Despite the positive outcomes of brand-consumer interactions on social media documented in the literature, an important question still remains: Are active brand-consumer interactions always beneficial to luxury fashion brands? This study argues that such interactions may undermine the core perceptions of the brands by making consumers feel too close to the brands. Drawing upon construal level theory of psychological distance, the purpose of this study is to examine the negative effects of brand-consumer interactions on perceptions of luxury fashion brands (i.e., social perception, uniqueness perception, quality perception) in a social media context. Two experimental studies were conducted. The purpose of Study 1 was to test the hypothesis that luxury brands, compared to mainstream brands, will be perceived as more psychologically distant and abstract. Study 1 used a 2 (brand category: luxury vs. mainstream) x 2 (brand replicates) mixed-model design in which the brand category was a between-subject factor and the brand replicates were a within-subject factor. Fifty-nine subjects recruited from Amazon MTurk participated in the study. The results of Study 1 revealed that luxury brands are inherently psychologically distant than mainstream brands. The purpose of Study 2 was to test the impact of brand-consumer interactions (i.e., high vs. low) and the mediating role of psychological distance on the three perceptions of luxury brands (i.e., social perception, uniqueness perception, quality perception) on social media. A single factor between-subjects design was used, and a total of 74 participants were recruited from Amazon MTurk. To manipulate the level of consumer-brand interaction (high vs. low), two versions of a luxury brand’s mock Facebook pages were created. For the high interaction condition, the brand responded to consumers’ posts in a friendly way and displayed the images of user photos. For the low interaction condition, the brand did not respond to consumers’ posts and displayed no images of users. As predicted, the results showed that participants indicated lower brand perceptions when the brand’s social media page displayed a high level of interactions than a low level of interactions. Moreover, formality, a measure of psychological distance, partially mediated the relationship between brand-consumer interactions and all the three brand perceptions. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that active consumer-brand interactions on social media do not necessarily benefit luxury fashion brands, rather they can damage consumer perceptions of the brands. This study provides important implications that luxury fashion brands should maintain a sacred distance on social media; otherwise it will undermine important perceptions of the brands such as status signaling, exclusivity, and quality.

Starting from the analysis of possible antecedents, the study aims at investigating the luxury fashion vintage purchasing drivers. Luxury fashion vintage market is a specific sub-segment of the vintage sector which is currently the protagonist of an overwhelming trend which is still unexplored and neglected by recent academic research.

Given the recent modest growth of the personal luxury good market and the urge to face difficulties through innovative brands’ marketing communication strategies, this paper examines the potentialities of tactical associations between luxury fashion brands and furniture design. Results indicate that there can be positive repercussions deriving from luxury fashion brands and furniture design interconnections. In particular, associations with collectable furniture design may help to define and enhance brands’ luxury values whilst providing consumers with innovative and creative luxury brand experiences. Future expectations in this market show a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 3% to 4% through 2020, to just about €280 billion. This is dramatically slower than the past fast growth experienced from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s. In this scenario, luxury fashion managers and marketers must envision new strategies to succeed and surpass competition. In order to be competitive and successful, luxury brand managers must take into account current market dynamics and find pertinent and substantial solutions. This paper shifts its attention to the identification of how in such a difficult scenario different cultural industries can meet in order to mutually enhance their circuits of value. Some studies have demonstrated that in order to meet such new global challenges, luxury fashion firms may discover strategic opportunities in art (Codignola, 2016). Given their symbolic connotation and aesthetic value, high-end furniture design items are more and more perceived as art works exchanged in art auctions or fairs, collected and purchased by collectors, exhibited in galleries or museums. At the same time, furniture design goods show some divergences from conventional art works (i.e. functionality, reproducibility, etc.) and some correspondences with fashion goods. By observing the luxury fashion sector, one may then find--for different sets of reasons--more than one interesting intersection with the furniture design sector. By taking into account the furniture design sector within its specific market features and goods, this paper argues that through furniture design LFBs can develop engaging creative and innovative brands’ marketing communication strategies. Compared to art, such strategies would be able to add value and strengthen LFBs’ luxury features even in a more effective way.

The willingness to actively contribute to more sustainability bares important challenges for managers who must take strategic decisions. The literature about corporate social responsibility has developed in many directions, with often a divide in focus, between society (Acquier & Aggeri, 2015) or corporate sustainability and responsibility (Bansal & Song, 2017). The paper sits at the intersection of these fields by focusing on the question of ethical dilemmas. The objective is to approach the question of ethics in context, through the trade-offs that managers are facing when taking strategic decisions to build sustainable business models, to discuss the contours of the ethical competences at work. The paper focuses on a specific context, the one of successful pure players of sustainability in the luxury fashion industry. It means first that we leave aside the question of organizational change to analyze the core dilemmas that even new actors that start from scratch must face. These pure players could also be named “social entrepreneurs” (Elkington & Hartigan, 2008) or “elegant disrupters” (Bendell & Thomas, 2013). Second, by focusing on luxury fashion we locate our analysis in an industry where the nature of the activity is both a source of salient controversies and of exemplary practices (Kapferer, 2010; Godart & Seong, 2014), two aspects that have the potential to make visible some dilemmas. We focus on a small number of cases of organizations that we selected per criteria of similarities and differences, to allow for an inductive in-depth comparative case study (Yin, 2009). The four organizations are: a producer of yak products, a fur recycling company, a fur auction house and a digital platform for emerging designers. The cases are similar in that each organization is a successful promoter of sustainable practices. The four cases however differ in that each puts at the core of the business model different types of sustainability issues and is based at a different level of the value chain (sourcing, fabrication, intermediation and market access). Also, the four organizations differ in the degree to which they aim to disrupt existing practices in the luxury fashion industry. Data were collected through a series of interviews and complementary press articles, websites and reports. Data analysis proceeds in two steps. We start by narrating each case through the voice of the organization, to describe and understand the rationale behind each business model. We then further our interpretation of the cases through a comparative analysis by systematically recording the tensions or contradictions. Each firm organizes the activity around key engaging choices that promote sustainability but do not lift some inbuilt dilemmas–labelled as: sustainability vs. luxury fashion, sustainability vs. sustainability, and sustainability today vs. tomorrow. The paper highlights how innovative players can openly discuss some dilemmas, approaching sustainability as a story they care about but also as a debate. Yet, the paper also points to the fact that some dilemmas may remain harder to reflect upon, especially the ones that can counter in the long-run the objectives that were at the base of the business. Some questions as the one of growth, in time and scale, might push far the reflexive ability but it is also where ethical competences might be the most needed.

