The study is focused on investigating the effectiveness of digital fashion branding magazines through the perspective of various types of online fashion consumers. The classification of online fashion consumers is based on motives of shopping behavior. Factors of positive online shopping experience were employed in order to identify perceptions and preferences towards digital fashion branding magazines. The study is implemented by the means of digital fashion branding magazines’ analysis, focus group and individual interviews. The results of the research enable to identify various ways of presenting the branding magazines. The study demonstrates differences in perceptions of digital fashion branding magazines of various types of online fashion consumers. The types of consumers attracted by the branding magazines are considered as well. Digital fashion branding magazines are regarded to be an effective marketing tool which requires further improvement by all the identified types. / Program: Master Programme in Fashion Management

Background: The fashion retail industry has undergone a major transformation due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of technical innovations. This transformation led to the emergence of digital fashion, a new concept integrating experimental technologies, including artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, which further has progressed towards the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a new consumption space without precedent changing how people communicate, create value, and generate economies. The emergence of the Metaverse is predicted to generate trillions of users in the upcoming ten years across user and enterprise use cases, altering the fashion retail industry. Research problem: Despite heavy investments in digital innovations in the retail fashion industry, the topic of innovation adoption remains understudied. As innovation is deemed one of the main drivers of business success, companies must know how to introduce them and understand the impacting factors of success. With Metaverse being the newest innovation that could alter the retail fashion industry, it requires more research and understanding of the impacting external factors that will influence its diffusion over time. Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to close the identified gap by identifying the external factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of Metaverse in the fashion industry. Further, it aims to generate a greater comprehension of the overall attitude toward this innovation.  Research question: What are the external factors and how do they influence the adoption and diffusion of Metaverse innovation in the fashion industry? Method: This is an exploratory qualitative study with an inductive approach. It follows the social constructionism epistemology and the relativistic ontology. Along with the grounded theory, the data is collected through interviews and from the social platform Reddit and analyzed through thematic analysis.  Conclusion: Our findings identify five external factors influencing the diffusion of Metaverse: Regulations, Technology, Digital skillset, Attitude, and Network effects. These factors interact with each other in the innovation process, and our conceptual framework offers a deeper understanding of its diffusion.

The thesis bridges the gap between physical and digital print design in search of a hybrid state, reflecting our present time. With AI-assisted creativity in print development and features such as added volume to the print elements, the physical garments replicate the creation of a 3D object existing in computer software. Through innovative garment construction techniques and the development of photographic print composition, it redefines the relationship between print, form, and body. Driven by visually stimulating imagery and the desire to communicate physical sensation through concepts constructed via digital tools, the thesis proposes hybrid wearables existing in both the digital and physical states. The research examines an innovative symbiosis between the nostalgic past and the futuristic present with joyful expression in mind while simultaneously harmonizing the saturated voices of the current zeitgeist. The project contributes to the utilization of AI image-generating tools such as Dalle2 in the design practice and the role of maintaining human-centered design instead of replacing it. The results are presented in multitudes of different presentation formats from analog or digital ones in the forms of image stills and animation to phygital convergences between the virtual and the actual reality.

Ett identifierat problem inom modebranschen idag är den mängd returer som utförs till följd av felbeställningar av kläder som är köpta online. Tre anledningar till felbeställningar som leder till returer är att konsumenterna inte kan prova plaggen innan köp, produktbilderna är missvisande, eller att storleks beskrivningen inte överensstämmer med verklig storlek. Denna studien undersöker om det finns ett samband mellan felbeställningar och att konsumenter inte fysiskt kan prova de kläder som de köper online. Vidare syftar denna studien till att undersöka om innovativ digital teknik kan bidra till en lösning av det identifierade problemet. Studien är utförd genom en blandad forskningsmetod där information kring tidigare forskning och ny data samlats in genom litteraturstudier, intervjuer och enkätundersökningar. Studien förstärker den initiala hypotesen att det i dagsläget finns väldigt lite forskning kring kopplingen Metaverse, e-handel och digital provning. Studien visar dock att det finns ett intresse från både konsumenter och producenter att lära sig mer om Metaverse och eventuellt implementera och använda tekniken i framtiden. För att detta ska ske behöver teknologin utvecklas och man behöver också göra stora ekonomiska insatser. / An identified problem in the fashion industry today is the amount of returns made due to incorrect orders for clothes purchased online. Three reasons for incorrect orders that lead to returns are that consumers can not try on the garments before buying, the product images are misleading, or the size description does not correspond to the actual size. This paper examines whether there is a link between wrong orders and whether consumers can not physically try on the clothes they buy online. Furthermore, this paper investigates whether innovative digital technology can contribute to a solution to the identified problem. The paper was carried out through a mixed research method where information about previous research and new data was collected through literature studies, interviews, and questionnaires. The paper strengthens the initial hypothesis that there is currently very little research on the Metaverse connection, e-commerce, and digital testing. However, the paper shows that consumers and producers are interested in learning more about Metaverse and possibly implementing and using the technology in the future. For this to happen, technology needs to be developed and great financial efforts also need to be made.