The Pros And Cons Of Luxury Vs The Highstreet

Image Credit(s): ASOS Careers, Charles & Keith, Tyrell Hampton for Gucci

Thumbnail Design: Bethany Hutchison

When considering where I may want my creative learning journey to take me it’s important to consider what kind of brands I may like to work for: luxury or Highstreet brands. For many individuals this may be a seemingly simple question. Many people may pick the categories in which their favourite brands fall into whereas other individuals may opt for luxury brands due to their overall prestige. However, to me, this question is not so simple. For example, when it comes to deciding which sector I’d like to work in ethics and sustainability are at the forefront of my mind. Do these brands align with my personal ethics and how would I feel about actively supporting unethical practices? This is a topic which I aim to explore within this blog post in order to better understand my hopes and aspirations for the future.

The pros and Cons of working for Highstreet brands

As an individual who, as of yet, does not have any relevant work experience it is unlikely that prestigious brands would be willing to employ me post-graduation. Therefore, working for a Highstreet brand may be more viable (although it is still imperative that I obtain work experience!). This can be evidenced in a past 2024 Junior photographer job vacancy at ASOS in which the company is looking for individual’s who:

-              Have ‘great attention to detail with a natural flare of photography’.

-              Have the ‘ability to adapt and execute different shooting methods and shoot types’.

-              Have ‘good experience in model and still life product photography’.

-              Can ‘demonstrate a basic understanding of video capture’.

-              Can ‘demonstrate the ‘understanding and knowledge on how to execute the photography treatments aligned with the ASOS aesthetics’.

-              Are ‘highly organised and pro-active in decision making and problem solving’.

-              Have a ‘can do attitude with the ability to work well as part of a team’.

-              Have ‘strong organisational, prioritising and communication skills’.

-              Have ‘proven ability to be able to multi-task and think creatively’.

-              Have ‘good understanding of lighting and CaptureOne’.

-              Have ‘strong computer literate skills’.

Despite this long list of skills ASOS does not explicitly state that they are looking for an individual with past experience. Although the qualifications list may, at first, seem daunting after reading through the list a multitude of times I realised that, due to my time at university, I am already able to evidence many of these skills. For example, I am able to evidence an ability to capture both model and still life photography as evidenced through BA1b in my set design photoshoot and Dazed photoshoot alongside my product photoshoot as part of my BA1b marketing report. In addition, my experience with creating a promotional asset as part of my Levi’s marketing report has enabled me to understand how imperative aesthetics are in regard to brand identity. During my BA1b fashion publications brief I have learnt to not only work as a team but have also learnt how to manage a team (after adopting the editor in chief role). Finally, being bought up in the age of the internet alongside my knowledge of Adobe software’s has ensured that I am a computer literate individual.

Although I have many of the skills required for this role at ASOS there are still skills which I can continue to refine. For example, this role is looking for people who are knowledgeable with CaptureOne (a photography software site). At this point in my creative learning journey, I have (as of yet) not used CaptureOne. However, I would be able to educate myself on this software by using resources such as YouTube for tutorials or by speaking directly to the lecturers on my course or the lecturers on the BA photography course.

However, although working for ASOS may be a viable option for myself it may be an option I do not feel comfortable with taking. According to an article by sustainablejungle.com ASOS adds 5,000 new shoes, cosmetics and garments to their site per week which is hardly a sustainable practise. In addition, ASOS was accused of cultural appropriation in 2019 after creating a South East Asian accessory collection titled ‘The Maang Tikka’. Meanwhile ASOS has been continuously called out on their labour standards by corporations such as Buzzfeed and the BBC. For the reasons highlighted above I do not believe that I would feel comfortable working for the ASOS brand as I do not wish to support a corporation which has such loose morals and a brand in which I do not personally shop from (Carrillo, 2024).

Screenshot from the ASOS 'Women's New In' page (https://www.asos.com/women/new-in/cat/?cid=27108)

The Pros and Cons of working for Luxury brands

Although experience is desired (but not necessary) in order to work for Highstreet brands the same cannot be said for the luxury sector. This can be evidenced in a recent photography job vacancy by Charles & Keith in which successful applicants must:

-              ‘Already be based In London’.