Initial situation and Problem Statement The world faces extraordinary challenges relating to the environment and society. Rapidly increasing demand is colliding with declining resources, the awareness of the need for environmental and social sustainability has grown (Martin & Schouten, 2014, p. 20). Due to these facts collaborative consumption has emerged and has disrupted various established industries all over the world. People’s attitude towards ownership and the way societies consume are changing (Chen, 2009, p. 926). Today, consumers are willing to pay for using or accessing a product rather than buying or owning it (Chen, 2009, p. 926). Gradually, consumers are turning their backs on the traditional consumer-oriented paradigm and over-consumption and are progressively looking for ways which downshift or simplify their lives (Albinsson, Wolf, & Kopf, 2010, p. 414). Collaborative consumption is driven by a variety of factors including the global recession, anti-hyper-consumerism, cost-consciousness as well as awareness of the need for a waste-reducing and sustainable living (Gansky, 2010, p. 16). The main drivers are technological advances, such as the internet and social media, which allow new ways of accessing and sharing. By using information technology, products and services can be reused, distributed and shared at the right time and location to the right customer (Gansky, 2010, p. 16). The most successful field of collaborative consumption is the one of tangible assets, such as clothing, which are not used to their full potential by their owners and can be therefore temporarily shared (Botsman & Rogers, 2010, p. XVI). Within the fashion industry many collaborative consumption concepts are developing and thriving (Pedersen & Netter, 2015, p. 259). Generation Y is interested in collaborative consumption and can identify with this phenomenon as it fits their increasingly ideological lifestyles (Höflehner, 2015). According to a study published by Mindshare in November 2015, 44 % of persons of Generation Y in Austria are aware of the prominent online collaborative consumption platforms and one out of ten has already participated in a fashion-sharing activity (Mindshare, 2015). In 2014, 8.5 billion euros were spent on clothing (Statista, 2016), whereas almost 60 % consisted of fast fashion items (Ökosoziales Forum, 2013). On average, a person has 90 clothing items in their wardrobe, and more than half, is not used at all any more. Moreover, the average item is worn for about a month before its usage drops significantly (Threadflip, 2014) or the item gets disposed of in spite of still being in good condition (Shephard & Pookulangara, 2014, p. 11). Online collaborative consumption for fashion can help expand products’ life-cycles, as unneeded or unwanted fashion items can be easily rented, lent, given or sold to other consumers by using various online platforms available (Fletcher & Grose, 2012, p. 88). However, hardly any research was found that specifically focus on online collaborative consumption for Gen Y and examine the influencing factors Research Aim and Research Methods The aim of this study was to find out about the determinants influencing the intention to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion items among Gen Y taking as an example young adults in Austria. Additionally, the factors, which can increase participation should be identified. In order to find out the influencing determinants, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 of Venkatesh et al. (2012) will serve as the basis for the applied research construct. The following research questions are to be answered in this study: RQ: Which factors have an influence on consumer's intention to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion among Generation Y in Austria? SubQ: Which measures help Generation Y in Austria to be more motivated to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion?. In order to be able to provide answers to the research questions a quantitative study in the form of an online questionnaire (n= 219) among respondents of Gen Y in Austria was carried out. A number of research hypotheses have been developed in order to identify a possible influence of several variables on the intention to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion items, mainly focusing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) and on the Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 of Venkatesh et al. (2012). Theoretical Background Theory of Planned Behaviour by Ajzen (1991) The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was presented by Ajzen in 1991 as an extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Ajzen and Fishbein, introduced in 1975 (Teo & Lee, 2010, p. 60). Both models are part of the multiattribute models. The theory of reasoned action tries to offer an explanation for a performed behaviour. The idea behind the theory is that behaviour is performed due to an intention to perform that behaviour. The intention is influenced by the subjective norm and the attitude towards the behaviour. The TRA thereby attempts to predict the possibility of the occurrence of a specific behaviour (Schwenkert, 2006, p. 27). Although it can be said that no behaviour can be predicted with a 100% certainty there are several studies that unveil that the intention to perform a behaviour makes a significant contribution to the actual performance. The intention is the motivational factor behind the behaviour. It indicates “how hard people are willing to try, of how much of an effort they are planning to exert, in order to perform the behaviour” (Ajzen, 1991, p. 180). The main variables of the model are the Subjective Norm and the Attitude towards the Behaviour. Subjective Norm (SN) can be described as the assumption of the individual that people important to the individual are expecting the behaviour to be performed. In other words, that people close to the individual think that the behaviour should be performed by him or her (Schwenkert, 2006, pp. 27-28; Teo & Lee, 2010, p. 61). This belief somehow conveys a sense of unconscious social pressure for the individual – the pressure to perform as the norm demands. Some researchers have found that the social norm does not have as much influence on the intention to perform a specific behaviour as originally assumed (Li, Mizerski, Lee & Liu, 2009, p. 233). It has been found that the culture also tends to have an impact on the influence of the Subjective Norm. People living in an individualistic culture have a tendency to be not as influenced by social pressure as people living in a collectivistic culture (Li et al., 2009, p. 234). This may result in the fact that in collectivistic cultures the opinion of the group is highly important and therefore often followed. In individualistic cultures people are not that influenced by others which may explain those differences in the impact of the Subjective Norm. The TRA involves another variable – the Attitude towards the Behaviour (AtB). As the phrase already suggests, it does not describe the attitude towards an object, but the attitude towards the behaviour itself (Schwenkert, 2006, p. 27). The individual has a positive or negative feeling about the behaviour which influences the intention to perform it, is influenced. The attitude towards a specific behaviour is connected with one’s inner beliefs about the consequences of executing it. Therefore, also the possible consequences and outcomes of the behaviour are evaluated. If they are seen or predicted as positive the possibility of the intention to exert the behaviour is high, and so is the possibility of an actual performance (Li et al., 2009, p. 233; Teo & Lee, 2010, p. 61). As the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is an extension of the TRA, there has been added another variable – the Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). The PBC points out the “perceived ease or difficulty of performing the behaviour” (Li et al., 2009, p. 234). By adding this variable Ajzen tried to include the element of uncertainty and to increase the ability to predict the behaviour. Studies show that the accuracy of prediction is higher than with the TRA but still the cognitive processes are in the foreground (Kroeber-Riel & Gröppel-Klein, 2013, p. 236). Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology by Venkatesh et al. (2012) The original Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was constructed by Venkatesh et al. in 2003 after reviewing eight existing popular models for IT adoption. The eight models revised were The Model of PC Utilisation, Innovation Diffusion Theory, Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Motivational Model (MM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), Technology of Acceptance Model (TAM and TAM2), Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Combined TAM/TPB (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003, pp. 428-433). The UTAUT was mainly created for IT corporate use. The extension, the UTAUT2, was developed in 2012 by Venkatesh et al. to make it applicable in consumer contexts and it is used to study new technology applications (Venkatesh, Thong, & Xu, 2012, p. 158). The UTAUT2 consists of seven variables that have an influence on Behavioural Intention. Behavioural Intention is a determinant for adoption of the Use Behaviour. Variables that refer to an individual’s difference, namely age, gender and experience, are used to moderate various relationships within the model. Performance Expectancy is the extent to which consumers gain benefits in their performance when using a technology. From reviewing the eight prior models, Venkatesh et al. (2003) have developed the construct Performance Expectancy, which pertains to Perceived Usefulness (TAM/TAM2), Outcome Expectations (SCT) and Extrinsic Motivation (MM), which refers to the behaviour that is driven by external rewards. According to Venkatesh et al. (2003) it is the strongest predictor of Behavioural Intention (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003, p. 447). Effort Expectancy is the “degree of ease associated with consumers’ use of technology” (Venkatesh, Thong, & Xu, 2012, p. 159). In general, the easier a technology it is to use in the adoption phase, the more positive the attitude towards said technology (ibid.). Social Influence is defined as the degree to which consumers think it is important that others, such as family and friends, believe they should use a certain technology. This construct refers to the Subjective Norm in TRA and TBP. Prior research suggests that individuals, who are not well informed about the technology in question, are more likely to intend to use the technology, if other, well-informed, peers use said technology (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003, p. 453). Facilitating Conditions refer to the extent to which consumers “believe that an organisational and technical infrastructure exists to support use of the system” (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003, p. 453). Hedonic Motivation, or intrinsic motivation, refers as the enjoyment or pleasure derived from using a technology. It is shown to be an important factor in determining technology acceptance and use in consumer contexts (ibid.). Price Value is an important value in a consumer use setting as the consumer usually pays for the technology application or the use of it. The Price Value is positive and adds to explaining the Behavioural Intention to use when the benefits of using the technology perceive to outweigh the costs (ibid.). Finally, Habit is the degree to which people tend to behave automatically because of learning (Limayem, Hirt, & Cheung, 2007, p. 718). Conclusions Summary The empirical study has shown that the factors Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Price Value and Sustainability have an influence on the Behavioural Intention to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion. Firstly, it has been hypothesized that Performance Expectancy has an influence on the intention to use online collaborative consumption for fashion. As it turns out, the results showed no significant difference. Therefore, consumers might find other ways of acquiring clothing more appropriate and better suited. The second examined factor is Effort Expectancy, defined as how easy it is for consumers to use the technology. The results display that this factor shows a significant, positive influence on the intention to participate. This is in accordance with results of Venkatesh et al. (2012, p. 159), stating that the easier a technology is to use, the more likely is its adoption. The third factor, Social Influence, explains whether consumers feel it is important that other people, such as family and friends, think they should use a technology. As it turns out, this variable is positively and highly significantly related to the adoption of online collaborative consumption for fashion. Prior research proposes that persons, who are less informed about the technology, are more likely to use it if other influential persons use said technology (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003, p. 453). Next, Facilitating Conditions were investigated as a potential factor influencing the intention to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion. It was hypothesized that Facilitating Conditions, such as the access to a technological device with access to the Internet, have an influence on the adoption of online collaborative consumption. According to the results of the study, this variable has a highly significantly correlation to the outcome variable Behavioural Intention. The results also show that Hedonic Motivation is significantly and positively related to the Behavioural Intention. Thus, utilitarian and hedonic components of online consumption need to be taken in consideration, as has been shown by previous research in the context of traditional online shopping (Childers, Carr, Peck, & Carson, 2001, p. 533). The sixth investigated factor was Price Value, which is considered positive when the benefits of using the technology perceive to outweigh the costs. In this research, Price Value is a positive and highly significant predictor for the intention to use online collaborative consumption for fashion. Therefore, the outcomes of the study show that Price Value influences the intention to participate in online collaborative consumption for fashion. The next two factors of the research model, Trust and Sustainability, played a tremendous role when discussing collaborative consumption and even are considered main principles of collaborative consumption in the literature. As expected, Sustainability showed a highly significant and positive impact on Behavioural Intention. As mentioned before, this predictor accounted for 28 % of the total contribution of the research model. Trust did not significantly influence the adoption of online collaborative consumption for fashion. This result might be based on the fact that respondents feel insecure when interacting with strangers on the Internet in order to sell, buy or rent fashion items. Managerial Implications Several implications for retailers could be deduced from the results: According to this study, especially the factors Hedonic Motivation and Sustainability account each for 28 % of explaining the contribution to Behavioural Intention to use online collaborative consumption for fashion. Considering these insights, platforms dedicated to online collaborative consumption for fashion might put emphasis on these factors and increase their level of enjoyment and social interaction. For instance, platforms could boost these factors by including the usage of gamification. This way, the level of fun and pleasure for persons can be enhanced which in turn may lead to the adoption of online collaborative consumption behaviour. Additionally, in order to increase the social factor, online forums and discussion groups might not only help to express users’ experiences, reviews or interests, but also generate general social interaction, which is considered as very important for the participation in collaborative consumption. Furthermore, the study has shown that two thirds of the sample would welcome the possibility of fast fashion retailers offering online collaborative consumption activities. Since there are still a limited number of persons aware of the phenomenon of collaborative consumption, the alternative of peer-to-peer exchange in collaboration with a prominent fast fashion retail chain would be a perfect alternative. Instead of being tied to relatively unknown platforms dedicated to collaborative consumption for fashion, persons would most certainly be more aware and more willing to participate in such practices, if a well-known, established retailer would allow collaborative activities. Moreover, the aspect of sustainability seemed to be a crucial factor for the intention to use online collaborative consumption platforms for fashion. For this reason, platforms should communicate this aspect and publicise the fact that using collaborative consumption activities is an environmentally friendly, To conclude with, more than half of respondents would need more information about the topic in order to participate. Existing online platforms should invest in effective communication strategies or inexpensive guerrilla campaigns in order to attract more users. As the results of this study show, if persons are better informed and more aware of this phenomenon and its advantages, the better are the chances for adoption of collaborative consumption for fashion.

