The competing value propositions of sustainable and fast fashion have triggered a consumption paradox among Generation Z consumers. This study examines how different identity orientations influence the consumption of sustainable and fast fashion using an integrated multi-identity framework that draws from the self-concept and social identity theories. Specifically, this study examines how identity constructs- voluntary simplicity, mindfulness, frugality, status consumption, hedonism and need for uniqueness, differentially influence sustainable and fast fashion consumption. Data were collected from South African Generation Z consumers across two independent studies, one examining sustainable fashion consumption (n = 310) and one examining fast fashion consumption (n = 324). Structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypotheses. Mindfulness and voluntary simplicity emerged as the primary drivers of sustainable fashion consumption. Status, hedonism, need for uniqueness, and frugality drove fast fashion consumption. Intriguingly, frugality, status and hedonism positively predicted both outcomes, revealing the dual identity tensions at the heart of the paradox. The findings of this study offer identity-based strategic guidance for positioning sustainable fashion competitively among Generation Z consumers.
This study builds and tests a model of AI-generated educational video adoption for children's safety clothing. The model proposes perceived value and perceived quality as key antecedents, attitude, and self-efficacy as mediating variables, and a sense of safety as a direct predictor of adoption. The model highlights how perceived value and quality are linked to adoption through attitude, self-efficacy, and sense of safety. Using survey data collected from 300 kindergarten and elementary school teachers in the Republic of Korea and analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the findings show that both perceived value and perceived quality positively influence attitude toward AI-generated safety educational video and self-efficacy. In turn, attitude and self-efficacy positively influence the sense of safety which strongly drives the adoption of AI-generated safety educational videos. This study makes contributions to the body of knowledge in the researches on consumer behavior related to the AI generated safety educational video by identifying the unique roles of attitude, self-efficacy, and sense of safety as key variables in explaining the adoption of AI-generated educational video for children's safety clothing.
Urban areas are experiencing significant changes due to rapid consumption and innovation, leading to urgent demands for sustainable transformation. All these processes can be realized with collaboration among stakeholders, including organizations, institutions, and citizens in the fashion and design sectors. However, the precise roles, responsibilities, and impacts of stakeholders remain unclear. This paper aims to examine how organizations, institutions, and citizens co-develop circular fashion marketing in Milan through a Participatory Action Research design that combines semi-structured stakeholder interviews with secondary qualitative data from the fashion-focused ideathon "Refashioning Milan". Findings indicated a positive trend among organizations, institutions, and citizens in embracing circularity, with particular emphasis on the integrative role of knowledge institutions in facilitating systemic change. Theoretically, the study extends circular ecosystem and stakeholder engagement theory by explaining how boundary-spanning orchestration, rather than stakeholder participation alone, enables heterogeneous actors to align circularity framings. These insights can extend circular fashion ecosystem and stakeholder engagement research beyond descriptive role mapping and offer actionable implications for multi-actor governance and participatory innovation. We proposed practical recommendations to inform multi-stakeholder governance, entrepreneurship, and innovation strategies for the fashion market, while outlining future research directions for sustaining circular fashion ecosystems.
Despite rising environmental awareness, consumer adoption of sustainable innovations like 3D-printed clothing remains low, highlighting a persistent attitude - behavior gap. This study introduces the Dual Norms Model (DNM), which integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory while distinguishing between social norms (perceived expectations) and behavioral norms (observed peer actions). Survey data from 221 participants analyzed using PLS-SEM reveal that behavioral norms - not social norms - significantly mediate the influence of key innovation attributes (e.g. environmental benefit, compatibility, trialability) on adoption intention. These findings address limitations in TPB and DOI and suggest that marketing sustainable innovations should emphasize peer modeling over moral or informational appeals. The DNM offers a stronger framework for understanding sustainable adoption under uncertainty.
This study investigates consumer perceptions of sustainable fashion by analyzing online discussions. It aims to bridge the gap between consumer understanding and industry practices by providing insights to guide companies and policymakers in developing more effective sustainability strategies. Adopting a data-driven, computational social science approach, this study analyses more than 116,000 posts and 283,000 comments from 20 Reddit communities focused on fashion and sustainability. Advanced natural language processing techniques, including topic modelling and sentiment analysis, are employed to uncover key themes and sentiment trends. The analysis identifies six key themes in consumer perceptions: product lifecycle management, material sourcing, size standardization, quality vs. price considerations, social responsibility, and consumer influence. Notably, discussions of circular design principles and innovative materials were largely absent from consumer conversations. While overall sentiment is predominantly positive, waste management and material sourcing evoke the least positive reactions, highlighting critical areas for industry improvement. By leveraging large-scale, real-world consumer discussions rather than traditional surveys, this study offers a novel perspective on sustainable fashion, capturing authentic consumer discourse and uncovering insights that may not emerge through conventional research methods.