-              Have a ‘minimum of 3 year’s experience in model photography, advertising or ecommerce, preferably in a studio environment’.

-              Have ‘strong photography and lighting skills’.

-              Have ‘high technical proficiency in Photoshop (Mac) and Capture Pro

-              Have ‘process experience in retouching’.

-              Have ‘good understanding of colour correction and image constraints’.

-              Be ‘able to work in a fast-paced environment with commitment to deadlines’.

-              Have ‘good interpersonal skills’ and be ‘a team player’.

-              Be ‘proactive and able to take initiative’.

-              Have ‘proven ability to work quickly and efficiently with an eye for detail and colour matching’.

Although I have obtained some of these skills during my creative learning journey (such as technical proficiency in Photoshop) I would be unlikely to obtain this role due to my lack of experience. In order to rectify this I must look towards obtaining an internship or partaking in work experience, whether this be with an established photographer or by assisting fellow students in their photography projects.

However, would I like to work for a luxury brand? This question is more nuanced. According to research conducted by Good On You Charles & Keith is rated as ‘Not good enough’ due to the brands lack of evidence in regard to reducing or eliminating hazardous chemicals in their manufacturing process alongside a lack of evidence in regard to protecting biodiversity and minimising packaging. Alongside shocking findings in relation to the brands supply chain and animal welfare policies.

Gucci Horsebait 1955 Small Shoulder Bag. Image Credit: Gucci

Charles and Keith are by no means an exception. Despite luxury brands making seemingly sustainable moves (as evidenced in 2023 when Gucci released a vegan horsebit handbag endorsed by climate change and vegan activist Billie Eilish) their practices are still majorly tokenistic, greenwashed and flawed. Eco-stylist.com states that ‘luxury brands, with their global reach and high demand, contribute significantly to environmental degradation. They also contribute to social impact with their mostly opaque supply chains, cultural appropriation, and the marketing of unattainable lifestyles to promote overconsumption.’ Yet again, for the reasons highlighted above I do not believe that I would feel comfortable working for luxury brands such as Charles and Keith, Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent despite their seemingly environmental moves as I do not wish to support corporations with loose, unestablished morals (Unknown I, 2023) (Cardona, 2023) (De Klerk, 2023).  

Through my research conducted for this blog post I have concluded that both Highstreet and Luxury brands both have their drawbacks. After researching into the two departments, I have decided that, In an ideal world, I’d like to work for prestigious luxury brands who are environmentally conscious (such as Stella McCartney and Lirika Matoshi) as working for luxury brands is often more respected and impressive to future employers. Although I understand that this will most likely not be a viable option for me post-graduation due to a lack of experience in the field. I will therefore need to compromise and seek employment from Highstreet brands who are making a conscious decision to become sustainable. A Highstreet brand which I may like to work for is Levi’s. Through my research during my BA1b marketing report I have learnt that the company is making genuine attempts to be more sustainable. This desire to do better and my pre-existing loyalty to the brand causes me to feel comfortable working for and supporting Levi’s.   

Bibliography:

Cardona, Adela (2023) ‘Is Luxury Sustainable?’. Available at: https://www.eco-stylist.com/is-luxury-sustainable/#:~:text=Luxury%20brands%2C%20with%20their%20global,unattainable%20lifestyles%20to%20promote%20overconsumption(Accessed: 24.03.24)

Carrillo, Hailey ‘Is ASOS Fast Fashion?’. Available at: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-fashion/is-asos-fast-fashion/ (Accessed: 24.03.24)

De Klerk, Amy (2023) ‘Gucci launches vegan Horsebit handbags’. Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a45683460/gucci-vegan-bags/ (Accessed: 24.03.24)  

Unknown I (2023) ‘Charles & Keith’. Available at: https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/charles-and-keith(Accessed: 24.03.24)