Shannon Worrall

About Shannon Worrall

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People

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Amongst the four pillars, people are at the forefront of the fashion and cosmetic industry, with this pillar in particular allowing us to understand and explore deeper into consumer-business relationships. Gen z, in particular, have had an immense influence over the industry due to their strong concern for environmental and social issues within society, seeing them favour brands that align with their beliefs and avoiding those that don’t (Amed et al, 2019). As consumers, they value transparency from companies, with no fear towards boycotting brands with unethical values and views, ultimately placing more pressure on companies to maintain responsibility.

Figure 1: how important is it that a fashion brand shows it is: environmentally and ethically sustainable (Drapers, 2023)

Due to a drastic change in outlook between the Millennial Generation and Generation Z, companies need to be more aware of the new consumer needs of Gen Z. Brands need to reassess and focus on consumption as an access rather than possession, an expression of individuality and a matter of ethical concern (Francis and Hoefel, 2018). Despite this, the fashion and beauty industries are designed in an opaque manner, hiding its exploitative nature. This no longer holds up, due to generational shifts in mindsets, where Gen Z is adding new pathways to fashion by putting forth their thoughts regarding creative styles and designs that are being sought (Muralidhar and Raja, 2019). 

A brand that executes the valued, ethical qualities of Gen Z (e.g – diversity) well is singer Rhianna’s Fenty beauty. When Fenty launched the Pro Filt’r Foundation, they released it in 40 shades which all focused on hard to match skin tones, pinpointing universal shades, and creating formulas for all skin types (Werle, 2019).  The release of the brands 40 shades was met with mixed opinions, both positive and negative. Many brands responded to this by launching new formulations with 40 shades or adding extra shades to existing lines, while others who already had 40 shades didn’t see the impact. However, when comparing the lightness values of Fenty beauty’s 40’ shades to Makeup Forevers, it was evident that Fenty’s foundation was more evenly distributed to support a greater range of skin tones, whilst Makeup Forever’s failed to reach the richness or extensiveness of Fenty’s (Li, 2018). 

Figure 2 & 3: A depiction and comparison of Fenty Beauty’s 40 shades of foundation vs Makeup Forever’s 40 shades (Li, 2018)

In order for cosmetic brands to be successful, they need the ability to communicate, understand and then translate customer needs through into their products, like Fenty beauty’s 40 shade foundation. By being able to confidently give consumers what they ask for, whilst upholding the immensely high standards set by Gen Z’s shopping trends, cosmetic brands would be able to increase their credibility and reliability with customers, which in turn would increase their popularity.

References: 

Amed, I.A, Balchandani, A.B, Beltrami, M.B, Berg, A.B, Hedrich, S.H & Rölkens, F.R. (2019) Mckinskey & Company: the Influence of Woke Consumers on Fashion Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-influence-of-woke-consumers-on-fashion (Accessed: 11 October 2023)

Drapers (2023) How important is it that a fashion brand shows it is: environmentally and ethically sustainable? Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/gen-z-and-millennials-2023 (Accessed: 10 October 2023)

Francis, T.F. & Hoefel, F.H. (2018) Mckinsey & Company: ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and it’s implications for companies. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies (Accessed: 11 October 2023)

Li, J.L. (2018) The Pudding: The diversity of  Makeup shades. Available at: https://pudding.cool/2018/06/makeup-shades/ (Accessed: 15 October 2023).

Muralidhar, A. and Raja, A.S., 2019. Understanding the purchase intention characteristics of Gen Y and Gen Z and introspecting the modern demand variables in fashion industry. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 10(12), pp.144-170. (Accessed: 14 October 2023)

Werle, A., 2019. Beyond Light, Medium, and Dark: Diversity and Inclusivity in the Makeup and Beauty Industries. (Accessed 14 October 2023)

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Planet

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The cosmetic industry plays a substantial role within our environment, from its usage of materials to its output of wastage. The negative effects of our industry are caused by the way economic growth is valued more than the quality of processes, leading to the problems we now face in the environment. This makes it pivotal for us to understand how to make the industry more renewable and how we can reimagine the lifespans of our products and packaging. 

 The starting point for a good deal of innovation around sustainability is to try to dissociate business success from relentless expansion of material consumption, in an attempt to temper resource depletion, pollution and associated effects such as climate change (Fletcher, et al, 2012). Goal 12 of the UN’s sustainable development goals focuses on responsible consumption and production, aiming to achieve efficient management of our shared natural resources alongside the demand for economic growth (UN, 2015). Cosmetic brands are responsible for the quantity and process by which they utilise our natural resources, as well as how they dispose of waste. They should be engaging with ideas that focus on how to potentially maintain their level of economic sales without having to sacrifice environmental protection and sustainability in the process.

According to the British Beauty Council, 95% of cosmetic packaging goes to waste, with only 14% of it being sent to recycle plants, and 9% actually being recycled, leaving the rest to go to landfills (The British Beauty Council, 2018). Packaging plays a notable role in the beauty industry, as every product requires some form of packaging. The volume of plastic packaging, however, is unnecessarily high, with the way in which we dispose of it being equally as inefficient. Sustainability in cosmetics is first addressed in the design phase, which influences all the subsequent phases (Martin et al, 2023), therefore the approach towards achieving sustainability starts from square one. It’s the early stages that help contribute to the regenerative, recyclable nature of a products lifespan, which overall creates a circular economy for products. By creating a circular economy within the cosmetic industry, we are enabling products to consistently have a purpose and use from the initial design of the product, through to the end, where it can be recycled/repurposed. 

A brand that has successfully adapted its products towards a circular life cycle is Ren skincare, a British skincare company that is working on their zero-waste journey. By utilising landfill and ocean plastics, they have managed to remove and repurpose 1.5 tonnes of oceanic plastics to bottle their Atlantic Kelp range alone. They’ve also worked on removing single use sachets and partnered with multiple companies, including the Surfrider Foundation, by helping to remove 400kg of plastic on beach cleanups. With a moto that skincare should work for everyone, including the planet, and take action to preserve its natural resources for future generations (Ren, 2022) it’s evidence that companies can work towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.

Reference list:

The British Beauty Council (2018) Planet Positive Beauty Guide: Packaging. Available at: https://britishbeautycouncil.com/ppbg/packaging/ (Accessed: 4 October 2023).

Fletcher, K, & Grose, L 2012, Fashion and Sustainability : Design for Change, Laurence King Publishing, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)

Martins, A.M. and Marto, J.M., 2023. A sustainable life cycle for cosmetics: From design and development to post-use phase. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 35, p.101178 (Accessed: 5 October 2023)

Ren Skincare (2022) Our Zero Waste Journey so Far Available at: https://usa.renskincare.com/blogs/clean-thoughts/our-zero-waste-journey-so-far (Accessed: 7 October 2023)

United Nations (2015) Sustainable Development Goals Available at: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/responsible-consumption-and-production (Accessed: 4 October 2023).

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A Favourite Cosmetics Brand

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My favourite cosmetic brand would be Elie Saab’s perfume range. Quite a few friends and family recommended and use Elie Saab’s perfumes and swear by them. I was gifted the perfume “Le parfum Lumiere” from their range about 2 years ago and I have used it ever since, as the perfume is long lasting but isn’t an overpowering smell, as I can be quite particular about different scents in perfumes. This particular one has hints of patchouli, soft amber, jasmine and mandarin, so it has quite a summery scent and feel as it creates a floral smell. I think the packaging is cute and classic as well, with a sleek white and gold box/ribbon, which fits the aesthetic of their brand.

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