Fashion, functionality, and the contemporary consumer

Abstract

Uniqlo has recently been challenging the paradigm behind the phenomenal success of Zara: while Zara has been all about fashion, Uniqlo claims to be all about functionality. Here I examine this corporate narrative within the context of a new paradigm in cultural sociology that brings to the fore the material and functional aspects of clothing consumption (as opposed to its fashion and identity-related aspects). This case study shows that we might be able to understand the contemporary consumer better, if we study the corporate narratives of our most popular retailers of fashion. After all, their survival depends upon a correct understanding of how exactly today’s consumers behave.