The global society is overwhelmed by growing social inequality and environmental pollution. Especially, the fashion industry has been linked to hazardous clothing wastes and exploitation of labor in poor countries. We acknowledge that the sustainability philosophy could be an alternative governing principle that can lead us to a better future for the fashion industry. This study investigates brain responses of fashion professionals and consumers as they are presented with sustainable fashion of luxury and SPA brands. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the whole brain responses of participants were measured and analyzed to reveal how their brain responses differ depending on fashion products’ brand type and certification mark. We build an online education platform for professionals and lay consumers on the subject of sustainable fashion. Brain responses are measured from both groups of professionals and consumers while they are exposed to sustainable fashion products of luxury and SPA brands. A group of subjects watch the online educational program while under the counterpart condition subjects see another video of the same length, unrelated to sustainability. BOLD measures are acquired using Siemens 3T scanner and analyzed using SPM 12 software. We find selective brain activation patterns that can distinguish the educated group from the uneducated ones. The practical implication of this study is that we must do our best to build a sustainability education program which can motivate professionals and consumers effectively, by stimulating both cognitive and affective bases of behavioral change.
On the one hand, organic food consumption has emerged as a rapidly growing consumption trend, juxtaposed against the unsustainability of industrialized food provisions. On the other hand, recent reports highlight that premium food consumption is one of the fastest growing luxury market segments worldwide. This paper draws on the theory of social practices in order investigate how organic food consumption can be understood as an emerging luxury fashion trend, comprised of multiple interrelated ‘nexuses of doings and sayings’ that represent the elements of, and situated within the broader context of consumer culture. In this endeavour, we have conducted a situated investigation of organic food consumption in South Korea. Our findings illustrate that Korean consumers engage in organic food consumption not merely for their superior health benefits or sustainability concerns. Instead, organic consumption conveys three distinct consumption value types – namely, functional (e.g., superior quality), experiential (e.g., feeling better about themselves because they purchase eco-friendly produce), and symbolic (e.g., allows them to convey their social status). Importantly, when these value types are taken together, they closely resemble the value derived from luxury fashion, which lead us to the conclusion that organic food consumption can be conceived as a particular type of luxury fashion trend. The paper concludes with the discussion of theoretical contributions and managerial implications.
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 paper will investigate social marketing strategies and tactics used to promote sustainable fashion consumption. It will map the impact of selected ethical awareness-raising campaigns by Asia-based sustainability champion NGO, Redress, using a case study method to determine the effectiveness of promotional practices employed in promoting environmentally sustainable fashion brands.