overproduction

The society of fake needs

Human needs: are they real or fake needs?
Apart from the basic ones – essential to grant a decent life – human needs involve things that should improve our lives.

But, century after century, individuals have become needier. Or, to put it another way, we have just become spoiled. And if we add a high dose of ignorant and selfish behaviour, easy to detect in our society, the big picture becomes worrying.

We live for instant satisfaction, avoiding caring about the effects of our actions. Among those side effects are issues like global warming and garbage, so much that droughts have increased and the oceans are full of plastic.

Whether it is a sign of malaise or a sign of stupidity, this behaviour isn’t healthy. Therefore, some questions arise: do we really need all the products we consume? Or are ads just building fake needs to make money?

Advertising makes people believe so many things, and they buy without questioning. For instance, according to adv, we need vitamin supplements (all packed in plastic boxes). But the only thing we need is balanced nutrition, unless there are health problems, of course.
They make us believe we need expensive anti-wrinkles, even if nothing will erase a single wrinkle. Only plastic surgery can do that, another one of the crazy modern needs. And, it seems we cannot miss things like water added with hyaluronic acid or yoga pants. It’s a mystery how people could have practised yoga so far!

Also, they make us believe we need a new smartphone every year, so congrats on Chris Evans, who kept the same iPhone for seven years. Hey, seven years! We thought we were the only ones!

Do we need all those things advertising tries to sell?

Surely not. Indeed we built a society of fake needs. And it is the byproduct of a capitalist model, which puts a cage around us. But, at the same time, we talk about sustainability. Or a worldview that, if taken seriously, has nothing in common with capitalism.

Now, we should open our eyes and learn to discern rather than believe whatever they say. Being able to discern implies thinking, which is always a good exercise. And learning conscious purchasing and thoughtful consuming habits if we want the human race to continue to exist.

Dedicating particular attention to the impact of our actions on the environment is crucial. It will help us understand that with fake needs, we go nowhere.

Learning to make better choices is the way out.

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The upscale drive

Revising the (over)production model

Ending the diffusion lines is one of the strategies implemented by fashion Maisons lately. Why this change of direction? And is it the start of a new business model?

What is a diffusion line?

The diffusion lines, also named second lines, are ready-to-wear collections whose name is similar or somehow recalls the designer’s name. The inspiration and design of these clothing and accessory lines come from the Maison archive. But they get simplified in terms of patterns, working, and materials to offer the spirit of the brand at a lower price. More affordable, or relatively so. However, much lower compared to the main lines.

Indeed main lines dominate the high-end segment of the market, meaning they are expensive. But if they remained in that high-end segment, brands would miss the majority of the market.

So, driven by greed and speed, brands launched diffusion lines as an opportunity to expand the business and maximise profits. Specifically, diffusion lines were conceived and produced for the mass market.

Apart from some trailblazers like Armani, whose Emporio line was born in 1980, many diffusion lines started spreading in the 90s and mushroomed during 2000. For decades brands focused on evergrowing, ever-expanding, overproducing, and heavy discounting policies. So they triggered a vicious cycle that led to an oversaturated market deprived of value.
Now, something is changing. Some fashion Maison backed up, undertaking a new (or not so new) route.

The new strategy: quitting the diffusion lines

Recently, Valentino decided to eliminate the Red Valentino line from 2024 (launched in 2003) to focus more on couture.
Likewise, Chloè is to phase out its See by Chloé line over the next three years, addressed as a – “natural and necessary evolution for the long term.”

So, in the short term, brands have maximised profit through secondary lines. But, in the long run, this strategy has compromised the market and their own image.

Now the market is almost dead, and this forced them to change their path.
If fashion Maisons want to stay relevant in an oversaturated market, they need to do some cleaning. Ending the diffusion lines will allow brands a more focused business model.

Though we do not expect they will stop overproducing, we are curious to see what they will do next!

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Mass production or “mess” production?

Quality VS Quantity

Mass production is an ongoing global phenomenon. Fast-Fashion, is no doubt, all about mass-production as you think.

Yet, even in the luxury world, high brands nowadays are attempting to produce more than ever to reach a broader range of consumers. Why? Because this is how they maximize profit. Speed and cost are everything they now prioritize. Indeed it’s a matter of speed and greed.

Where do we find artisanal values?

