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Gen Z’s new sweetheart, Chappell Roan, has criticized fast-fashion brand H&M, saying companies like it have no place in her world.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer said that she had taken Elton John’s advice to say no to things she was uncomfortable with.
And one of the things was getting money from brand deals.
“All the money goes to the world-building,” she told Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos. “That’s why I am saying no to every fucking brand deal right now, because I’m like ‘Does it fit in this world?'”
“No, H&M does not fit in this world,” Roan added. “Also, fuck H&M.”
Roan told Rolling Stone that no amount of money would make her consider brand deals. “It has to be a hundred percent right,” she said.
The singer’s avant-garde, drag-inspired outfits—from her latex wrestler bodysuit at Lollapalooza to the chainmail dress at the MTV Video Music Awards—are a huge part of her appeal.
To be sure, Roan is not the only Gen Z-favorite who has spoken out for sustainability and against fashion fashion.
Billie Eilish, too, has been vocal about making sure her merchandise is sustainable.
“It’s about how it feels and how it looks and how it’s made,” Eilish told Billboard in an interview in March. “And so the problem is to make sure that my clothing is being made well and ethically and with good materials and it’s very sustainable and that it feels good and is durable.”
Eilish, along with Charli XCX, released a music video for their “Guess” song, which featured thousands of undergarments. But the garments didn’t go to waste, as the duo donated around 10,000 pairs of underwear to victims of domestic violence.
Gen Z values authenticity and transparency, experts say
Consumer experts BI spoke to said that Roan’s criticism of H&M may influence how her fans, primarily Gen Zers, view the brand and fast fashion as a whole.
“Popular artists who are clear about their values and who don’t like fast fashion can definitely have an influence on Gen Z,” said Thomai Serdari, a marketing professor from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Serdari said Roan likely “doesn’t want to get into commercial deals before she feels she is at a place of authenticity that can spur organic growth of her personal brand.”
She added that while “some of her followers will take her opinion to the letter,” she is not “necessarily speaking badly about H&M,” but rather all fast-fashion brands and commercial initiatives.
Marcie Cooperman, a professor from the fashion marketing department of Parsons School of Design, said that singers who refuse commercial deals have been around since her generation, the baby boomers.
“We also didn’t like the idea of ‘selling out’ to big brands or to advertisers just to make money,” Cooperman said.
“At the time, it didn’t seem to stop those brands from doing well, and it didn’t stop other artists from ‘selling out’ to them,” she added.
However, she thinks that nothing can hurt H&M.
“They have endured other, real, negative events, and they are still going strong,” Cooperman said of H&M.
“Even though it seems that we are trying to engage in ‘slow fashion’ and buy more high-quality clothing that lasts longer, Gen Z still keeps H&M in business,” Cooperman added.
But Serdari told BI that while these companies might still make money off Gen Z, brands risk losing the confidence of younger consumers if they don’t demonstrate an interest in being environmentally friendly.
“There is a lot of skepticism, I would even say cynicism, as to whether these efforts are intentional or even adequate to reconstruct a sustainable way forward,” Serdari said.
“Whichever the case, Gen Z consumers demand transparency,” she added. “When transparency is lacking, it is hard to restore confidence with younger consumers.”
Representatives for H&M did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
