Personal Responsibility in Fashion and Clothes Assignment Answer

Personal Responsibility in Fashion and Clothes

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Introduction

Fashion is denoted by the representative, beautiful and cultural meaning that objects carry, particularly the ways in which an individual use objects to express their taste, lifestyle, social status and belonging to a community. Basically, an individual does not only think related to fashion as a positive force for sustainable practice in the design of products and services. Further fashion exists in different aspects related to our lives and plays significant role in order to shape consumption practice. The present report is based on the H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) which is a Swedish multinational clothing retail company. It is one of the reputed company because of its fast-fashion clothing for kids, women, and men. In the present report, Social Responsibility and Sustainability approach of the garment’s Brand/Company will be critically evaluated. Along with this, role of fashion in personal life and different fashion criteria for purchasing clothes will be discussed.

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Part I: Personal responsibility

Role of fashion in my life and its importance:

Fashion play the significant role in our society and in my life. The style is an expression of the individual which is mixed with charisma. Further fashion is something that comes after style. According to me, fashion is what an individual feel or act in a social world where we live. For me to have own unique fashion is one of the best things it is because the way I fell and do not need to explain anything to anyone . Further, I think that it is fun for me to look through a magazine for new fashions as it helps in expression who am I and what I like.

There are different criteria for purchasing clothes for different people. Some people make the purchase decision as per the price of products, quality, wide product range, availability if brand products etc (Dentchev, Baumgartner and van Hoof, 2016). Apart from this I make purchase decision on the basis of following points:

Fit: First I make sure that the garment is fit not it too tight or loose.

Quality: if the quality of cloth is not good then it will not look attractive or appropriate after wearing

Wide range of products: I like to choose to clothe from variety of products as that which suit me and look aesthetic.

Fashion icon

Everyday icon of H&M

Fun loving nature, intense prints and surprising combos have made Emili Sindlev a power to be figured with on the universal road style scene. Joined with the Copenhagen it-young ladies' adoration for shoes (all things considered), Its style is the ideal blend of fun, comfortable, and high-form in vogue. The independent beautician, mold influencer and Eurowoman supporter of put her mark address some of H&M's most up to date styles.

One of her signature styles is that it does not follow any rule. As she do not get enough color and patterns and her like mixing them as turn ‘too much’ does not exist in her dictionary.

Figure 1H&M FASHION

(Source: MORE LIFE, MORE COLOURS WITH DANISH STYLIST EMILI SINDLEV, 2017)

Figure 2: H&M FASHION

(Source: MORE LIFE, MORE COLOURS WITH DANISH STYLIST EMILI SINDLEV, 2017)

Stakeholder analysis of fashion industry

There are different stakeholders of fashion industry such as shareholders, clients, employees, Society, and customers. This all is important stakeholder in the company and they play a significant role. Employees role is to make innovative products and services for their customers so that sales can be increased and they can earn a profit.

Part II: Life cycle assessment

Brand from where I purchase the clothes is H & M which is the second largest global clothing retailer as behind the span based Inditex. Its online presence is very strong and its shops are available in more than 30 nations. It also has a unique identity and its all brands are combined with a desire for fashion and quality. This initiative to dress consumers in a sustainable manner. It focusses on modifying the clothes according to the needs and requirements of customers due to which help in grabbing the attention of a large number of customers. Its fashionable clothes are different from other brand products due to I prefer to purchase from H&M.

Life cycle assessment

• A life cycle assessment is a procedure that delivers a complete evaluation of the environmental influence which is linked to the presence and use of products and services. There are five steps which are involved in the life cycle assessment that, is as follows
• • Raw material acquisition: The raw material of textile fibres is that synthetic fibres which is perceived as a bad for the environment. While natural fibre is stated as good for the environmental friendly (Bohnsack, Pinkse and Kolk, 2014).
• • Material processing: The consequences of the clothing production process which is mostly exaggerated due to different types of textile from which the garment is made.
• • Product manufacturing: It is one of the largest contribution which take place is due to manufacturing phase. There is high energy of cost of textile production and from the synthetic textile production wastes take place.
• • Use of product: its impacts are linked with the use of product by the consumer. In clothing it involved drying, washing and ironing.
• • End of life: It is the impact of all the activities which are linked with end of life of the item.

Summary of LCA.

Life cycle assessment is effective and it provides powerful tool in order to measure the environmental profile of clothing and developing understanding related to environmental factors that can take place at the time of clothing lifetimes (Bohnsack, Pinkse and Kolk, 2014). Along with this life cycle assessment is mainly concerned with clothing from polyester, cotton, and viscose. This all are the common textile which is used.

Part III: Corporate Responsibility

H&M is one of the reputed company because of its unique clothing for men, women, and kids, children etc. Further it sales quality product at the reasonable price which helps in gaining the attention of a large number of customers. Along with this company follow different approaches of corporate social responsibility which help in gaining competitive advantage.

