Fashion Business Commons^™

The Effect Of Contemporary Art On Fashion In Generation Z, Hayden Dewey, Hayden Claire Dewey

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

This creative project takes a closer look at the dynamic relationship between Contemporary Art and fashion within the context of Generation Z. There is a noticeable influence Contemporary Art has on the fashion choices Generation Z makes, but a gap exists in scholarly exploration of this topic. This study aims to bridge this gap and investigate further the multifaceted influences of Contemporary Art on the fashion preferences and trends among Generation Z, mainly their preference for maximalism within their clothing choices.

Throughout this project, an analysis of Generation Z’s distinct attitudes towards fashion and art takes place, emphasizing their draw …

Secondhand Shopping Is Now The Coolest Way To Get Your Clothes, Camryn Quick

Capstones

Shopping secondhand has experienced an uptick in popularity in the past few years. There are a few reasons for this, all of which are examined in the project. One reason for the increase in secondhand shoppers is the daunting news about the state of our environment. Another reason, perhaps even more powerful than the fear of environmental collapse, is that thrifting has become a fashion phenomenon showcased and distributed throughout social media apps like TikTok. Essentially, shopping secondhand has become cool. This project explores these driving forces behind the thrifting boom, as well as the possible impacts, including "thrift store …

The Bronx Solidifies Itself In The Fashion World With Borough-Based Nonprofit, Nicholas R. Hernandez, Demetria Osei-Tutu

Capstones

Bronx-born nonprofit organizer, Flora Montes, founded Bronx Fashion NYC in 2014. The organization aims to establish Bronx-centric fashion-event opportunities and better representation in an industry where access is often unattainable for people of color or of limited means—or who happen to come from the Bronx, a borough often perceived by some as un-chic despite boasting a culturally thriving history of innovation in both fashion and music.

With Bronx Fashion NYC, Montes is working on putting Bronx models and local designers on the map with multiple fashion shows and paving the way for the future with the addition of a start-up …

Small And Micro Business Resources In The Post-Pandemic Period: A Perspective From Local Bridal Boutique Businesses In West Virginia, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In widely dispersed small communities, local and regional businesses dominate West Virginia, an eastern state of the United States in the Appalachian Mountains where small and micro businesses constitute 98.9% of all businesses and contributes 49.1% of the state’s total employment. These businesses create jobs, help build a strong financial position for the state, and promote community-building and social activities. These businesses are unique as they sustain themselves while competing with national and regional retail chains and carving out a customer for themselves. However, the damage caused by the spread of Covid-19 is having a devastating effect on the small …

Upscaling Textile Upcycling, Mason Scott, Brett High, Sophia Marcum, Rachel Schiffli, Andrew Flowers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our research project was designed to answer one question: is it feasible for the Goodwill Industries of Akron to use upcycled clothing as a sustainable revenue driver to fund their mission? Upcycled products are simply defined as products whose value has been increased by combination or alteration. This contrasts with product reuse or recycling which Goodwill already utilizes as ways to generate revenue. Goodwill’s primary source of revenue currently is the resale of donated goods at their brick-and-mortar stores, and we thought that upcycled goods were consistent with their established business model. We hypothesized that the same consumers that presently …

Ruled By Venus, Audrey Marie Cathalifaud

Marketing

The following report contains a plan for the creation of and marketing of my own brand, Ruled By Venus. The report describes plans for brand development, segmentation and targeting, competition research, positioning, and social media marketing. All of the clothes seen in this report were designed and sewed by me. My passion for creative, sustainable fashion is the foundation for this brand.

How Covid-19 Has Accelerated The Shift Towards A More Sustainable Fashion Industry, Samantha Frances Casey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sustainability in fast fashion is a pertinent issue as the fashion industry is one of the most environmentally damaging industries. Fashion retailers have started to integrate sustainability initiatives, but consumer preference is vital to making firms change their practices. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, worldwide lockdowns exposed the fragility of the consumer-driven fast-fashion business model. This thesis will examine how COVID-19 has and will continue to impact sustainability in the fashion industry. More specifically, this thesis will examine the implications of consumer sustainability preferences brought about by the pandemic. These implications accelerate the preexisting sustainability trends …

How Companies Can Overcome The Barriers To Sustainability In The Fashion Industry, Madison Perreault

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary intent of this paper is to explore existing case studies on the barriers to sustainability in the fashion industry as well as incorporate my own contributions by crafting and analyzing the results of a survey. This survey will give insight to the attitudes and behaviors of respondents towards sustainable fashion. I will also investigate government policies on this topic, or the lack thereof. Finally, I will offer my recommendation on how businesses can overcome the barriers to sustainability in the fashion industry.

