Gone are the days of simply appealing to "the average consumer" or "modern woman" by advertising products in a one-size-fits-all fashion. Today, consumers seek products—namely clothing—that offer something greater and more representative of who they are as individuals, where they have come from, and where they aim to go in the future.
Fashion is not only the incarnation of one's soul, but it is the personification of the inanimate as well. Over the past century, it is this goal of enticing mass audiences through film, television, print and even radio that provided narrow-mindedness with an open platform to dictate what culture should be and what it should represent. In the form of the ideal body type, skin color, hair texture, profession, fashion sense, disposition and attitude, the goal of giving allure to oneness set the previous standards for creatives and intellectuals alike.
The global fashion industry is no exception in this, as it has historically appealed to and sought the approval of the archetypical man or woman of an era. For example, from the early 1900s until the 1980s, the only men shown in clothing advertisements depicting the "Real Man" or "Man That Every Woman Wants" was a white male whose clothing (alongside his privilege) was the first thing meant to impress and inspire envy in those around him, validating others' roles as less-than beings in his society. Similarly, the romanticization of quintessential bodily proportions, tastes, behaviors and fashions crafted a paragon for 'Real Womanhood', too. Even the visionary Coco Chanel adapted a quote from French poet Paul Valéry to sell the iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume saying, "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future," further perpetuating that resistance to or lack of participation in one culture's ideality invalidates one's womanhood in every culture.
The explicitly gender-discriminate sentiment expressed within the advertisements and trends of much of the twentieth century has fortunately, in-part, diminished; however, the primary lack in the yield of today's fashion is in the neglecting of representation of niche audiences made up of sundry ethnicities, races, professions and curiosities. To do what no one has ever done, one must dare to go where no one has ever gone. By creating clothing for the same audiences and types of individuals as at the establishment of the brand with zero expansion into other specialty areas, the potential reach of a brand is severely limited. Nevertheless, one's personal preference or adoration for these standards and ideals are not to be disregarded if they give the owner or bearer a feeling of personal power; however, it is the lack of understanding that others can find this same power in not adhering to the standard that negatively contributes to the future of fashion and societal discourse as a whole.
In choosing to appeal to the niche markets or audiences that have harnessed the latter power, brands open themselves to new opportunity for physical and artistic growth, rather than self-imposed limitation. Understanding that niche markets are the new mass markets does not need to exclusively entail producing one range or style of apparel per brand. Instead, the key is to comprehend and respond to that it is the interweaving of cultures, styles, sensibilities, trends and preferences that have birthed the consumers of today.
Certain designers, creative directors and couturiers have successfully pioneered this vision for their brands and accordingly reaped the benefits of doing so. Since being appointed the brand's creative director in 2015, Gucci's Alessandro Michele, for example, has re-ushered in the drama, whimsy and potency of storytelling in fashion by infusing classic design with a modern take on the epicene and the beauty that comes with creating for individual tastes of heterogeneously aged and cultured individuals. In doing so, Gucci was able to reverse its previous sales decline, allow its appeal to extend far beyond its once solely elite customer-base, and has since captured the affections of younger generations and diverse international audiences, while also adhering to Guccio Gucci's original mission and dedication to producing quality goods.
Other brands have understood this from the onset, and have thereby created niche markets that also have the flexibility to offer additional competitive goods for the global marketplace. Examples include Burberry's beginnings with its iconic trench coat and more recent expansion into all areas of luxury apparel; Manolo Blahnik's original pointed-toe pumps, with a current lineup featuring sandals, ballet flats and boots; and Chanel's quilted handbags and classic tweed women's suits, now accompanied by contemporary printed denim jeans and PVC mules .
By acknowledging, respecting and creating for distinct niche markets, marginalized groups of individuals including minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, those of lower socioeconomic standing, students, retirees, wealthy millennials, athletes, off-duty models and professionals alike are able to choose the ways in which they wish to express themselves differently from one day to the next. Today's niche-mass market denotes that brands no longer dictate what society should wear, but rather that society determines what brands should produce to accentuate the benevolent power that oozes from the pores of heterogeneity and contrasting, yet complimentary, inclinations.