Sustainability is currently regarded as an imperative business goal by multiple stakeholders, comprising investors, customers, and policymakers (Nidumolu, Prahalad, & Rangaswami, 2009; Sheth, Sethia, & Srinivas, 2011). In particular, how effectively the fashion industry deals with the challenges of sustainability will define its success for eras to come. This study focuses on how social power, parasocial interaction, and social capital work for purchase intention of sustainable fashion products in the fashion YouTube context. Specifically, the study investigates the effects of social power on parasocial interaction, the effects of parasocial interaction on social capital, and the effects of social capital on purchase intention for sustainable fashion products and the implications for sustainable fashion marketing and management. Theoretical Framework This study defines social power as types of power that can be employed to exert influence on others. The five social power bases (French & Raven, 1959) are discussed in terms of perceived influence: Expert power refers to someone who is perceived to be an expert, to have expert knowledge, or to possess special information. Legitimate power relates to someone who is perceived to have a legitimate right to impose behavioral requirements. Referent power is associated with someone who is personally identified. Reward power refers to someone who is perceived to have ability and coercive power to someone who is perceived to have the capability to confer punishment. Parasocial interaction concerns the relationship between media personalities and media users (Frederick, Lim, Clavio, & Walsh, 2012; Horton & Wohl, 1956; Jin & Park, 2009). Parasocial interaction can be defined as “immediate, personal, and reciprocal, but these qualities are illusory and presumably not shared by the speaker” (Horton & Strauss, 1957, p. 580; Jin & Park, 2009). Parasocial interaction theory focuses on the way audiences interact, relate to, and develop relationships with a celebrity (Jin & Park, 2009; Lee & Watkins, 2016). Audiences create a strong bond and intimacy with a celebrity while viewing media channels such as TV programs and social interactive media where audiences feel closer to the celebrity (Kassing & Sanderson, 2009; Lee & Watkins, 2016). Social capital refers to “the aggregate of the actual or potential resources linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships” (Bourdieu, 1985, p. 248). Social capital involves the relationship between providing access to resources possessed by the associates and the nature and amount of those resources (Portes, 1998). Social capital can be clarified as an intangible force that helps to bind society together by transforming self-seeking individuals into members of a community with shared interests, shared assumptions about social relations, and a sense of the common good (Etzioni, 1996). Sustainability refers to three dimensions: economic, environmental, and social (Sheth, Sethia, & Srinivas, 2011). Sustainability transforms into a triple bottom line responsibility, with the inference that assessment of business outcomes should be based not only on economic performance, but also on the environmental and social impact. Environmental and social demands from various stakeholders contribute to the pressure for businesses to reflect sustainability. Thus, sustainable marketing practices are defined from economic, environmental, and social perspectives. In this study, effective sustainability measurements involve purchase intention for sustainable products especially emphasizing environmental and social performance. Focused on the effects of social power on parasocial interaction and the effects of parasocial interaction on social capital and purchase intention for sustainable products, this study tests the following hypotheses: H1. Social power (expert, referent, legitimate, and reward) positively influences parasocial interaction. H2. Parasocial interaction positively influences social capital (bonding and bridging). H3. Social capital positively influences purchase intention for sustainable fashion products (environmentally and socially sustainable fashion products). Methods This study used a survey to investigate key questions about the associations among social power, parasocial interaction, social capital, and purchase intention for sustainable fashion products. A total of 230 fashion YouTube users recruited from South Korea participated in the survey. Of the 230 participants, 40 were men (17.4%) and 190 were women (82.6%), with ages ranging from 20 to 39 (mean = 29.43 years). The social power of the fashion YouTuber (e.g., vlogger) was measured through an existing social power scale including expert, referent, legitimate, and reward measures that elicited user responses to 14 items (Goodrich & Mangleburg, 2010). Parasocial interaction was measured on the basis of user responses to six items on an existing 5- point scale that assessed parasocial interaction (Jin & Park, 2009). This study measured social capital on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree), which was adapted from an existing Internet social capital scale (Williams, 2006). Purchase intention was measured using three 7-point semantic differential scales (likely/unlikely, probable/improbable, possible/impossible; MacKenzie, Lutz, & Belch, 1986) after informing participants that they might be purchasing environmentally and socially sustainable products. Results The overall goodness-of-fit for this measurement model was acceptable (Chi-square 1236.138, df = 680, p <0.001, chi/df=1.818, TLI = 0.900, CFI = 0.913, RMSEA = 0.060). The reliability coefficients of all 14 social power measures including expert, referent, legitimate, and reward were 0.871, 0.782, 0.657, and 0.865, respectively. The reliability coefficient of all six parasocial interaction measures was 0.873. The reliability coefficients of all social capital measures were 0.684 for bonding factors and 0.899 for bridging factors. The reliability coefficients of purchase intention of environmentally and socially sustainable product measures were 0.921 and 0.947, respectively. The coefficients indicate acceptable reliability of the measures. This study used partial least squares (PLS) for structural equation modeling, which has good statistical power for samples. Social power, including referent (β = 0.018, p < 0.05) and reward (β = 0.359, p < 0.001), showed statistically positive effects on parasocial interaction. The results partially supported H1. Parasocial interaction showed statistically positive effects on social capital, the bonding factor (β = 0.578, p < 0.001), and the bridging factor (β = 0.651, p < 0.001). Thus, the results supported H2. For parasocial capital, bridging showed statistically positive effects on purchase intention of environmentally (β = 0.233, p < 0.01) and socially (β = 0.284, p < 0.01) sustainable products. Thus, the results partially supported H3 (see Table 1, Figure 1). Discussion This study contributes to clarifying the concept of social capital and determining the relationships between social capital and purchase intention for sustainable fashion products. This study contributes to the theoretical foundation and implications of social capital and sustainability. Specifically, social power, including referent and reward, positively influences parasocial interaction. Parasocial interaction has positive effects on social capital. In turn, social capital positively influences purchase intention for sustainable fashion products. This is the first study on the effects of social capital on purchase intention for sustainable fashion products in the fashion YouTube context. This study suggests that social capital is a strong influential variable for purchase intention regarding sustainable fashion products. Thus, fashion marketers should consider social capital management in the fashion YouTube context while tailoring their brand communications to enhance their sustainable marketing and management.

