Mental Health, But Make It Fashion

Suddenly, it seems like brands everywhere are taking a passionate interest in our mental health. From depression and anxiety necklaces at ban.do, to CBD beauty products at American Eagle Outfitters, to Kenneth Cole's "I Have Issues" shirts and totes, mental health awareness is becoming a common marketing theme.

In early November 2019, Saks Fifth Avenue and mindfulness app Happy Not Perfect hosted a dinner to help address the mental health stigma. The event was also being held to celebrate the arrival of the "Happy Not Perfect" installation at Saks Beverly Hills. Co-host Poppy Jamie said of the collaboration,

"For the first time ever, mental health is being put on the same shop floor as your moisturizer, and this is a huge leap in helping people understand that taking care of our brain is a daily activity we all need to prioritize. To truly move this conversation forward, we need awareness, education-in the same way we do with dental or medical-and accessible tools".

Well, she's not wrong. But doesn't the thought of retailers cashing in on mental health awareness seem a little icky? Maybe at first, but let's really dissect this.

Brands love a cause. This same phenomenon has happened in the past with causes like HIV, breast cancer and human rights. The fashion and beauty industries have been partnering with and rallying behind different causes for years and years. Mental health has just become the newest en vogue cause due in part to people's willingness to have conversations about mental illness. Another catalyst for this trend are the rising suicide rates. According to research from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates in the United States have increased 33 percent between 1999 and 2017. I truly believe that the spark of interest was ignited after fashion designer Kate Spade shocked the fashion world by taking her own life in the summer of 2018. One year after her death, the Kate Spade Foundation completed a $1 million pledge to support mental health services.

Another important element in this trend are that influencers are willing to speak out and share their experiences. First-hand accounts of celebrities, brand influencers and models mental health struggles have become popular content across all social media channels. The destigmatization of conversations around mental illness has been a huge cultural phenomenon in 2019. All of these conversations and first-hand accounts are creating a lot of buzz and a lot of engagement. Many argue that those being candid about mental illness on social media are simply "opening up" in order to boost engagement. Maybe so, but the less cynical of us choose to believe that they are using their voice and platform to raise awareness, normalize the topic and help their followers feel less alone.

But due to the sensitivity of the topic, getting the tone just right for brands to use in their marketing initiatives is tricky. It has to be done right not only to sell merchandise, but to avoid pissing off customers and facing a social media backlash. Striking the commerce/cause balance is crucial for retail companies especially when charitable foundations are involved.

And more than likely, there is a charitable cause involved. Ban.do's mental illness necklaces I mentioned at the top of this post? Every single cent of all proceeds go to Bring Change To Mind, a charity that aims to end the stigma. Retailers cannot under any circumstances be the only ones to profit from their promotion of mental health. It just isn't responsible.

The support groups, resources and education programs that many mental health organizations offer at no cost, do in fact cost a lot of money to organize and deliver. Money is obviously a large part of the equation for brands looking to make awareness-raising products. Most brands allocate a portion of the proceeds to various causes and organizations. And these organizations are eager to work with brands because promotion of any kind helps to quickly spread their message.

All of this wokeness is legitimizing mental illness as a truly important topic and validating it as an actual cause. The American Cancer Society, St. Jude's, The Human Society, UNICEF, this is what we think of when "charitable cause" comes to mind. But, people are starting to realize that mental health is fully a cause that is not only worth our attention, but our money too.

With sudden frequency, retailers have been eager to cash in on the $4.2 trillion global wellness industry. Consumers are broadly becoming more interested in wellness and wellness-focused products. Products like CBD beauty, fitness tools, supplements and vitamins and essential oils are wildly popular and work well for those with or without mental illness. But beyond their appeal and effectiveness, these products mere existence and saturation within the market is helping to advance the conversation around mental illness.

I think it is more of a "coming of age" story. Millennials and Gen Zs are all grown up and dealing with mental stress at alarming levels. Millennials have been named "the anxious generation". These young adults are dealing with problems like student loans, a wild political climate and intense social media competition. Younger generations are known to be more open about their mental health struggles, and are using social media as their soapbox. Mental health awareness has started to spread like wildfire because Millennials and Gen Zs are out here talking about it constantly. Burnt and bummed out, they are feverishly seeking out mental health related content both on and offline in order to cope with their crippling stress, anxiety and depression.

Brands took notice and started to utilize their own online platforms and physical spaces to deliver empowering messages, promote understanding and create a sense of community. They want consumers to know that they see them, and can totally relate and are sympathetic to their struggle. And! These brands have just the thing to help them fix their problems if they are interested, and Oh! by the way we will donate some of the money you give to us to this foundation. Young consumers today are totally into that because they place such a high importance on brands that place purpose at the center of what they do and how they operate. And retailers are more than willing to fall in line.

So at the end of the day, retailers are making sales, mental health organizations are being supported and the stigma is being addressed. People everywhere are self-aware and feeling like they are not alone. That's amazing right? Well, don't get too excited just yet. This all has one potential small downside to consider. Mental health is so much more than a slick marketing tool. While increasing the conversation is the goal, we need to be careful to not speak about mental illness in general terms. Doing so could dangerously decrease the extent of which millions of people (including me) suffer from mental illness on a daily basis. Mental illness is still an illness that should be taken seriously afterall. So, if you have a mental illness and you are feeling off, you would benefit more from seeing a doctor than perusing the latest mental health pop-up installation while chugging CBD tea. But, normalization is good and is nothing to be sniffed at. I'm not trying to have my cake and eat it too, I just think that we need to be careful to not cross the line from normalization to mental health problems being seen as nothing to worry about.

It's all good as long as retailers remain authentic when it comes to campaigning for causes, mental health included. You need to practice what you preach. Being consistent, kind and gentle with their messaging shows consumers that they really do understand what they are going through.

Whether you like it or not, fashion is an important part of our culture. It isn't ever going to be unpopular or go unnoticed. It's just in our nature. And I think that as long as brands are using their vast stage for good, this new normalization trend can only bring good vibes, a richer and more diverse conversation, and will help people feel less alone. Those are all really wonderful and positive things. Great things can be achieved if retailers do it right. Well done to those who are currently doing it right and seeing fantastic results. And here's to more brands stepping up to join the conversation.

If you are interested in shopping retailers who donate to mental health causes, here are some resources.

"Cause-Related Giving" via NAMI

"5 Cool Beauty Brands That Give Back to Mental Health Causes" via Byrdie

"Break The Stigma: Brands That Give Back" via The Chill Times