This study examines how digital transformation, sustainability, and consumer behavior intersect within the textile and apparel sector. Drawing on 492 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024 in the Web of Science Core Collection, it employs the Bibliometrix R environment to map structural patterns, thematic evolution, and emerging knowledge clusters. The results indicate a transition from product-focused rationality toward experience-driven and value-oriented consumption, where authenticity, transparency, and digitally mediated engagement strengthen trust and influence purchasing behavior. Three dominant macro-clusters define the field: psychological and behavioral determinants rooted in the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Value-Belief-Norm model; sustainability-oriented and circular-design approaches linking ethical production with traceability; and digital brand ecosystems that enhance co-creation and emotional connection. Research activity has accelerated since 2015, supported by advances in Industry 4.0 technologies and strengthened by policy frameworks such as the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. Nonetheless, regional imbalances persist, with developed economies leading theoretical contributions and emerging contexts such as T & uuml;rkiye contributing increasingly practice-oriented insights. In sum, the findings suggest that the future of sustainable fashion within the Orange Economy lies in integrating ethical responsibility, digital innovation, and creative value generation.
This study examines the role of luxury sustainability in shaping consumer behavior through pro-environmental self-identity and luxury consumption, focusing on how consumers leverage sustainable luxury choices for self-expression and self-presentation. The research explores the impact of luxury sustainability as a vehicle for social and ethical signaling, showing that pro-environmental self-identity enhances self-presentation, which contributes positively to perceived prestige and increases the consumer's willingness to pay a premium for sustainable luxury goods. Findings reveal that self-presentation strongly impacts prestige, while self-expression alone does not significantly influence prestige value. This suggests that the role of luxury sustainability is primarily driven by social perception, allowing consumers to align their personal values with visible, ethical status symbols, rather than purely personal expression.
With recent advances of customer experiences and touchpoints optimization, research interest in "high luxury" is growing. The challenge is that, despite the generated value, Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWIs), those whose net worth exceeds $30 million, display several distinct characteristics, making it difficult for scholars to apply most customer experience knowledge to them. Consequently, this study advances knowledge on managing UHNWI customer experience along the customer journey by drawing on social capital theory. Seventeen in-depth interviews were conducted, including seven UHNWIs and ten brand experts of top luxury brands in various industries to identify UNHWIs' customer experience features. To analyze the collected data, this study adopted an abductive design with thematic analysis in which emerging insights from the data were repeatedly compared with and used to refine the consumer journey experience. Findings indicate that UHNW customer experience is influenced by firm-controlled and non-firm-controlled touchpoints at all stages. Instagram proved to play a crucial role in UHWNIs' decisions at the pre-purchase phase. Silent social media use emerged as a common pattern of UHNW customers' pre-purchase processes. Personal assistants and stylists significantly contributed to enhancing their journey and served as gatekeepers.
This study examines how safety concern influences consumer behavioral intentions toward AI-generated children's safety clothing (in terms of recommending, buying, and wearing the clothing), with an emphasis on the mediating roles of aesthetic and safety attributes. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on designers' intuition, AI systems integrate data-driven pattern recognition and generative algorithms to produce optimized designs that balance aesthetic and safety features. Using a sample of teachers - credible evaluators of children's safety needs - the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling to uncover relationships among the variables. Results indicate that aesthetic attributes not only enhance consumers' recommendation intention but also strengthen their intention to wear the clothing, underscoring the role of appealing design in shaping favorable behavioral responses. Safety attributes, in contrast, primarily reinforce recommendation intention, highlighting their role in validating product credibility. Importantly, the study investigates the moderating effect of traditional versus non-traditional safety clothing colors, providing evidence that safety clothing colors can influence how safety clothing is perceived. By integrating perspectives on aesthetics, safety, and color symbolism, this research extends the literature on AI-generated products and offers practical implications for designers, marketers, and policymakers that can enhance and promote children's safety.
The fashion retail landscape has undergone a significant transformation through digitalization and evolving consumer expectations, with physical stores requiring reinvention to remain relevant. This study examines Zara's strategic evolution from mainstream to approaching luxury positioning through architectural redesign, phygital integration, and user-generated content (UGC). Through a qualitative analysis of the store literature and the luxury trends, the observation of the store, and analysis of UGC, a case study of Zara Man Hermosilla has been analyzed and compared with Saint Laurent Babylone. In doing so, this research has elaborated a comprehensive conceptual framework that systematically integrates physical, digital, and social channels within the retail environment, providing architects, designers, and retailers with a structured approach to navigate the complexities of contemporary retail transformation, and addressing a critical gap in current scholarship. Second, the study advocates architectural design of the stores as a strategic instrument of brand repositioning, effectively dissolving traditional boundaries between mainstream and luxury market segments. Finally, it demonstrates how Zara serves as a pioneering case in establishing emergent value propositions within retail formats, not merely appropriating luxury design codes but strategically embedding them within an integrated experiential and phygital consumer journey that aligns with evolving consumer expectations and aspirational needs.