consumption, has been attempted to replace with sharing economy which is consumer-to-consumer’s activity of obtaining, giving, or sharing the access to goods and services (Hamari et al., 2016). Research argued that the sharing economy develops based on information and communication technology (ICT) as it is an emerging economic-technological phenomenon, proliferation of using social networking site (SNS) (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), and increased consumer awareness (Belk, 2014; Hamari et al., 2016). SNS refers to a digital environment that allows individual to create his/her space where sharing and constructing relationship with others are possible (Lin & Lu, 2011). Among the numbers of SNSs, Instagram is gaining notable attention as powerful marketing tool which may especially be important for fashion industry. Hutchins (2017) reported that number of its daily active users exceeds 400 million, and 90% of users are under 35 who may be familiar with the idea of the sharing economy. In terms of marketing, 53% of Instagram users are found to follow their favorite brands (Hutchins. 2017). According to Ryan and Deci (2000), consumer behavior of using information technology such as Instagram was influenced by extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. Although numerous researches have done with the sharing economy and SNS respectively, despite the recognized role of SNS in the sharing economy, comprehensive and empirical study of the sharing economy and SNS is very limited. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate consumer’s motivations to use Instagram for participating sharing economy by developing research framework based on the motivation theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) perspective.

Social media are increasingly becoming a strategic vehicle of modern companies’ way of communicating and interacting with consumers. Actually, social media marketing (SMM) has recently emerged as an effective two-way communication channel able to provide the sharing and exchange of information, ideas, and user-generated content in virtual environments. This is especially true for fashion brands, which are progressively creating interactive platforms such as online brand communities in order to enhance their consumer-based brand equity (CBE), interpreted as the consumers’ assessment of a company brand image, identity, and value. Scholars have widely analyzed the relationship between a company’s SMM and brand equity, thus finding a direct positive impact of the five main constructs depicting perceived SMM activities, namely entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, and word of mouth, on CBE. Despite this relevant scholarly interest, the consumer behavioral responses linking a company perceived SMM activities and CBE have been largely neglected. Actually, consumers’ benefits from virtual environments and online brand experience may represent significant elements marketing strategists should focus on in order to enhance a company’s brand equity. Building on the uses and gratifications theory and experiential marketing, we develop a conceptual model that unpacks such linkages, by relating SMM activities, perceived benefits of using social media, online brand experience, and CBE. Specifically, we interpret SMM activities as significant brand-related stimuli able to influence consumers’ cognitive, social interactive, personal interactive, and hedonic benefits, which in turn influence consumers’ sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual online experience. Moreover, we investigate the experiential responses of consumers that mostly affect a company’s brand equity, which finally impacts on consumers’ purchase intention of the fashion brand. The model is validated using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a sample of real users of online brand communities operating in the fashion industry. Our sample is composed of Millennials, which currently represent the most influential grown-digital generation of consumers. Overall, our findings shed light on consumers’ online behavioral and experiential responses to a company’s perceived SMM activities, thus proposing strategic implications for the management of brand online communities and suggesting interesting possibilities of future research on social media and fashion consumers.

This study focuses on the value of fashion social platform and investigates the relationships between knowledge sharing and customer value. The study examines the effects of social network attributes on knowledge sharing in social platforms and the effects of knowledge sharing on customer value in social platforms. In the context of a fashion social platform, this study clarifies the concept of customer value, the role of knowledge sharing, and the relationships between knowledge sharing and customer value. The study builds a theoretical model regarding fashion social platforms and customer value that offers implications for fashion management practitioners.