From The Runway To The Racks: A Comparative Analysis Of Gucci And Zara, Hailey Bauer

Experience Industry Management

The fashion industry is constantly evolving. Today, consumers face more choices than ever when it comes to purchasing clothes. The purpose of this study was to examine a high-end luxury brand, Gucci, and a fast fashion brand, Zara, to compare and contrast their marketing strategies, sustainability practices, brand personality, and customer experiences. The research for this study was collected using a case study matrix, developed by the researcher, to evaluate Gucci and Zara’s marketing, sustainability, and customer experience practices. The study resulted in findings indicating the importance of social media and online marketing platforms for the increase of sales and …

The Future Of Fashion: Corporate Social Responsibility And Essential Marketing Strategies, Taite Jorgensen

CMC Senior Theses

This paper analyzes how fast fashion has impacted future trends of the fashion industry. Due to globalization, the fast fashion industry has been able to create new norms of over-consumerism and international labor. Because of this, the fast fashion industry is able to mass produce in a way consumers have never seen before, in addition to making it all at extremely low prices. However, fast fashion brands are only able to mass produce cheap goods through unethical methodologies; these methodologies include unsustainable materials and practices, inhuman labor conditions and wages, and by making sizes that exclude bigger bodies. Consumers are …

The Economics Of Fashion: Do Newcomers To The Industry Have A Chance?, Maha Mian

Honors Theses

New York, Paris, London, and Milan have long established themselves as fashion capitals of the world. These cities have become cluster economies with numerous connections, resources, and buyers close at hand. For this reason, firms often establish themselves in these cities to take full advantage of cluster economies and increase their chances of survival. Thus, a large number of leading international fashion firms reside in these cities. This thesis uses the finances and international market presence of these fashion companies as benchmark values for what it means for another company to be “successful” at becoming a major player in the …

Fashion Merchandising: An Augmented Reality, Naeha A. Sayed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

There is a continuous and constant transformation in the field of Augmented Reality (AR), both in the Retail, and the Manufacturing sector. It has started to influence everything from fashion runway shows to online shopping. Consumers dynamics have shifted in the fashion industry, the ways becoming more dominant than the old observant ones- the simple buying experience no longer satisfies them. Due to the emergence of the new digital platforms and technological enhancements, the consumers are looking for more- be it a more exciting buying experience or more user interaction or more enhanced products. This technological change starts with the …

If The Shoe Fits: A Historical Exploration Of Gender Bias In The U.S. Sneaker Industry, Rodney M. Miller Jr

Senior Projects Spring 2019

In its short history, which barely spans 100 years, sneakers have quickly become a polarizing and captivating commodity, gaining the attention of consumers, fashion houses and major retailers everywhere. Unfortunately, the sneaker industry also has a history of implicit, unconscious bias towards women. A thorough examination of the history of sneakers has discovered three major social movements that can be identified as the key contributors to the growth of the sneaker industry: (1) physical activity, (2) professional sports, and (3) Hip-Hop—the culture not the music genre. Upon further examination, it became evident that each of these social factors have their …

A Case Study Of Brand Associations For Yeezy Brand, Garrett Kalel Grant

LSU Master's Theses

Brands can thrive in the marketplace based on their ability to generate brand equity. Companies have utilized many techniques to gain brand equity with their consumers. One method that has been very popular has been co-branding. Branding literature explains that one way that brand equity is created is through brand associations. Brand associations are generated through a consumer's direct and indirect experience with a brand. This research looked at a special case of co-branding in the form of the clothing line Yeezy. The purpose of this research is to better understand this special case of co-branding strategy by analyzing Yeezy …

Shoppers Aren't Buying What Ivanka Trump Has To Offer, Elizabeth Ramanand

Capstones

My capstone is on Ivanka Trump's business, how it's really doing and how politics plays a role. For many shoppers buying her products is a political statement but not purchasing is just as big of a statement to enforce their political beliefs. Even though her business is not public I used research, reporting and interviews to prove that her company isn't doing as well as she claims it is. From super discounted products to lawsuits on her brand and boycott movements, Ivanka Trump's brand is suffering under her father's presidency.