As inclusivity becomes the cornerstone of today's fashion industry, marketers' perspectives are critical to understand who is seen and how perspectives are changing. This study examines how fashion marketers both advance and hinder diversity in women's fashion and explores their beliefs and attitudes toward inclusivity. Employing qualitative inquiry, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with brand and independent marketers across multiple countries. Findings revealed three dominant orientations: maintaining the status quo, envisioning the next era of inclusivity, and navigating a generational divide. Within each category, multiple themes emerged, exposing both entrenched barriers and opportunities for progress. While many marketers reinforced existing norms, subtle yet meaningful shifts in attitudes and dispositions suggest a gradual move toward beauty and fashion standards that are more inclusive, representative, and reflective of a diverse society. By centering marketers, who are the last touchpoint between brands and consumers, this study contributes to fashion marketing literature and practice by highlighting the tensions, resistance, and emerging possibilities that define whether inclusivity remains symbolic or becomes structurally embedded.
The rapid growth of mobile commerce (m-commerce) is reshaping the fashion industry, emphasizing the role of user experience in influencing consumer behavior. Although m-commerce adoption has received increasing scholarly attention, limited research has examined the hedonic and experiential dimensions that distinguish fashion consumption from other retail contexts. This study addresses this gap by investigating how the hedonic motivation of playfulness influences behavioral intention and user engagement in fashion m-commerce. An extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was tested by incorporating playfulness as an exogenous construct. Data were collected from 288 users through a structured survey and analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. Results indicate that perceived playfulness is the strongest predictor of behavioral intention, surpassing effort expectancy and social influence, while partially mediating the effect of effort expectancy. Accordingly, performance expectancy was excluded due to its limited relevance in the fashion m-commerce context. The study extends UTAUT by integrating intrinsic motivational factors, enhancing its explanatory power in experiential digital environments. From a managerial perspective, investments in playful, interactive, and visually appealing mobile interfaces can foster engagement, increase conversion rates, and strengthen customer loyalty, offering a sustainable competitive advantage in the global fashion market.
Prior literature on personal branding has substantially neglected the female entrepreneur brand, despite the need to frame gender in entrepreneurial self-identity narratives and female entrepreneur brand building. This study explores how gender shapes female entrepreneur brands, bridging marketing and entrepreneurship research agendas. Adopting an exploratory qualitative approach, this study examines three women entrepreneurs in the sustainable fashion industry. Through thematic analysis of in-depth interviews and Instagram posts, we identify key themes articulated across the individual/collective and the tangible/intangible dimensions. These themes delineate four archetypal narratives framing the female entrepreneur brand. We conceptualize the female entrepreneur brand as gender-centric. Gender manifests in brand narratives related to women's strengths, achievements, and positive values, in contrast with the defensive narrative practices emerged in prior studies. A distinctive feature of the gender-centric entrepreneur brand is its significant reliance on the collective dimension of women's self-identity, emphasizing the women's networks surrounding the entrepreneur, including collaborators, partner entrepreneurs, and customers. Risks of "gender washing" perceptions, loss of authenticity, and managerial challenges regarding the corporate brand-entrepreneur brand relationship should be considered in gender-centric female entrepreneur brand building.
Brand transparency in the environment is a critical driver of sustainable practices and consumer decision-making in fashion settings. This study investigates the nexus between brand transparency and customer referral engagement, considering the serial mediators of perceived corporate hypocrisy, green trust, and the moderating role of self-transcendence values. Employing stimulus-organization-response and signaling theories along with a multi-method approach (PROCESS Macro, fsQCA, and ANN), we provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between brand transparency, personal values, and consumer behavior. Our findings revealed that brand transparency influences customer referral engagement through the sequential mediation of perceived corporate hypocrisy and green trust. Self-transcendence moderated the association between brand transparency and perceived corporate hypocrisy, with higher levels of self-transcendence amplifying the impact of transparency on reducing hypocrisy perceptions. Interestingly, self-transcendence did not significantly moderate the pathway of green trust. We provide policymakers, marketers, and consumers with theoretical and practical insights while also highlighting further research in this emerging domain.