Consumers around the world are increasingly categorized by parallel needs and similar longings which lead to an ever-more homogeneous global market (Chan, Li, Diehl & Terlutter, 2007; van Ittersum & Wong, 2010). The acceleration of global consumer assemblies has concurred with the occurrence and upsurge of global citizens and consumer cultures (Gao, Mittal & Zhang, 2015). Yet, many researchers still claim that cultural differences have to be considered to grasp buying customs of global (fashion) consumers (Tahmid, 2012). The rationale of this paper is to balance out this research gap and to contribute to the current debate of global vs. local (Cleveland, Papadopoulos & Laroche, 2011; Askegaard, Arnould & Kjelgaard, 2005; Arnett, 2002) fashion consumer lifestyle segments with joint or divergent dominant apparel purchase motivations. Motivational factors influencing apparel purchase behavior can be separated into rational, emotional (perceptional) and patronage motives (Diamond, 2005). In the main, Sproles & Kendall´s consumer characteristics approach (1986) provided the conceptual foundation of the present study of fashion consumption motivations (fashion referred to as apparel & clothing), partially modified to suit the peculiarities that mold fashion consumption. The total of 23 motivations is made up of 15 multi-item scales and 8 single items that complement the fashion-specific range of motivational drivers. Especially referring to fashion purchase motivations, countries like Germany and Austria (despite their prosperous market economies) have so far been markedly neglected and even for France, although universally recognized as the leading country for fashion, in-depth research on motivational parameters shaping individual shopping activities is scarce. Likewise, investigations on American (a nation with intense spending capacity) fashion purchase motivations are extremely seldom. The objective of this paper is threefold and expressed through the following three research questions: (1) What are important lifestyle cluster characterized by central fashion motivations? (2) Can representatives for each cluster be found in all countries? (3) Are there country specific differences which point to either global or local fashion consumer segments? The predefined set of fashion consumption motivations was put to test via an online quantitative consumer survey. The questionnaire was delineated in three languages, using a translation-back translation procedure and was thoroughly pre-tested. Altogether, 693 non-student individuals (482 females, 211 males; from 18 to 87 years of age) participated in the survey, equally distributed across countries, ages and gender among the four nations (despite the fact that quota sampling was used). Subjects were asked to evaluate the total of 23 fashion consumption motivations on a 7-point Likert scale. A factor analysis was conducted for each of the established multi-item scales (with a CA value of mostly above .70). Measurement Invariance (Steenkamp & Baumgartner 1998) across the four countries was assessed. Subsequently, a cluster analysis was carried out using the Ward algorithm, incorporating all 23 fashion consumption motivations to acquire a more detailed description of the consumer segments. Five consumer clusters were extracted through Elbow criteria: (1) pragmatic, socially-conscious, brand loyals (n= 195), (2) sustainable fashion shoppers (n=127), (3) detached fashion disinterested (n=128), (4) passionate, luxury-status fashion-leaders (n= 107), and (5) experiential fashion adventure-seekers (n=136). Country-wise, significant differences are manifested between the consumer segments, X²(12, 693) = 69.12, p=.000. Findings portend that consumers in all research countries can be allocated to one of the five clusters. This condition leads to the clear presumption that global consumer fashion consumer segments do exist. Nonetheless, some national divergences become evident. Particularly if a fashion brand or company intends to address a target group affiliating to the consumer cluster 1: pragmatic, socially-conscious, brand loyals, cluster 2: sustainable fashion shoppers or cluster 3: experiential fashion adventure-seekers, national differences need to be taken into consideration. Markedly, a pragmatic positioning appears to be most auspicious to target American and also French consumers whereas a sustainability and ethnocentric orientation seems to be substantially promising to reach German and also Austrian consumers, demonstrating that a complete standardization of a fashion firm´s positioning through the transnational appeal of dominant consumption motivations seems not yet to be advisable. Further implications, limitations and directions for future research are available upon request and will be addressed more thoroughly at the conference.

Purpose: While many consumers claim to include ethical considerations in their consumption behavior, only a small fraction adheres to these self-made standards. For example, although two thirds of consumers polled by Nielsen in 2015 in thirteen countries stated to be willing to pay more for sustainable brands only ten percent actually purchased this type of product. Even if responsibly produced products still only account for a small share of the market they represent a pervasive marketing phenomenon that merits further scientific research. The so-called attitude-behavior-gap has received a considerable amount of attention not only in the business context, but also in scientific marketing research. Nevertheless, previous studies commonly discussed responsible consumption from an information-processing perspective concentrating on the rational and goal-directed side of responsible consumption. What is still largely missing, though, is the consideration of emotions as drivers or influencing factors for consumer responsibility, even though the few existing studies suggest a positive influence. This holds especially true for the self-conscious emotions of guilt and pride. Furthermore, the few studies at hand generally focus on non-durable goods like tea, coffee or juice and leave a research gap with regard to durable products like fashion items. Thus, the aim of this study is to further investigate the influence of self-conscious emotions on responsible consumption in the context of the fashion industry. Specifically, the influence of the two emotions guilt and pride as well as the influence of social visibility on the consumer’s decision-making and purchasing process shall be investigated. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method approach containing qualitative and quantitative methods is applied. While in-depth interviews and focus groups with fashion consumers shed light on potential influencing factors and outcomes of self-conscious emotions, a scenario-based experiment further validates these results on influence of guilt and pride in the context of responsible consumption. The experiment follows a 2 (negative vs. positive responsibility outcome) x 2 (social vs. no social visibility) design and is conducted via online questionnaires. Findings: Experiences of self-conscious emotions provide feedback on past behavior that ultimately leads to a revised behavior linked to consumer responsibility in the future. Specifically, pride (guilt) can potentially lead to increased (diminished) word-of-mouth and purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications: Limitations lie in the type of research design as a scenario-based experiment was chosen for the quantitative study. Future research should investigate the topic at hand with a field study, ideally with a suitable partner from the industry. Another limitation lies in the examination of only one industry that strongly differs from other industries. Further investigations should compare the self-conscious emotions’ impacts on different types of industries. Practical implications: The current research provides suggestions on the adequate use of communications to promote sustainable fashion brands and to develop according campaigns that elicit emotional reactions from consumers. Furthermore, although guilt and pride refer to past behavior, they can nevertheless be used by management to influence future consumer actions, e.g. choice of responsibly produced garments as opposed to conventional ones. Incentives for successful word-of-mouth of sustainable fashion brands could strengthen this effect. Additionally, the final results deliver insights on whether social visibility should be increased (e.g. through offerings in offline channels) or rather reduced (e.g. through promotions in online channels). Originality/value: This study closes a research gap by investigating consumer responsibility not from an information-processing, but an emotion-based perspective. It furthermore complements research on emotions in the context of responsible consumption by investigating durable products, namely fashion items, that differ strongly from previously examined product groups like tea or coffee.

