Today, we live in a world where we categorize seasons in aesthetics and trends. The current Tiktoker era that we are all slaves of, has given rise to a digitalized perception of the world like we’ve never seen before. From daily fit checks to daily news updates, everything is attainable with a click of a button. With this kind of power, the digital universe has also made it incredibly easy for consumers to call out their favorite brands and keep them accountable. So, what does this mean for brands? There is an increased need for brands to take a stance on important social issues and stand in support for important causes, but this also paves the path for brands to join the ‘woke’ bandwagon and create progressive marketing campaigns as a way to garner public favor and ultimately, get profits. This phenomenon is what we call, ‘woke-washing’. Over the years, this phenomenon has been used extensively by big conglomerates in an attempt to deflect doubts that may arise about their ethical history and what goes on behind the scenes. The same stands true for the fashion industry as well.
There have been many instances of woke-washing, particularly in the fashion industry. The most popular being the campaigns that came out in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement, campaigns in support of the LGBTQ community and campaigns that leverage days like International Women’s Day to promote their brand by portraying false impressions of support for women’s causes.
This was seen recently when the fast fashion brand, Shein, invited US-based plus-size influencers and influencers who were not of American descent to tour their ‘innovation center’ in Guangzhou, China. While Shein offers affordable clothing and accessories, they have been in the negative limelight for many years on social media due to their unjust labor practices and human right violations. Shein leveraged identity politics by choosing diverse influencers and appropriating imagery of marginalized people to seem inclusive and better their brand image. Another instance of woke-washing and hypocrisy in the fashion and beauty sector was the L'oreal Paris x Munroe Bergdorf Scandal which took place during the Black Lives Matter Movement. L’oreal Paris came out with a statement in support of the BLM Movement, to which Munroe Bergdorf commented on the brand’s hypocrisy after firing her for her retaliation against white supremacy and racist comments. It is like Aja Barber, Writer and Activist once said, ‘Marginalized people are still not included while having their movements commodified for mass consumption’.
In a capitalist world like ours, there is no doubt that companies are mainly chasing profit and do not go in with the intention of making an impact. However, some would say despite the motivation behind these marketing campaigns, the larger issue at hand is being brought to light and raises awareness about the problem in sight. Taking for example, the Shein case discussed before, we could argue that the money used to fund the influencers could have been used to better the working conditions of their workers and increase their working wages. While it may bring to light diversity in the community, the underlying issues of their unjust labor practices overshadow the message that they’re trying to get across, which makes their efforts seem dishonest.
So, where does this leave us? Are brands doomed to be a product of woke-washing or is there an opportunity for them to be agents of change in the world? There are many ways this question can be answered. Advertising and marketing is by definition a means of promoting the value of a brand, thereby enhancing revenue, but the question is whether or not this could be done while also spreading socio-political messages and if both of these things could exist simultaneously. In my opinion brands do have the potential to be beacons of change. Brands can use their influence to spread key ideas and raise public awareness of social and political issues. When carried out in a genuine and responsible manner, this can result in noticeable advancements for the sector as well as for society at large. Brands must, however, be prepared to make genuine strides towards change in addition to performative gestures. This calls for making investments in inclusion and diversity, implementing open and moral business procedures, and actively promoting issues that go beyond their own profit margin. Additionally, transparency is crucial. Customers have a right to know the real story behind the goods they buy, including the conditions of the labor force and the supply chain. Companies need to be transparent about the efforts—or lack thereof—they make to address issues like diversity and inclusion, labor rights, and environmental sustainability. In addition, companies need to understand the value of collaboration and collective action. Collaboration with community stakeholders, advocacy groups, and grassroots organizations is often essential to bring about meaningful change. By leveraging their resources and platforms, brands can magnify the voices of those fighting for social justice and make their contributions to broaden the efforts to amplify movements for change.
Thus, we can see how fashion's trend of "woke-washing" is a sign of a bigger issue: the commercialization of activism for financial gain. Ultimately, the woke-washing phenomenon in fashion highlights how difficult it is to align progressive ideals with profit-driven business strategies. Although brands have the power to bring about significant change, they must carefully strike a balance between opportunism and authenticity. Fashion is facing a critical turning point as customers grow more discriminating and expect transparency from the companies they support. Will brands step up to the plate and become real change agents, or will they continue to live in a perpetual state of deceit and broken promises? Their readiness to face hard facts, accept sincere responsibility, and set out on a path to a more just and transparent future holds the key to the solution.
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