The global pandemic has taught us some lessons over the past two years. For many in the apparel industry, a new reality is emerging. If fashion brands are to survive, let alone thrive, they will need to evolve and adapt to the evolving landscape. Consumer preferences and habits are unquestionably shifting. Purchases have become more deliberate, more considered. And the key drivers of these trends are not purely out of economic necessity.
Environmental Change
From our industry observations, there is a definite shift in consumer values. The notion of instant gratification and the Maximalism “more is more” concept that had been glorified and turned into a profitable business model by the fast-fashion industry, now seems wasteful and imprudent.
Global conversations around our environmental footprint and ways to minimise its negative impact have been gaining momentum and getting louder since the start of the pandemic. Forward-thinking brands ensure ethical and sustainable considerations are at the forefront of their decisions across all aspects of their business.
Aesthetic Change
A noticeable shift has been the change in fashion choices and preferences. During these uncertain times, with many New Zealanders losing their jobs and feeling stress about the current uncertain economic climate, displays of ostentatiousness now seem out of place. Many are embracing an aesthetic of simplicity that feels right and perhaps cleansing in this present environment. The emphasis is perhaps now geared towards quality fabrics, subtle designs and conventional tailoring, whether it comes about in a pair of perfectly fitted jeans or a timeless button-down oxford.
Nicholas Jermyn
We as a team at Nicholas Jermyn understand that there is an opportunity for brands like ours to embrace sustainability as a core element of our business, a priority rather than a perk. We expect to see a continued shift towards sustainable fashion in the near future and every day we take practical steps towards becoming a better, more sustainable brand.
It’s been a few years since we’ve moved away from the past Nicholas Jermyn model. We no longer bulk order and manufacture hundreds of pieces at a time. Our tailors now offer a more sustainable production practice, matched with superior craftsmanship. We’ve introduced an online Custom and Made-to-Order service that helps our customers create their perfect shirt, starting from the fabrication, style, and fit, and finishing with some unique details that make a shirt truly a one-off, created specifically for you, by you.
There are a number of other things we’ve changed on our quest to become a better brand and a better business. Transitioning a large part of our business to Made-to-Order, offering limited runs to our new collections, as well as introducing GOTS organic and recycled fabrics, and of course, our continued emphasis on true quality, are just a few of the things we’ve done. Not only have we invested in improving the construction, quality and the look of our shirts, we have refocused the brand and its ethos toward timeless classics that champion longevity.
We’d like to consider our approach an 'antithesis' to fast fashion. And we continue to place all our efforts into creating the Perfect Shirt – affordable, responsibly-made, smartly-tailored, thoughtfully-designed, and enduring.
It was a matter of time, but Covid has accelerated the conversations for a more sustainable future, a new path for the fashion industry in general, and a renewed path for us, our family-owned business in New Zealand.
To our loyal Nicholas Jermyn community; we are honoured to have you on this journey with us. Without you, our journey would not continue.
Nga mihi nui.
Yours in fine shirting,
Nicholas Jermyn
Covid as a Driving Force for Change