Fashion Business Commons^™

Footloose Business Plan, Ashlyn Sarah Burnsed

Honors College Theses

Savannah, Georgia has over ten million visitors that spend over three billion dollars each year. The streets of Savannah are filled with countless retail stores to meet the needs of every tourist and local. Unfortunately, even with all of these stores there is still an unmet need. There is currently no store in Savannah that offers a trendy and affordable shoe. The following business plan presents a way to capitalize on this unmet market need. Our company, Footloose, has the potential to have a competitive advantage in an unsaturated shoe market. Footloose will cater affordable shoes to any women looking …

Impact Of Fashion Advertisements On Consumers, Kathryn Sweeney, Kacy Kim, Sharmin Attaran

Honors Projects in Marketing

This paper sets out to investigate the expectations, satisfaction, and retention of fashion advertising. The purpose of this paper is to determine if ad type (traditional models vs. plus-size models) and brand type (luxury vs. non-luxury) have impacts on consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, purchase intention, and overall expectations of the advertisements and brands. Two-hundred fifty-six participants (62.5% males, 37.5% females) (mean age = 19.9) were recruited from Bryant University and received extra credit in their MKT201 course for completing the survey. Each participant was randomly assigned one stimulus advertisement and was then asked to answer a questionnaire that featured measures of …

The Evolution Of Women's Opportunities In The Workplace: A Look At The Past To Interpret The Present, Emily Milich

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Inditex: A Case Study In Transferring Fast Fashion To International Markets, Anna Stooksbury

Senior Theses

Using Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. (Inditex) and its subsidiaries as a case study, this thesis is an analysis of the largest fashion group in the world and its success in transferring a unique fast fashion business model into almost 100 markets worldwide. This thesis examines the internationalization of a large company and the steps it must take to enter into a new market, including internationalization motivations, market selection, and entrance strategies (both physical and virtual). This analysis uses an in-depth case approach to analyze the fast fashion business model that has made Inditex a success. Using extensive secondary research, …

Exposing Racism In Fashion: How Black Women Navigate Societal Beauty Standards, Re'nae Dillard '21

Honor Scholar Theses

Throughout American history, Black women have been treated as the most inferior group. Social status is dependent on race, gender, and economic status. These factors contribute to overall social hierarchies. Whiter skin tones are more desired than darker tones. The fashion industry perpetuates white desirability while also displaying Black women as undesirable and inferior. The fashion industry is dominated by white males, and white women are the representations within fashion. Fashion, therefore, is a reflection of the white male’s ideal world: desirable white women, submissive Black women, and very few Black men. Black women however are changing the narrative within …

Ua12/2/1 Fashion, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Special edition of the College Heights Herald, includes articles:

• Spainhoward, Emma. Editor’s Letter
• Norvell, Abbey. Thinking Outside the Binary Box
• Keeley, Josie. The Artists Behind the 31 Ink Tattoo Parlor
• Harden, Olivia. Threading a Path from Classes to Careers
• Crisp, Hannah. Back to the Basics
• Jones, Tea. The Closet Upgrade Plan

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 …

How Diversity And Inclusion Affect Shopper Attitudes, Melissa Michelle Oliver

Theses

This paper analyzes the effects of consumer behavior in relation to diversity and inclusion in retail advertisements. The primary objective of diversity and inclusion initiatives is to have a workforce that closely resembles an organization’s target audience and the growing group of loyal customers the company wants to retain. Differences in age, race, gender, national origin and sexual orientation should be encouraged in advertisements to ensure optimal organizational performance. People who are different from one another in race, gender and other dimensions bring unique information and experiences to bear on the task at hand. By analyzing consumer behavior based off …

The Role Of Country Of Origin, Perceived Value, Trust, And Influencer Marketing In Determining Purchase Intention In Social Commerce, Ali A. Abou Ali, Alaa A. Ali, Nehale Mostapha

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

The paper aims to improve understanding about the causes why customers intend to purchase online through social media networks. The study examined factors affecting purchase intention namely: country of origin effect, trust, perceived value, and influencer marketing on the willingness of buyers to purchase clothes through social commerce. A questionnaire was established for data collection, and 400 forms were collected in Lebanon, and were analyzed using SEM to examine the relationships in the conceptual framework suggested. Results designated that country of origin, trust, and perceived value were three significant precursors of customers’ purchase intention in the context of social commerce. …

Business Of Learning Tmd/Sca 399, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Made In Bangladesh: The Unethical Treatment Of Sweatshop Workers, Samira Hossain

Emerging Writers

This article examines the treatment of sweatshops workers in Bangladesh, including causes of poor labor practices, and suggests solutions to improve practices.