In the fashion industry, online opinion leaders (e.g. fashion blogs) that may be a source of advice for other consumers have emerged since the beginning of the century. Nowadays, among the several social networking sites (SNS) available, Instagram is also experiencing a steady increase in the amount of active users related to the fashion industry. Taking into account the relevant role of social influencers in the fashion industry (Wiedman et al., 2010) and the increasing use of Instagram by influencers and their followers, this study is thus designed to identify some of the antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership in a fashion Instagram account. First, we consider the perceived characteristics of the account (originality [H1a], uniqueness [H1b], quality [H1c] and quantity [H1d] of the contents posted) as the main antecedent factors of opinion leadership. Second, since opinion leaders are thought to have a great understanding of a specific product category (Thakur et al., 2007), we propose that opinion leadership may influence consumer behavioral intentions (Park, 2013). Specifically, opinion leadership will influence the intention to interact with the Instagram account (H2a), the intention to recommend it (H2b) and the intention to follow the advices obtained there (H2c). Finally, online interaction propensity will reinforce the influence of opinion leadership on interaction (H3a) and recommendation intentions (H3b), and the influence of opinion leadership on the intention to follow the advice will be reinforced when the contents of the account match the consumer personality and interests (i.e. personal fit) (H3c). Data to test these hypotheses was collected from an Instagram account focused on fashion in which a potential influencer posts pictures related to new trends in the fashion industry and that could be imitated by the followers of the account. Specifically, this account has more than 62.000 followers, who were invited to participate in the research. Finally, 808 participants answered a questionnaire including measurement scales adapted from previous literature, using seven-point Likert-type response formats, which respondents rated from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 7 (“strongly agree”). Partial Least Square was used as the estimation procedure. First, we analysed data to check validity of measures in order to confirm the factor structure, guarantee its internal consistency, and check both convergent and discriminant validity. After that, results of the proposed model reveal that opinion leadership is positively affected by perceived originality (β=.380, p<.01) and uniqueness (β=.298, p<.01), supporting H1a and H1b. However the influence of both perceived quality and quantity is non-significant. In turn, opinion leadership has a significant influence on the intention to continue interacting in the account (β=.558, p<.01), the intention to recommend the account online (β=.482, p<.01), and the consumer intention to follow the advice received in the Instagram account (β=.232, p<.01). As a result H2a, H2b and H2c are supported. Finally, while the interaction effects of online interaction propensity and opinion leadership are not significant, the interaction effect of perceived fit with personal interests and opinion leadership on the consumer intention to follow the advice received in the Instagram account (β=.078, p<.01) is significant. Therefore, H3c is supported. In sum, this study confirms that opinion leadership in the Instagram context may influence consumers and finds that originality and uniqueness are the key variables to develop this leadership and become influential, which suggests several implications for management.

The objective of this study was to compare business management indicators among textiles and fashion companies. Business management indicators of 356 textiles and fashion companies for the year 2015 were analyzed, using income statements showing their management results. The results were as follows. First, there were statistically significant differences between the operating income ratios of textiles and fashion companies for the term, but there were none when it came to net income ratio. Second, the differences between cost of goods sold, cost of finished goods sold, and cost of merchandise sold to sales ratios among textiles and fashion companies were all statistically significant. The cost of goods sold, cost of finished goods sold, and cost of merchandise sold to sales ratios were higher for fiber and thread companies, fabric companies, and dyeing and finishing companies than for clothing and fashion accessories companies. Third, there were statistically significant differences between the ratio of salaries and the ratio of advertising expenses among textiles and fashion companies. The salaries ratios and advertising expenses ratios for clothing companies were higher than those of fiber and yarn companies, fabric companies, and dyeing and finishing companies. This study is meaningful as it has identified the business characteristics of textiles and fashion companies using the management indicators of those companies, which have not been sufficiently explored by previous studies. It has also helped to improve understanding of the industrial structure of the upstream and midstream sectors of the textiles and fashion industries.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the design methods and characteristics of papercraft fashion from 2001 to 2015. The study has been conducted through theoretical research and case study. Overall, types of papercraft expressions are classified into the following four categories: narrative papercraft fashion, organic papercraft fashion, variable papercraft fashion, and recycling papercraft fashion. The characteristics and aspects of each type of papercraft is described below. First, narrative papercraft fashion expresses as factual description of the natural environment. These works convey fantastic image by showing fairy tale animals or plants using paper folding or cutting. Second, organic papercraft fashion creates a futuristic shape by expressing organic parts in nature. Also, it often depicts future-oriented images by repeatedly representing organic shapes using uniform patterns in nature. Third, variable papercraft fashion expresses a variety of changing shapes through a flexible design based on the style of wearing. This variation may be accomplished through changeable dress connected to human gestures. Variable papercraft represents playfulness, which conveys enjoyment to the wearer and the audience. Fourth, recycling papercraft fashion uses paper materials of the past, and recreates them into artworks through handicraft techniques. Recycling papercraft conveys high value added fashion by dissolving the material into pulp.

This study identified fashion consumers disposal behavior and analyzed the effects of consumers pursuing values in disposal, environmental awareness, and sustainable fashion consumption attitudes in regards to fashion disposal behavior. A survey questionnaire was developed and data were obtained from 460 consumers in their 20's to 50's in Korea who had experienced fashion disposal behaviors during last 12 months. As a result, there were four different fashion disposal behaviors such as economical, practical, and social disposal as well as hoarding behaviors. Consumers pursuing values in disposal affected fashion disposal behavior. Practical and economical values had positively impacted economical disposal and hoarding behaviors. While hedonic value had a negative impact on economical disposal behavior, it had a positive impact on social disposal behavior. Also, environmental-social values had positively impacted practical and social disposal behaviors. Fashion-related environmental knowledge had positively impacted economical and practical disposal behaviors and PCE affected social disposal behavior, while environmental concerns had a negative impact on economical disposal behavior. Consumers attitude toward usedfashion items, fashion recycling, and fashion innovativeness affected all of fashion disposal behaviors. Although hoarding behavior has been an under researched area, the finding implied that hoarding behavior was affected by consumer's pursuing value in disposal and sustainable consumption attitude. Also, environmental-social values and attitudes toward used-fashion items would induce practical disposal behavior such as reuse by alteration or reform. Consumers economical and hedonic values can promote donations or exchange/resale of unwanted fashion items, which can lead to sustainable consumption.

