Meet the LOHAS

Eco-Fashion, green fashion, g-living and green lifestyle - terms that have its source in the LOHAS Community (”Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability”) and mark a trend that conquered the key markets tourism, trade, food and health by storm. Especially in fashion it´s nearly impossible to elude this subject. Reason enough to set up the category “eco-fashion” on what´s wrong with the zoo. But, before starting with the clubbers, we make an excursion into the terms of LOHAS, to understand, why not only emerging designers and small labels, but also the big brands hit the roads to the “political correct” way of producing and selling. Today: the megatrend “LOHAS”

“Lohas are individualists- sometimes also characterized as moral hedonists - that on the one hand live and consume in a conscious, sustainable way, and on the other hand merge with their lifestyle the so far conflicting wants like sustainability and indulgence, environmental orientation and design, ethics and luxury.” (Source: Understanding the LOHAS Lifestyle, By Laura Everage)

Environmental concerns, human health, and human rights do not completely describe the LOHAS consumer. The definition continues, “The holistic world view of the LOHAS consumer is a belief in the interconnectedness of global economies, cultures, environments, and political systems, as well as the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit within individuals in order to achieve full human potential. Personal development is of outmost concern to LOHAS consumers. Spirituality is no longer relegated to the New Age periphery but has immigrated to the center.” As opposed to a typical demographical group defined by age, income, or other definitive means, the LOHAS consumer cuts across those boundaries and is representative of more “higher-being” ideals. Their social consciousness, rather than their generation or socioeconomic status defines these LOHAS consumers, thereby posing unique challenges for retailers seeking to market to them.”

This is the first global lifestyle that came across the US to Europe and registers a growing amount of followers. This is not only concerning authors and journalists - also in economics and trend-scouting there have been a lot of researches, writings and discussions until the scientists and researcher came to the conclusion that the LOHAS are neither empirically measurable as a generation or a social milieu, nor by a political orientation - but still are the economical “Megatrend”.
According to the last year study “target group LOHAS” by German future institute, LOHAS are so called “cultural creatives” that rather want to be involved in an active way than to be persuaded only to by a product. Purchasing criterias are no longer status and luxury symbols, LOHAS care more about Design and positive product experiences. To make it short: It´s all about values like quality, aesthetics and sustainability. The “more” is no more important, the “better” counts.

In Europe and the US, the LOHAS market is to be projected at 63 million (30 percent) and culminates in the euphorical forecast that in a few years, nearly the half US- and European population is part of the LOHAS community. PUUUUh..sit down, take a breath. Lots of information all of a sudden!

I, for my part discover some LOHAS-lineaments in my personal lifestyle and consumer behavior, but I definitively DON´T order a LOHAS-Shirt from one of the numerous offerers. I would never describe me as a LOHAS - maybe, because I usually avoid hooking up with movements and communities or maybe, I just don´t want to be part of a “megatrend” target group. In general, I have a lot of sympathy for the approach to live and consume in a sustainable way and I like a lot, that themes like “economic correctness”, “justice” and “sustainability” are touched on consumers and producers consciousness. …but to be honest…I miss the depth, I miss more critical voices and I hope, that consumers will be not satisfied with a simple “eco” sticker on the new bought shirt. Especially in fashion industry it will be a long, rocky way …