Driving Sustainable Change In The Fashion Industry, Christina Pasqualicchio

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

Climate change is a threat to global sustainable development and the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. This thesis explores how fast fashion and consumerism have contributed to an overabundance of clothing, an increase in greenhouse gases, fibers and fabrics that don’t disintegrate properly, and water pollution; all of which create negative environmental and social issues. Through detailing each of these problems, it can be seen that there needs to be internal changes within the fashion industry and external changes made by consumers. In order to create these changes, the fashion industry needs to adjust …

Bubox: Smart Textile Platform, Jiameng (Sissy) Yan, Kuanfu (River) Lee

MSc in Innovation Capstone Projects

Analyzed the global textile market, apparel market and trends. Found that textile sourcing was a pain point. They proposed a solution called BUBOX which would provide a customized monthly swatch box to offer smarter strategies that would be in line with buyer requirements and leveraging data technology.

Beyond Sustainable: An Analysis Of The Visual Rhetoric Behind The Branding Of Christy Dawn, Megan Mccormick

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research project offers insight into the visual rhetorical of design decisions made in the marketing materials of Christy Dawn, a sustainable fashion brand. The primary goal of this research is to identify several motivators, based on prior studies, for the consumption of sustainable fashion and analyze the existing marketing visuals of Christy Dawn’s brand, specifically in how they appeal to these motivators, thus also communicating their sustainable rhetoric to consumers in the process. This project defines these motivators in detail and addresses them in relation to particular elements of design in Christy Dawn’s materials, such as images, color, and …

Appropriation Of Artisans' Intellectual Property In Fashion Design Accessories: Piracy Disguised As Giving Back?, Clovia Hamilton

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Creative industries are industries focused on the creation and exploitation of intellectual propert, including art, fashion design, and related creative services, such as advertisement and sales. During a trip to Burkina Faso in \Nest Africa, Keri Fosse was taught by an African woman how to wrap newborns with fabric in a manner that creates a strong bond and frees the mother's hands for other tasks. Burkina Faso has a craft culture and is known for its woven cotton and the textile art of Bogolan. Bogolan is a technique original to Mali and involves the tradition of dyeing threads with bright …

Influence Of Covid-19 On Changes In Dressing Behaviours Of U.S. Adults., Diana Saiki, Jay Kandiah, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, James A. Jones

Publications and Research

The objective of this research was to assess the impact of the currently lived COVID-19 pandemic on dressing behaviours of a cross-section of the U.S. adult population. Participants (N = 844) completed a survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk which evaluated frequency of wearing of eight dressing categories—accessories, informal dress, formal dress, protective dress, hair practices, scent products, appearance enhancement, and make-up (females) prior to and during the pandemic. Physical, emotional and psychological self-care and demographics were also collected. Overall, during the pandemic participants engaged in less dressing behaviours, dressed informal clothing (e.g., jeans, t-shirts) and incorporated protective dress. These findings …

Ethical Use Of Beauty In Advertising, Koca Chan

Honors Theses and Capstones

The use of beauty images in advertising has been generally deemed to be unethical in society, based on the general negative presupposition in modern western culture. The ethicalness of the display of high standards of beauty in advertisements is especially controversial and questionable in the advertising industry. Advertising watchdogs, social groups, and individuals have investigated the possibility of banning the display of high standards of beauty to be displayed in advertisings and publications. This paper argues that image advertising of high beauty standards may not be necessarily unethical in all situations. And under certain conditions, by considering and combining image(s) …

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 …

Diversifying Investment Portfolios With Collectible Sneakers: Expected Returns And Benefits Of Diversification, Samuel Soo

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to identify if collectible sneakers can provide diversification benefits to an investor’s portfolio. Using data from a global collectible sneaker marketplace, StockX, I constructed an index to compare it with other traditional assets, including the S&P 500 index and 5-year US Treasury Bills. By calculating key metrics including expected returns, volatility, and correlation, I analyzed the risk-return characteristics of the collectible sneaker asset class compared to other traditional asset classes. From the data analysis I performed, I found that collectible sneakers did not outperform returns significantly compared to traditional asset classes, but had low correlations, which provides …

Bertha Palmer And Anna Wintour: How Does Private Patronage Impact Identity-Building Within Cultural Institutions?, Marie Redetzki

MA Theses

Founded to provide a young nation with cultural foundations and dedicated to educating its public, the large historic cultural institutions of the United States find their origin in private initiatives and of private-public-partnerships for the benefit of the communities they serve. This thesis outlines that, at its core, museums and their funding structures in the United States exist in the format we find today because of the active and informed contributions of their patrons. It is these contributions that have shaped the American museum landscape over the course of its history. Two case studies – Bertha Palmer and her bequest …

The Textile Industry: A Deep Look Into The Environmental Impacts Of Fast Fashion, Jordan Miller

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to understand the detrimental effects the textile industry has had on global environments and ecosystems across the globe. The textile industry for many years has continued to disregard the current acceleration of global warming and other environmental crises, and it is time the fashion industry holds itself accountable for these actions and takes a change in a new, more sustainable future. With proper education of the environmental pollution the textile industry has made, young consumers will be able to make the change necessary for businesses to develop more sustainable habits for the future production. …