This study examines the role of visual merchandising (VMD) in creating effective interior displays for fashion “select shops”(shops that carry a wide selection of brands) amid the recent changes in consumption trends, with consumer needs becoming increasingly individualized and diversified. Fashion select shop interior displays can be categorized as self-service, showcase, counter, and environmental display spaces. Regarding the VMD elements that contribute to effective interior displays, we reached the following conclusions. First, in self-service displays, in order to heighten sales efficacy, display elements should be presented in such a way as to enable customers to select products with ease by themselves. Second, the mere presence of showcase displays was found to be insufficient; if, however, select shops use showcase displays to arrange products according to the flow of customer traffic, enabling the creation of a gentrified atmosphere for products, this may contribute to a differentiated image of brands, heightening perceived product value. Third, in counter displays, having a harmonious arrangement of display and presentation elements promotes sales by inspiring customer confidence. Fourth, regarding environmental displays, it is important for stores to have attractive interior designs and decorations in order to reproduce settings in which products are actually used, as this can inspire interest in products and promote customers’ purchasing intention.

This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of the contemporary Chinese fashion market and the competitiveness of Korean fashion brands in China. Fashion professionals experienced in both the Korean and Chinese fashion markets participated to investigate the Shanghai market and consumers. The results of in-depth interviews show that Shanghai is the most favorable city among Tier 1 cities for Korean fashion brands planning on entering into the Chinese market. Shanghai consumers are open to international brands and highly prefer newness in fashion. Contemporary menswear was selected as a potentially big market due to the increase of unique, young, upper-middle-class male consumers. The Korean fashion brands’ strength is that they are capable of satisfying Shanghai consumers with excellent product planning and sensory design capabilities. Their disadvantage is that their brand recognition is weaker than that of global and international brands, and their ability to localize to the Chinese market is weak. The opportunity comes is from the Korean Wave, which is a positive for Korea's products and has good geographical access. The threat is that the Shanghai market is fiercely competitive; having access to many worldwide brands, and the competitiveness of Chinese brands is on the rise. To enter the Shanghai market, creative design ability, trendy product development, skill, and appropriate PR methods such as using Korean culture contents would be required to satisfy the young, powerful consumers in Shanghai.

People tend to maintain and express their individuality in unique ways. Consumer’s need for uniqueness is defined as an individual's pursuit that differentiates themselves from others, thereby developing and enhancing their personal identities. This study examined the effect of consumers’ need for uniqueness on fashion orientation and consumption values. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey distributed to people visiting the fashion show center during Seoul Fashion Week. The survey questions were designed using the 5-point Likert scale and Cronbach’s α value of questions was reliable as .628-.862. The study’s results indicate that people with high need for uniqueness are very interested in fashion and think that is important to be well-dressed. In addition, the results suggest that people with high needs for unusual choices who enjoy challenging the prevailing taste of people want to be fashion leaders and are attracted to products that express their personality well. And people with high needs for creative choices and incompliant choices value their own satisfaction and happiness with the products. On the other hand, consumer’s needs for incompliant choices have a negative effect on social value. As a result, people with high needs for incompliant choices would break social norms rather than consider social status and reputation when they purchase fashion products. The concluding section of the paper discusses the implications of this research for fashion companies.

When digital media and images are combined, their significant sociocultural impacts can be exercised. Therefore, this study analyzes digital images shown in such trends of digital media compared to the digital fashion from an aesthetic perspective. Research and empirical studies are focused upon to analyze the aesthetic characteristics of digital fashion. Digital Fashion comprehensively refers to fashion design using computers and software, and is considered as “Fashion Design utilizing Digital Technologies” including computer software and hardware perspectives, so that it may be renamed “Digital Fashion.” The esthetic characteristics shown in the Digital Fashion defined above are analyzed according to how media philosophers conceptualize the digital image. First, from the perspective of creation, Digital Fashion Images are technical images produced by computers. Uncanny characteristics expressed through virtual images look more realistic than the actual ones used in experimental works of fashion designers. Such virtuality dynamically expresses various colors and fabric patterns through lights using digital technologies that do not yet exist in cloth form, rather in a non-material form of dynamic virtual imagery. Digital fashion images on monitors express digital fashion designs by shaping virtual images through 3D printing. Second, Digital Fashion Images from the perspective of acceptance are created through deconstruction, while fashion has only been previous viewed visually, Digital Fashion delivers immersions of visual touches as if directly experienced for accepters. Digital Fashion will continuously develop and become more influential as it converges with digital media.

As the popularity of Korean drama and celebrities in China, Korean fashion is becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market. Although the effect of Korean drama on Chinse consumers’ attitudes toward Korean products are known, little research has been conducted to understand the mechanisms underlying the impact of Korean drama on the development of consumer attitudes. Thus, this study examines how Chinese consumers’ exposure to Korean dramas has influenced their attitudes towards Korean fashion products. Applying the similarity-attraction theory, the study explores the roles Chinese consumers’ perceived similarities in appearance and values with Korean characters in TV dramas plays in the process of attitude development. Data was collected via an online survey and the responses of 317 Chinese consumers in their twenties were used for data analysis. The results of structural equation modeling show that exposure to Korean dramas has a direct impact on Chinese consumers’ perceived appearance similarity, perceived value similarity, image of Korean people, and attitudes toward Korean fashion products—results that support the theory of mere exposure. In addition, the analysis demonstrates that perceived appearance similarity positively influences the image of Koreans among Chinese people, which, in turn, influences attitudes toward Korean fashion products, supporting the similarity-attraction theory. However, the effect of perceived value similarity on attitude toward Korean fashion products was not significant. The study concludes by describing its practical implications for the Korean fashion industry and presenting ideas for future research.