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Inclusivity in Fashion: Perceptions in India
Abstract
The definition of beauty has undergone a profound transformation, breaking free from established conventional standards and embracing a broader spectrum of attributes. Historically, societal beauty ideals have been defined by cultural, historical, and geographic influences, perpetuating prejudice and discrimination. In recent years, there has been a shift in the fashion industry as inclusivity and diversity have become buzzwords. Diversity encompasses age, skin tone, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and body size. Achieving inclusivity requires thoughtful consideration of fabrics, styles, and silhouettes suitable for India’s distinct diversity. This study delves into the perceptions of inclusivity within the Indian fashion landscape. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study explores how inclusivity is comprehended, embraced, and practiced in Indian fashion. The literature review highlights topics such as size inclusivity, promotion of body positivity, social media’s transformative effects, and influencers’ role in reshaping the fashion industry. It also discusses how brands embrace inclusive approaches in their marketing and the overall shopping experience. The survey among the Indian population revealed that respondents were aware of inclusivity in fashion, linking it to the idea of ‘Fashion for All.’ They highlight that inclusive brands consider factors such as different body sizes, economic backgrounds, physical abilities, sustainability, and cultural diversity. Brands such as H&M and Zara were often mentioned when discussing the inclusivity of the Indian fashion industry. Respondents indicated a readiness to support and potentially pay more for inclusive brands. The industry embraces diversity, challenges existing norms, and supports inclusivity. Despite some progress, significant gaps exist in creating authentic, inclusive fashion experiences that cater to a diverse spectrum of individuals. As the industry continues to evolve, embracing diversity, challenging conventions, and promoting inclusivity will continue to shape the future of fashion, rendering it a more accessible and empowering space for all.
The fashion business has long promoted an ideal size, colour, gender, and shape. The desire to be more inclusive has been a topic of discussion for some time, but it has recently acquired traction due to the growth of social media, the expansion of the global market, and evolving cultural norms. The goal of inclusion is to embrace everyone, regardless of their size, ethnicity, gender, or other characteristics. It is about making different identities feel appreciated, valued, and welcomed in a particular environment. Despite the fact that the main goal of fashion is to serve as a medium for expression and representation, these continual limitations have had the opposite impact. As the years have gone by, social media's influence over the fashion industry has only grown. Social media is the most practical and affordable mode of communication for the ever-changing fashion industry. This study aims to analyse how social media has acted as a catalyst in making the fashion industry more inclusive. Generation Z is the most ethically, racially, and ethnically diverse generation and was born between 1996 and 2012. They are Claimed to be the most welcoming and open-minded generation so far. The primary consumer study has been conducted using a random sampling method to examine how social media has helped fashion become more inclusive from GenZ’s perspective. Additionally, the survey's findings indicate that social media has a significant impact on the fashion business and that Generation Z expects inclusive and realistic models in the campaigns in order to participate in the market.
KEYWORDS: Inclusivity, social media, fashion industry, self-expression, social media, Generation Z
This study is an attempt to investigate the impact of social media on fashion industry as social media is getting very much in and within the past decade a remarkable development has been witnessed. Businesses are using social media as a promotional tool. Fashion industry is one of the businesses where frequent changes occur and social media is the most convenient and cheapest mean to communicate. Based on convenience sampling, five organizations were selected and a sample of 130 respondents was obtained which had two variables i.e. Social media and Fashion industry which further defused into four sub variables each.Reliability of the questionnaire fell within the acceptable band. As a preliminary investigation, correlation between the variables is obtained which is 45.4% and significant at 1% confidence level. Further, the results obtained through regression shows that social media is a significant predictor of fashion industry. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of The Study The world has become a Global Village & with the advent of information technology the ways of communication and work has been revolutionized completely. The emergence of social media has transformed the world and its entire way of functioning, bringing the world and its people closer. Social media refers to activities, practices, and behaviors among groups of people who gather online to share information, experiences and perspectives using colloquial media. Colloquial or conversational media are basically online based applications that have enabled to create and transmit content in the form of words, pictures, videos and audios. (Brake, 2009). Over the last decade Social media has become an effective marketing tool, it has not only created a new dimension of marketing but has also provided many opportunities to the marketers to create brand awareness among consumers. It is now considered as the most transparent engaging and interactive form of public relations. Social media is a compilation of online platforms and communication channels that are used by people to share information, profiles, assumptions, observations, perspicacity, apprehension and media itself, it facilitates communication and interactions between different groups of people from all across the world. (Moran, 2012). One industry which is considered to be perfectly suited and naturally fit for social media is Fashion. When we talk about social media for the fashion industry it refers to the social networking websites and other online platforms that enable the fashion industry to connect with their customers using the latest social networking technology. The fashion Industry is using social media to study trends and anticipate fashion behaviors. It is embracing social media which has enabled it to emerge in the forefront as a phenomenon. The development of social networking website such as Face book, Twitter has created a new muse among the Factionists. From the fashion blogs to the live streaming of catwalk shows, from the main fashion weeks to the social shopping we get diversity of opinions on different places through face book, twitter and other social networking websites. It has become a most important runway for the fashion industry. The power and influence of Social Media on fashion industry is undeniable. In the twenty first Century The presence of fashion designers on the social networking websites are of extreme importance. The designer and brands who realize the true worth of social media are the ones who have massive fan following. Not only this but now the fashion bloggers have the key role to play in the industry .They are considered to be thought leaders and have a voice in the industry. The brands are relying upon the fashion bloggers for the feedback on their products and they are serving as a link between target consumers and the
This article investigates the role of fashion and beauty photography in contemporary social discourses of inclusion and diversity, contributing to a critique of traditional politics of representation of the body and, therefore, to sociocultural change. Starting from analyzing this complex phenomenon that has generated a ground for comparison between ethic and aesthetic practices, snapshot culture, and advertising, Pompa examines how the rise of social media put into crisis the now leading aesthetic standards. In fact, these media have pointed out the need to increase the representation on fashion magazines of minorities, who have until now been excluded in the mainstream media. In this perspective, Vogue Italia and related narratives of unconventional beauty are explored.
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