Charles Frederic Worth, an English fashion designer in the early 20th century, is today known as the father of Haute Couture.
His dresses required some fifteen yards of fabric and could take three to four hundred hours to embroider. For one client, the dress even needed a team of thirty seamstresses working full time because everything was entirely made by hand.

Yes, the handmade takes time, but do we still find or do the luxury brands still even care about such craftsman values?

Where are the values which we used to appreciate in the past?

Mass or “mess” production?

Luxury brands are now mass-producing their products to market mass consumers. Targeting a larger audience means bigger profits, they believe. However, their mass production has undervalued the noble past of fashion and diminished the true aesthetic.

They care only about profit, no longer the values.
It is such a “mess production” – in fact.

Resizing and reducing, not maximising

By having in mind the idea of Couture as a meaningful business model, brands should produce less and target a smaller audience. Therefore, selecting the right individuals who are capable of appreciating these values.

A rigid selection is what the brands need to do. They need to select whom to create rather than create for everyone.

“Less” is such a big keyword for luxury brands today, but there is something that should be “more”.
Time. More time for quality.
Because quality takes a lot of effort, patience and creativity. And so more time is a must.
Yet, that is the only way the true values of fashion can be revived.

*

A piece written by Kotono Sakai, a Japanese girl studying history and fashion at Cattolica University in Milan and interning for suite123

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NO SALES

The ultimate sustainable strategy

It’s the second year of our NO SALES resolution. If you come across our activity by chance, you may discover now that we do not participate in sales or promotions anymore.

What is the reason?

The market is hyper-saturated. Full to the brim of disposable clothing. Heavy discounts and obsessive promotions are indicators of a sick system. In fact, they reflect an economy whose basic assumption is overproduction. And compel the unceasing construction of fake needs for blind consumers. In other words, people are manipulated and induced to buy any discounted item.

Therefore, sales are not a sustainable strategy. The selling price should take into account creativity, quality and labour. Which also means fair wages for the production chain. We already discussed the trick of modern-day slavery in our previous posts.

Once we have realized the whole economic system is corrupted, as a consequence, we have reduced the quantity we order. And by refining our selection, we opted for a capsule wardrobe focused only on meaningful items.

This is what:

1 – we don’t need quantity anymore
2 – we choose quality and good design
3 – we select items made to last

NO SALES

Quantity is not the answer, so we invite you to buy less.
Indeed, we suggest you buy intentionally and choose only thoughtful products.

We are here to make something different. To change for the better. And educate ourselves for slower consumption.
If the status quo is what you still want to promote, just look around. It surrounds you everywhere. You don’t need us.
But if you have lost that frenzy and search for value instead, we are here for you.

NO SALES

It’s the ultimate sustainable economic model for a long-term approach. That supports creativity, quality, and fair wages.

No sales mean less stuff, more meaning. It’s a radical and conscious lifestyle choice #formodernhumans

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The wind of Instachange

The fashion system needs to change. Social media accounts put out various content on this topic quite often. Like something new occurred, so the news has to be shared with everyone. Or perhaps, they believe we haven’t heard this story yet.

The discussion about resetting the fashion industry started during the pandemic, although the system was in bad health a long time before.
And the reason why it came out is not that it made sense to shift the approach by reinventing a stale system but because companies lost large amounts of money.
Indeed, money is the engine that makes the world move. And apparently, finances are the only thing that can provoke any shift.
Many of those who operate in the system completely ignore the problems. Better avoid the risk of any further loss of capital.

Fashion system and change
Image via Ode to things Tumblr

However, the debate still goes on.
Those who are aware of the multiple issues talk profusely and release interviews, podcasts. Top brands like to talk about change, but unfortunately, it is not tangible yet. There’s not even a little sign.
Only a few smaller brands follow a different direction.

Real change or Instachange?

So we wonder if all the talks are just catchy content for social media, food for the great experts in the field who can show how cool they are by interviewing this or that designer. But we are afraid that the whole debate will end up like COP26. Nothing done.

It is helpful to repeat concepts more than once because we tend to forget words quickly. And so listening again might help us keep the focus.
But, in the end, we must find solutions. Actions must follow the words. Otherwise, we will have beautiful graphics for Instagram, the wind of “Instachange”, but we won’t solve any issue.

By the way, overproduction is the biggest concern in the fashion field. Any news about if and how are they going to solve it?

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