The aim of this study is to enhance understanding of government and association-led fashion support programs through in-depth interviews with program managers, identifying areas for improvement. A phenomenological approach, which explores the essence of a particular phenomenon as it manifests in human life to obtain an in-depth understanding of how individuals who have experienced the phenomenon perceive it and its meanings, is adopted. Evaluation criteria for receipt of supports included qualitative factors such as design, branding, product viability, market potential, and completeness, assessed by a panel of academics, buyers, stylists, media critics, distribution experts, press personnel, and designers. Some support programs provided stage-specific assistance based on revenue or business duration, while others required brands at vastly different stages—for example, in their fifth year or over twenty years since launch-to compete within the same program. Challenges faced by designer brands included limited budgets, timing constraints, poor inter-agency communication, and administrative burdens. Suggested improvements involved engaging fashion industry experts in policy planning, integrating export data from overseas production, simplifying documentation, revising regulations, fostering cross-industry collaboration, and establishing fashion venture funds to support competitive brands and accelerate growth. Future plans include expanding support through cultural content and material innovation to boost global recognition of Korean fashion brands. Findings indicate that strategies for vitalizing emerging Korean fashion designers include cross-industry collaboration, expert-led policy development, securing specialized investment funds, and elevating Seoul Fashion Week’s significance as a global platform to increase brand visibility and facilitate domestic and international orders.

This study identified the effects of factors related to physical fashion brands’ sales promotions on consumers’ reactions and purchase intentions, while also determining the differences in these effects according to the consumers’ generations and genders. For the empirical analysis, the study used SPSS and AMOS 25.0, with frequency analysis, EFA, reliability analysis, CFA, SEM analysis, and multiple-group comparison analyses also performed. The results of multiple-group comparison analyses of the generation groups showed that the effects of consumers’ affective reactions on their purchase intentions differed between the MZ generation(a generational group comprising the millennial generation and Gen Z) and active seniors, with the influence on the active seniors group greater than on the MZ generation group. The effects of cognitive reaction on purchase intention also differed between the two groups, with the influences on the active seniors group again greater than on the MZ generation, moreover the result was significant only for the active seniors group. The influence of affective reactions on purchase intention also differed in the result of the comparison of gender groups, with the impact greater for male consumers than for female consumers. Finally, the effect of cognitive reactions on purchase intention was greater for female consumers than male consumers, with the result significant only for female consumers. Based on these findings, the study recommends adopting different sales promotion strategies for each consumer group to induce positive purchasing behavior.

This study explores the operational challenges of emerging fashion designers in South Korea through in-depth interviews. The findings reveal significant challenges across key components of brand operation: product and image development, production, sales, promotion, and finance. Designers sought to express original narratives through their collections each season but encounter significant obstacles, such as limited production capacity, lack of marketing resources, and financial instability. Small order volumes hinder securing manufacturers, forcing designers to reinvest most revenue into sample development, with little left for labor or growth. Based on these insights, the study proposes three strategies to strengthen designer brand growth. First, it is necessary to ensure the efficient operation of numerous institutions and associations in Korea through systematic and continuous support at each stage of their programs. Each institution and association should independently run their own separate support programs to improve their expertise, optimizing the government’s limited budget. Second, adopting an agency model for emerging fashion designers, similar to entertainment agencies, can be effective. In this model, agency-affiliated celebrities act as muses for clothing lines and merchandise, enhancing sales via strategic promotion and marketing while encouraging mutual growth through revenue sharing. Third, the Korean fashion designer industry’s distribution structure needs reform.

This study aims to identify the diverse types and characteristics of signatures that appear in contemporary fashion while primarily brand focusing on emerging Korean designer brands. To this end, qualitative content analysis using news articles and in-depth interviews with 15 emerging Korean designers were conducted. The news article analysis revealed six types of signatures: design based on formative sensibility expression, strategically constructed designer/brand identity, brand practices carried by cultural and spatial experiences, craftsmanship and custom production, contemporary reinterpretation of traditional designs, and text-based visual symbolic systems. The result of the in-depth interviews identified five types of signatures among emerging Korean designer brands: design expressions evolving from designer and brand identity, production emphasizing practicality and craftmanship, brand experiences based on spaces, visual narrative symbolism, and limited-edition items. Unlike established fashion brands that focus on fixed visual or textual elements through strategic planning by the established fashion brands, emerging Korean designer brands gradually and dynamically develop signatures which are grounded in personal philosophy, ethical values, and ongoing interaction with consumers. The findings of this study imply that the signatures of emerging Korean designer brands are not merely aesthetic repetitions, but are instead representations of evolving and situated expressions that interacts with and responds to socio-cultural changes and contexts.

This study investigates the preferences and purchase intentions of ZEPETO users regarding fashion brands that have recently joined ZEPETO, a leading metaverse platform in South Korea. The study surveyed 279 users in their 20s to 40s about their usage patterns, preferences, and purchase intentions toward products from brands like MCM, DKNY, Nike, and Puma. The results reveal that users in their 20s exhibited higher preference and purchase intention for Nike products, as well as greater purchase intention for Puma products. On the other hand, users in their 40s displayed a higher preference and purchase intention for MCM and DKNY products and a stronger preference for Puma products compared to other age groups. Users in their 30s showed a lower preference and purchase intention for both MCM and Puma products, a lower purchase intention for DKNY products, but a preference for Nike products compared to other age groups. Furthermore, men showed a higher preference and purchase intention for most brands, including MCM, Nike, and Puma. These results suggest that fashion brands on ZEPETO need to implement effective marketing strategies targeting users in their 20s and 40s, as well as male users. This study lays the groundwork for further research on the ZEPETO metaverse platform and provides foundational data for understanding user behavior, essential for establishing effective promotional strategies.