The social media influencer (SMI) phenomenon is attracting attention from academia and business. A SMI refers to an individual who has accumulated a sizable social network of followers and thereby has influence over others (Ki et al., 2020). Due to the influence SMIs possess, an increasing number of brands are approaching SMIs and asking them to create and share branded content that includes product placements or brand recommendations. This practice is commonly referred to as influencer marketing. Reflecting the trend of influencer marketing, this study investigated: (1) whether consumers are ‘inspired-by’ SMIs and ‘inspired-to’ adopt the exemplars of SMIs (e.g., SMIs’ lifestyles, styles, and recommendations) as their social defaults that provide desirable standards that consumers will like and follow, and if so, (2) what are its causal factors and effects, and (3) whether the inspiration mechanism between SMIs and consumers differs between male and female consumers. In so doing, we drew on social defaults theory (Huh et al., 2014) and customer inspiration theory (Böttger et al., 2017).

Despite the growing trend of incorporating ethnic motifs, colors, and styles (i.e., ethnic-inspired designs (EIDs)) into mainstream fashion products in the US, there is yet a lack of understanding on what drives consumers to demand such products with EIDs. Although extant literature provides important insights as to what motivates consumers to favor EIDs, much of the studies have focused on the products’ appeals to particular ethnic groups with matching their cultural backgrounds. Less is understood on the core self-centric values mainstream consumers reflect into EIDs and the personal goal-pursuit they project by wearing them. We address this issue. Building upon Image Theory (Beach & Mitchell, 1987), our findings document that consumers’ purchase intent toward products with EIDs is more fundamentally driven by their aspirations to boost their self-view confidence by wearing EIDs (i.e., self-enhancement), which are guided by their core self-values that are represented by two personal values (i.e., cultural openness and seeking personal style) and two product values (i.e., perceived esthetics and perceived novelty).

Reflecting the phenomenon of the growing importance of sustainable consumption in achieving sustainable development, this study argues that luxury fashion brands can promote consumers to make sustainable consumption, by encouraging consumers to choose timeless style over seasonable fashion and long-lasting quality over excessive quantity, and thereby buy less and wear the product for long, having a socially and environmentally friendly influence to the planet. In addition to the leading role that luxury fashion brands play in consumers’ sustainable consumption, this study draws on the Coping Theory to explain how consumer guilt plays an important role in promoting consumers’ sustainable behavior (i.e., sustainable divestment intention). To achieve the aim of this study, we will collect 400 valid responses from consumer panelists of a commercial online survey company. Further, this study will analyze the data by adopting structural equation modeling (SEM) via AMOS 22.

β-carotene hydroxylase (BCH) has been implicated as a key enzyme conferring a stress tolerant mechanism in plants by production of carotenoids, which serve as protectants against photoinhibition and precursor of ABA biosynthesis. We previously cloned a gene encoding a novel cytosolic form of BCH (GmBCH1) from soybean (Glycine max) whose expression increased during nodulation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum. In the present work we extended our study to three GmBCHs as soybean is an allotetraploid, and examined their possible role(s) in nodule development. In situ hybridization revealed the expression of three GmBCHs (GmBCH1, GmBCH2, and GmBCH3) in the infected cells of root nodules, and their enzymatic activities were confirmed by functional assays in E. coli. Localization of GmBCHs by transfecting Arabidopsis protoplasts with GFP fusions and by EM immunogold detection in soybean nodules indicated that GmBCH2 and GmBCH3 were present in plastids while GmBCH1 appeared to be cytosolic. RNAi of the GmBCHs severely impaired nitrogen fixation as well as nodule development. Surprisingly, we failed to detect zeaxanthin, a product of GmBCH, or any other carotenoids, in nodules. We therefore examined the possibility that most of the carotenoids in nodules are converted or cleaved to other compounds. We detected the expression of some carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (GmCCDs) in wild-type nodules, and also a reduced amount of zeaxanthin in GmCCD8-expressing E. coli, suggesting cleavage of the carotenoid. In view of these findings we propose that carotenoids such as zeaxanthin synthesized in root nodules are cleaved by GmCCDs, and we discuss the possible roles of the carotenoid cleavage products in nodulation.