Influence Of Convenience, Time-Savings, Price, And Product Variety On Amazon Prime Members And Non-Prime Shoppers’ Online Apparel Purchase Intention, Md Rashaduzzaman

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

The number of internet users and online shoppers in the United States has grown at an incredible rate over the past few decades. Greater convenience and availability of a wide assortment of apparel products at a cheaper price made online shopping very enticing to consumers. Amazon.com (Amazon) gained unprecedented popularity among consumers with its Amazon Prime program. Amazon’s retail revolutions changed consumer’s way of shopping and expectations. Both online and physical store retailers are facing tremendous pressure to fulfill that level of expectation. Thus, it is essential for retailers clearly understand the shopping expectations and preferences of Amazon Prime members …

The Challenges And Opportunities Created By A Global Pandemic's Effects On Consumer Shopping Behavior Within The Fashion Retail Industry, Kate O'Connor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fashion retail industry has already been undergoing an extensive transformation since the introduction of e-commerce in the late 1990s. However, changes in consumer shopping behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally altered the industry in a matter of months. Because the COVID-19 pandemic is relatively recent, there is a lack of literature regarding the challenges and opportunities for fashion retailers in light of these changes in consumer behavior. This project will illuminate the challenges and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic for the different distribution modes in the fashion retail industry: brick and mortar stores, e-commerce, and omnichannel …

Research Methods In Textiles Ii Tmd 512, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

The Connection Between People And The Sustainable Fashion Industries; How People Can Become More Aware Of Sustainable Fashion., Nivaldo Nazario

Business ETD Collections

This project consisted of in-depth research on the theme of sustainability in the fashion market. The main focus was the search for the connection between consumers and industries on the subject related to sustainability, how companies will seek adaptation to the sustainable fashion market and how people are valuing this subject over the years.

The research presented relevant data that show how the new generation is more concerned with environmental issues, but still not much is being done in practical actions to make this happen.

Technology proved to be a great ally for this sustainable fashion market, as analysed in …

Brand Personality And Sexuality Levels Of Luxury Advertisements, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Diana Saiki

Publications and Research

This study examined perceived brand attractiveness of and identification with fashion luxury brands given different levels of sexuality in advertisements. Sex in advertisements has become increasingly more common to generate attention and interest in fashion luxury products with limited research on its influence on the consumer. A sample of 1266 males and females completed a survey on brand attractiveness and identification after examining an advertisement of a luxury fashion product. Participants were assigned an advertisement that featured a same-gendered model at one of four levels of sexuality (fully clothed to nude). The results indicated less sexuality in luxury advertisements was …

Celebrity Impact On Fashion Brand Choice Using Social Media, Jaclyn Newbert

Theses and Dissertations

Today social media is rapidly growing. Many social media users, specifically Instagram users, are from the Millennial generation (born between 1982 and 1999), and Generation-Z (born between 2000 and 2020) (knoema.com, 2020). They love to share their life through social media, especially by posting and viewing others’ photos and videos on Instagram. Celebrity endorsement of products and brands has shown to increase both brand awareness and sales for companies. The purpose of this study is to investigate social media influence of celebrities on consumers’ brand choices. A conceptual model is developed to investigate the influences of physical attractiveness, celebrity credibility, …

Building A Handmade Business, Jordan Khusnulgatin

Theses

The purpose of this project is to build a small scale handmade product and business from scratch with innovative ways to incorporate sustainable practices. There are many factors that make up a business. For this project in particular, the main concern will be centered around all aspects of the product and customer experience, including finding a niche, the aesthetic, branding, packaging, pricing, sustainable practices, conducting sales, marketing, and creating a business plan. This project will follow the steps described above to discover a niche and the basis upon which this handmade business will be 3 derived from, providing a physical …

Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Case Of The Fashion Industry, Karina Zhao

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a focus on corporations within the fashion industry. First, I discuss the evolution of CSR from its origin in the 1930s until present day, along with global trends that have risen in respect to emerging economies, industry sectors, and regulatory change. Then, I summarize factors that motivate firms to prepare and provide CSR reports – i.e., the determinants of voluntary disclosure of CSR reports. In addition, I discuss to what extent these reports are regulated and assured across the globe, as an increasing number of corporations participate in disclosing …

Beyond A Tube Of Red Lipstick: An Economic Valuation Of Estee Lauder And The Beauty Industry, Aisea Odencrantz, David Offenberg

Honors Thesis

The current valuation of the beauty industry is approximately $532 billion, yet this industry is not commonly suggested by investment professionals as a way to add diversification into their investors’ portfolios. The current craze of the market is technology and fossil fuels, but the beauty industry has remained a major player in consumer spending patterns throughout time. Through examining the historical financial statements of the publicly-traded cosmetic conglomerate Estēe Lauder, as well as several of its competitors, I modeled the future valuation of Estēe Lauder using the Discounted Free Cash Flow and Comparable Firm Multiples models. This analysis demonstrated how …