Business of Fashion reports that companies are showing signs of getting “woke,” which means that they want to alert to injustice in society and that could simple be what designer brands are trying to do.
This tactic of being a “woke” brand can backfire as Generation Z consumers can spot the difference between “gimmicks and a genuine purpose”. A case study proving this is State Street Corporation. This financial firm commissioned the popular ‘Fearless Girl’ statue in New York’s financial district, as a feminist statement to celebrate “the power of women in leadership, and the potential of the next generation of women leaders”. It was later found out that there were claims that it discriminated “against 305 top female employees by paying them less than men in the same positions”. This hypocrisy makes consumers lose trust towards a brand.
According to Business of Fashion, nine out of ten Generation Z consumers believe that companies have a responsibility to comment on social and environmental issues. With millennial and Generation Z having around “$350 billion of spending power in the US alone", it would be unwise to ignore their critical viewpoints.
Dress Less Homeless promises to be careful to not contradict the issue of working-class appropriation in any way as we want to give back to young people as well as educate them. Keeping our message clear and simple throughout the website and related projects will make Dress Less Homeless' message as transparent as possible.