H&M approach to CSR, ethics and sustainability

The H&M business concepts include offering fashion and quality at the appropriate price and this is accomplished by them through directly buying from manufacturing and having an efficient logistic supply (Bocken, Short and Evans,s 2014). Along with this company also make sure that no child labor is used in the production of their clothes. Its auditor's regular check to make sure that no underage workers work in their factories. Apart from this, animal welfare is the essential for H&M and they do not accept animal abuse. The make purchase from only those suppliers that guarantee mulesing-free merino wool. They do not sell real fur and only sell leather from goats, sheep, and cattle which have been bred for meat production. Along with this, the company ensures that it pay fair wages to its employees as per the fair pay act. Chemicals are important for making clothes. Therefore, most of the chemicals are used by them correctly, and they are completely harmless. However, there are many chemicals that are harmful to the people and H&M is working on improving it.

For sustainability company focus on the working condition, wages, chemicals water etc.

Two aspects that is planet and people for H&M

People is one of the social pillars of sustainability as it focusses on balancing the needs of the individual and group of people. For this purpose, H&M, focus on market-specific skill training program, it makes products that are innovative and liked by customers, in initiated workers safety and women empowerment.

Planet: The environmental pillar of sustainability

Environmental sustainability takes place while processing, systems, and activities for minimising the impact of firm products and operations (Turker and Altuntas, 2014). For this purpose, H&M try to reduce the wastage that occurs due to factor work which can pollute the environment. Along with this company make products that are environmentally friendly.

It is critically evaluated that corporate social responsibilities play the significant role in order to gain competitive advantage and grabbing the attention of large customers. H&M follow all the sustainability and corporate social reasonability policies so that position can be made in the market. Along with this, it also focusses on preventing environment from getting harm from its production activities.

Part IV: Alternatives, Recommendations and Learning

Alternative for me regarding fashion habits

It is important to save the environment and being sustainable so that our surrounding environment, people, and animals can be saved. Therefore, before making any purchase decision I ensure that products are completely free from unethical aspects. Along with this, I can shop locally instead of preferring any brand that makes products which are not environmental friendly. There are so many local designers that I am seeing and they actually known from where the fabrics come and also known who is sewing it. Further, I do not through my clothes as because there are more ethical solution which can be taken out.

Recommendation for the H&M to become more sustainable and responsible

H&M can become more sustainable and responsible by following the steps

• • Fair trade: H&M should follow fair trade policy so that no customers get cheated. Along with this it should not sale bad quality product at the high price for increasing profit (Battaglia, Testa and Frey, 2014).
• • Organic cotton: Cotton is known as the pesticide-intensive crop in all over the world. Along with this, it uses up to 25% of petrochemical based, fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides. Hence the organic cotton is one of the effective ways for reducing the chemical burden than can affect the human being.
• • Transparency: H&M should be transparent with customers so that they can easily trust it and make the purchase decision. They should provide detailed information regarding the clothes which they are selling in the market. This new and effective transparency assist company in involving the customers more effectively in the production process in order to make an informed decision.

Sustainable Business models in the Fashion Industry

There are some criteria which can be used by the fashion industry for sustainable business (Pedersen and Gwozdz, 2014.). A company can focus on making products that do not harm the environment. Along with this firm can use closed-loop production system in which waste from production and end of product life disposal is preserved as resources and can be reused further. At the time when products become usefulness then the company can take it back and recycle them for preventing the environment from getting polluted. Further company can focus on restoring, maintaining and expanding ecosystem for business needs and sustain society.

Figure 2 Sustainable borrow-use-return model

(Source: 5 criteria of sustainable business model, 2010)

Conclusion

From the above report, it is concluded that fashion plays significant role in the society. It is a distinguishing and frequently continuous trend in the style in the way which person dressed. There are different companies who make fashionable clothes for their customers. Further, it is concluded that company should follow all the ethical and legal practices while making clothes so that environment and people can be protected from negative impact. Hence the organic cotton is one of the effective ways for reducing the chemical burden than can affect human being.

Refrences

Battaglia, M., Testa, F., Bianchi, L., Iraldo, F. and Frey, M., 2014. Corporate social responsibility and competitiveness within SMEs of the fashion industry: Evidence from Italy and France. Sustainability, 6(2), pp.872-893.

Bocken, N.M.P., Short, S.W., Rana, P. and Evans, S., 2014. A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. Journal of cleaner production, 65, pp.42-56.

Bohnsack, R., Pinkse, J. and Kolk, A., 2014. Business models for sustainable technologies: Exploring business model evolution in the case of electric vehicles. Research Policy, 43(2), pp.284-300.

Dentchev, N., Baumgartner, R., Dieleman, H., Jóhannsdóttir, L., Jonker, J., Nyberg, T., Rauter, R., Rosano, M., Snihur, Y., Tang, X. and van Hoof, B., 2016. Embracing the variety of sustainable business models: social entrepreneurship, corporate intrapreneurship, creativity, innovation, and other approaches to sustainability challenges. Journal of Cleaner Production, 113.

Pedersen, E.R.G. and Gwozdz, W., 2014. From resistance to opportunity-seeking: Strategic responses to institutional pressures for corporate social responsibility in the Nordic fashion industry. Journal of business ethics, 119(2), pp.245-264.

Turker, D. and Altuntas, C., 2014. Sustainable supply chain management in the fast fashion industry: An analysis of corporate reports. European Management Journal, 32(5), pp.837-849.

Online

5 criteria of sustainable business model 2010. [Online]. Available through:<https://sustainabilityadvantage.com/2010/08/10/5-criteria-for-a-sustainable-business-model/

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