How to navigate gender neutrality in retail

Our July Underground Session included speakers from Les Girls Les Boys, Tomorrow, Girls Will Be Boys, who discussed how brands are responding to the social climate to ensure inclusivity and representation within retail. If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here are some of our favourite takeaways from the night.

What does 'Fluidity' mean?

The central theme throughout the evening was how we define fluidity in today’s consumer market:

People don’t want to be classified in boxes and that’s why brands now have their own voices to express themselves in a better time with better reactions from consumers
- Marco Vianello, Tomorrow

Our panelists discussed how brands should navigate social issues and the importance of staying authentic while doing so:

It’s about really taking action as opposed to just putting a product out there
- Kati Chitrakorn, Fashion Journalist

Brands allows people to express themselves and act as an extension of identity; therefore, it’s essential retail reflects the mood of the time and keeps up with societal shifts:

When we pick brands we want to work with, the one thing we look for is what the brand stands for
- Marco Vianello, Tomorrow

We’re in a time of social and political change and brands can’t keep on doing the same thing if times are changing
- Serena Rees MBE, Les Girls Les Boys

If you’re going to do it, do it right.

No brand can be perfect, but you can try to be the best you can be
- Serena Rees MBE, Les Girls Les Boys

There is a risk of brands appearing disingenuous; therefore, intersectionality must run deep to avoid appearing like a surface-level marketing tool:

Consumers are smart and they see the difference when a brand is trying to support a movement and when they are trying to co-opt it
- Kati Chitrakorn, Fashion Journalist

We need to work together, because it can come across as woke-washing but sometimes the good intention is there they just don’t know how to go about it
- Char Ellesse, Girls Will Be Boys

Having a physical space can help diversify our streets and keep brands in touch with consumers through engaging and listening to them in person:

Back when I launched Agent Provocateur, we could’ve done with pop-up stores. If we’d had an Appear Here then, I think we would’ve had a lot more interesting brands opening
- Serena Rees MBE, Les Girls Les Boys

The Future of Fluidity

It is more important for brands to try to make an effort than not at all
- Kati Chitrakorn, Fashion Journalist

In order for brands to be authentic, it needs to come straight from the horse’s mouth. Diversify your team because people talking from their real experiences is a lot more impactful than what you think it should be
- Char Ellesse, Girls Will Be Boys

Shout out to Butler’s Gin for providing our drinks for the evening and to our amazing goodie bags partners: Hello Mr, Coconut Collaborative, Press London and Deliciously Ella.

Thank you to iZettle for partnering with us for our Underground Sessions. iZettle is a one-stop-shop for commerce, offering point-of-sale apps, mobile card readers and financing for businesses of all sizes. It’s super simple to get started – just connect your iZettle Reader to your phone or tablet and start getting paid.

iZettle has a special offer for Appear Here brands, reach out to our Additions team to learn more!

Underground Sessions are going to be a monthly fixture in the Appear Here calendar, so keep your eyes peeled.