This study examines the relationship between environmental knowledge, attitudes, and social norms influencing green skepticism toward sustainable footwear. The data was collected from 510 United States respondents and analyzed using Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modeling. Results reveal that environmental knowledge positively influences green skepticism, while attitude toward green footwear does not significantly mediate this relationship. Social norms does not moderate the relationship between Environmental Knowledge and Green Skepticism. In addition, the results highlight the importance of harnessing transparent environmental claims to reduce skepticism toward green footwear marketing. Theoretically, this study challenges traditional assumptions about attitude formation and emphasizes the multidimensional nature of skepticism. This study emphasizes the need for credible, socially driven green marketing strategies in the footwear industry.
Utilized eye-tracking technology, this study examined consumers' visual attention toward AI-generated fashion advertisements (ads) images and compared them with consumers' visual attention toward real fashion ads images. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 60 each) to view either AI-generated or real fashion ads, followed by a self-reported survey. The research hypotheses were tested by heatmap results and ANOVA results. Results indicated that men exhibited greater familiarity with and more positive attitudes toward AI technology compared to women. Women, however, spent more time viewing real fashion ads than AI-generated ones. Notably, participants viewing real fashion ads primarily focused on models' faces, whereas those viewing AI-generated ads concentrated more on the products and models' bodies. These results suggested that retailers should tailor AI-generated ads to their target audiences. Given that men exhibited greater receptivity to AI-generated content, brands may consider employing AI-based advertising in campaigns targeting men, while real ads featuring human models may be more effective for engaging women. Additionally, optimizing AI-generated fashion ads by emphasizing product presentation can enhance engagement and impact. Theoretically, this study contributed to the literature on AI in advertising and eye-tracking, providing insights for future research in these fields.
This study attempts to extend the understanding of online apparel presentation by exploring the various factors that influence consumer responses to apparel products presented using different types of images. Through two experiments, the research explores the interrelationship between presentation image types (product-focused vs. style-focused), chronic regulatory focus (prevention-focus vs. promotion-focus), product types (utilitarian vs. hedonic), and their impact on purchase intentions. Experiment 1 shows that product-focused images, compared to style-focused, lead to higher purchase intention for prevention-focused individuals. Experiment 2 demonstrates that product-focused images are more effective for presenting utilitarian apparel products and style-focused images are more effective for presenting hedonic apparel products. These findings indicate the importance of aligning product images with chronic regulatory focus and product types to enhance consumer engagement.
In recent years, luxury fashion brands have branched out their businesses to experiential services, such as restaurants and caf & eacute;s. Given the trend, this study explores the experiences of US and Korean consumers in luxury fashion brand restaurants and caf & eacute;s as an extension of the brand, along with their motivations for sharing these experiences on social media, using a qualitative approach. In total, 419 responses were collected (US consumers = 209, Korean consumers = 210). Through reflexive thematic analysis, we identified the dimensions of restaurant and caf & eacute; quality, the theory of consumption values, and brand loyalty in luxury fashion brands' experiential services. Leximancer analysis further highlighted that US consumers place a high value on food quality in their experiences, while Korean consumers emphasize the importance of the atmosphere. Regarding social media sharing motivations, four main themes emerged for both groups: promoting brands, building a sense of belonging, recording memories, and pursuing psychological well-being. This study provides a novel conceptual framework that can be distinctly identified in consumer experiences at luxury fashion brand restaurants and caf & eacute;s and their motivations for sharing on social media.
Despite the importance of sustainable fashion consumption, sustainable fashion retailers capture only a small segment of the overall fashion market. While existing research has thoroughly examined consumer drivers of purchasing sustainable fashion, little is known about how retailers perceive these drivers and whether their marketing tactics reflect these perceptions. This study investigates the alignment between retailers' presumed drivers of sustainable fashion purchases and the marketing tactics they deploy. Based on interviews with 25 sustainable fashion retailers, analyzed through deductive thematic analysis, the results reveal a disconnect: while retailers identify personal benefits such as style and price as key drivers, their marketing tactics predominantly emphasize relaying generic information about sustainable fashion. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a persistent theoretical misalignment between presumed drivers and the tactics deployed, alongside narrow use of available marketing tactics. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications, highlighting the need for stronger collaboration between academia and practice to test and implement consumer-informed marketing tactics. Such alignment may help expand the reach of sustainable fashion within the broader fashion market.
Mannequins play a critical role in visual merchandising of fashion storefront windows but remain vastly under-represented in academic literature. To fill this gap, we scrutinize the role of abstract, stylized, and anthropomorphized mannequin heads and their impact on consumers' store entry propensity. The methodology features a triangular approach, including observational field research, in-depth expert interviews, and an experiment with 740 participants. Results reveal that anthropomorphized mannequin heads, especially in conjunction with a head tilt, reach the highest store entry propensity scores. Our contribution offers original insights for visual merchandising practitioners and supplies fresh perspectives for further research in fashion marketing.
