical value? Or do they like it because they want to look or emulate the influencer or celebrity promoting it? In many cases, it’s the former. But in many other cases, it’s the latter.
The issue that arises from this new strategy is that many of the core tenets that businesses adhered to in the past have now been abdicated. The principal value that seems to have been lost in recent years is community. When I speak of community, I want to look at it at a fundamental level. I say this because present-day brands have certainly done a great job in fostering communities that bring together people with common interests, attitudes, goals, etc. That, however, is where it starts and ends. Where does this gathering lead to? Where is the feeling that your attendance and participation in such an organization is about something bigger than yourself? For whose or what sake are you sacrificing your limited time? The brand landscape has become so littered with trends and with companies competing with each other to lead the next transient movement that they possess no connection to their actual ethos and identity. More and more, companies seem to lack a relationship with their heritage and disengage from the virtues and codes that helped build their brand. They choose instead to devote all of their time to their product and presentation; within the past century, product and commodity have slowly begun to usurp art and community.
This commodification that took place throughout the 20th century was bad for art and good for commodities. Art started being commodified and recognized as another capitalist resource and commodities and products alike started being elevated and recognized as works of art. For much of the 20th century, devotion to many fashion houses was a worthy sacrifice of your limited time. But with the metastasis of the fast-fashion market, there is much to be desired. Allegiance to a brand and the communal spirit that entails should galvanize a desire for something greater than oneself. In the current menswear fashion climate, there is an exigency for aesthetic virtue; principally, beauty.
Mesciu Gigi's creation: Lecce Coat
This immense need for beauty is concomitant with the suffering of modern brand identity. With quality and artistic integrity being supplanted by cost-efficiency and adherence to what is merely vogue, the paradigm shifts from art and beauty to profits and popularity. The importance of beauty being at the center of a brand’s identity is that art is beyond the individual. While money and social status are not inherently evil things, they are rampantly exploited as selfish tools for “success” and personal pleasure. Art is a commitment to the transcendence of beauty, and as a fashion brand it is a dedication to the poetry of color, shape, and material. When a brand prioritizes these things that are beyond their revenue and profit margins, a true sense of community and belonging are established. Brands are much more than a space for social leveraging and financial growth. They are a locus for creative expression, self-empowerment, and a collective pursuit of beauty and virtue.
¹Statista: “Average price per post of Instagram influencers worldwide in 2021, by number of followers"