https://journalizt.atavist.com/shoppers-arent-buying-ivanka-trump

Mapping How Culture In New York City And London Influences Respectively The Iconic Fashion Brands Of Kors And Mcqueen: A Case Study, Carol Brathwaite

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis is an explanatory case study that applies geographic information systems (GIS) data, biographical data, and other secondary data. It includes mainly qualitative data collection and analysis; furthermore, the study examines quantitative data on the cultural events offered within each city. Overall, this case study adopts a theoretical perspective. The two individual cases (based on a multiple, holistic case-study design framework) of fashion culture in New York City and London, as per Michael Kors and Alexander McQueen respectively, represent ‘confirmatory cases or presumed replications of the same phenomenon’ (Yin 2014:59). Each describes the house’s fashion aesthetics as well as …

Black Models Matter: Challenging The Racism Of Aesthetics And The Facade Of Inclusion In The Fashion Industry, Scarlett L. Newman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The global fashion market is expanding every day, but often, the global fashion runways do not reflect that reality. On average, black models make up for six percent of models used on the runway during the fashion month calendar. This small percentage is also mirrored in advertisements and editorials featured in popular fashion magazines. In the 1970s, black models were met with great opportunities, and that success trickled down into the 1980s and the 1990s. As the 90s came to a close, top designers opted for an aesthetic that ultimately excluded models of color, but black models beared the brunt …

Fashioning Desire At B. Altman & Co.: Ethics And Consumer Culture In Early Department Stores, Tessa Maffucci

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We live in an age of fast fashion. Clothing is produced in greater volumes than ever before and the lifecycle of each garment keeps getting shorter and shorter. Many items are manufactured to be worn only one time and then thrown away—as disposable as a cup of coffee. There is much to be learned about our current fashion ecosystem by looking into the past. Beyond the garments themselves we must understand the larger historical and sociological context in which these articles of clothing were produced. How does the shopping environment shape the buying habits and fashion trends of an era? …

Keeping Nebraska In Fashion: The Success Of Postwar Custom Dressmaker Ilona Dorenter Berk, Kylin P. Jensen

Department of Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Keeping Nebraska in Fashion: The Success of Postwar Custom Dressmaker Ilona Dorenter Berk examines the life and work of previously undocumented Midwestern dressmaker Ilona Berk. Through the interdisciplinary study of three vital components in the entrepreneurial dressmaking business of Ilona; who worked out of her home in Lincoln, Nebraska from 1953 to approximately 2000; research establishes her as a significant contributor to the fashion system of the twentieth century, and an important figure in Midwestern costume history. Components chosen for the study are: Ilona’s unique personal characteristics, the global and regional fashion systems she worked within, and the garments she …

The Value Of Luxury Brand Names In The Fashion Industry, Tricia Wang

CMC Senior Theses

Brand names in the Fashion industry are often times perceived as overpriced and unreasonable. Nevertheless, the success of well-known luxury brands in the industry has been growing domestically and internationally at a breakneck pace. Forbes publishes an annual list on the top 100 most valuable brands annually using a formula of their own making. 8 out of these 100 brands are luxury fashion brands. Why are luxury fashion brands so coveted? It can’t only be because of humans’ desires to own superior goods or even for the sake of their egos. In this paper I will delve into the hidden …

The Quincy Brand, Jessica Pelton

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to find how to effectively brand the Quincy brand by designing multiple platforms that will communicate the company’s intended message to the consumer. After researching the Western industry, designs were created for the brand based on the company’s target market and intended product. Designs were created for a logo, package, and website. A survey was conducted to determine which designs most effectively represented the company and appealed to the consumer. The results of this study can be used to develop Quincy into a distinctive and established brand in the marketplace.

Effectiveness Of Old Dominion University's Fashion Merchandising Program, Christie Martin

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Old Dominion University Fashion Merchandising program in preparing students to enter the fashion industry as properly prepared employees.

Dressing Indian: Appropriation, Identity, And American Design, 1940-1968, Alison Rose Bazylinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines the ways the American fashion industry and fashion publications appropriated aspects of Indian cultures as marketing tools from 1940 to 1968 and the ways representations stereotypes created through fashion outlets denoted American and individual, rather than Native, identity. Representational stereotypes created at the turn of the twentieth century provided fashion merchandisers and sellers with a home-grown marketing scheme, while the development of an American fashion industry based on mass-produced, ready-to-wear sportswear led to nation-wide dissemination and use of "Indian" colors, patterns, and designs.