Den globala modeindustrin är idag en av de mest konkurrenskraftiga branscherna i världen där särskilt premiumsegmentet har haft stor tillväxt på senare tid. I takt med att det regelbundet tillkommer nya företag på marknaden är det svårt för företag att särskilja sig från sina konkurrenter. Premiumvarumärken inkluderar exklusivitet men grundar sig desto mer i ett känslomässigt engagemang från kunderna. Med detta i beaktning är premiumvarumärken i särskilt behov av att lyfta fram sina betydande egenskaper och bygga starka varumärken. Modevarumärken inom premiumsegmentet är mindre beforskat i jämförelse med de andra segment, vilket belyser relevansen av denna studie. Således var syftet med denna studie att identifiera hur modeföretag inom premiumsegmentet på den skandinaviska modemarknaden arbetar med varumärkesbyggande, avseende varumärkesidentitet och produktmix. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgår från två huvudområden: varumärkesidentitet och produktmix och nyttjades för att få en grundläggande förståelse för studiens forskningsområde. För att kunna besvara studiens syfte och dess frågeställningar nyttjades en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med utgångspunkt i fem stycken intervjuer med skandinaviska modevarumärken. Intervjuerna var av strukturerad och semistrukturerad karaktär och genomfördes genom onlinemöten och mail. Resultatet visar att varumärkesidentitet är särskilt centralt för modevarumärken inom premiumsegmentet med hänsyn till att den bör genomsyra alla delar i varumärket såsom produkter, pris, distribution och service. Produkten verkar vara särskilt betydelsefull för hur identiteten ska kommuniceras. Likväl är produkten extra viktig för modevarumärken inom premiumsegmentet med hänsyn till att de har ett högre pris och därmed större förväntningar på dess värde. I studien framgår det även att distribution är särskilt utmärkande då många var överens om att det fanns en strävan efter att befinna sig tillsammans med andra lyxiga varumärken. Slutligen visar resultatet att varumärkesidentiteten och produktmixen bör vara tydlig och konsekvent för modevarumärken inom premiumsegmentet. / The fashion industry is today one of the most competitive industries in the world where especially the premium segment have had a significant growth recently. As new companies regularly enter the market, it is difficult for companies to separate themselves from their competitors. Premium brands include exclusivity and are based on an emotional interest from customers. With this in mind, premium brands are in particular need to highlight their significant attributes and build strong brands. Fashion brands within the premium segment are less researched in comparison to the other segments, which highlights the relevance of this study. Accordingly the purpose of this study was to identify how fashion companies within the premium segment of the Scandinavian fashion market work with branding, regarding brand identity and product mix. The theoretical framework of this study is based on two main areas: brand identity and product mix and was used to gain a fundamental understanding of the research area. In order to be able to answer the purpose of the study, a qualitative research method was used based on five interviews with Scandinavian fashion brands. The interviews were of a structured and semi-structured quality and were conducted through online meetings and email. The result shows that brand identity is particularly central for fashion brands in the premium segment, considering that it should permeate all parts of the brand such as products, price, distribution and service. The product seems to be particularly important for how the identity is communicated. Nevertheless, the product is especially important for fashion brands in the premium segment, considering that they have a higher price and therefore bigger expectations of its value. In the study, it also appears that distribution is particularly distinctive as many agreed that there was an aspiration to be together with other luxury brands. Finally, the result shows that the brand identity and product mix should be clear and consistent for fashion brands in the premium segment.

Denna studie är skriven på svenska. För att bedriva en framgångsrik verksamhet måste organisationer balansera flera saker samtidigt. God tillväxt och hög lönsamhet kombinerat med ett gediget hållbarhetsarbete och välmående medarbetare, är ett axplock av saker organisationer måste hantera på en daglig basis. Kunderna blir allt mer medvetna om vad de konsumerar, vilket kräver att ens verksamhet sticker ut. Modebranschen är en industri som är i ständig utveckling. Med en bransch vid omsättning på flera miljarder dollar årligen är modebranschen en av de mest utvecklande branscherna som ständigt förnyar sig. Denna studiens syfte är att ge ny insyn på forskning om hur organisationer jobbar med sina dynamiska kapabiliteter vid en rebranding, där studien delats upp i tre faser: sensing, seizing och reconfiguring. I denna studie har författarna studerat hur ett modeföretag jobbar med sina dynamiska kapabiliteter i en rebranding av sina varumärken. Studien är kvalitativ, där semistrukturerade intervjuer tagit plats. Den insamlade datan har kompletterats med kvantifierad data från enkäter samt finansiella siffror som förklarat effekterna av rebrandingen. Den empiriska datan har visat på en positiv effekt av rebrandingen sedan lanseringen. Försäljningen har ökat med 47 procent, EBIT har mer än fördubblats och EBITDA en ökning med 60 procent. Studien har visat på att organisationer som regelbundet jobbar med sina dynamiska kapabiliteter vid en rebranding har gett positiv effekt. Det studerade företaget har fått större spridning på de digitala kanalerna och knutit till sig nya kunder, samt nått ut till en bredare målgrupp. I framtiden kan denna studie förökas genom att jämföra företag i samma bransch mellan varandra, eller studera effekterna över tid. Teorin kan tillämpas på fler branscher. / Ang more aware of what they are consuming, which puts pressure on the companies to stand out from the crowd. The fashion industry is in a never ending development. With an industry wide yearly revenue of billions of dollars, the fashion industry is among the most developed and still developing industries to this day. The purpose of this paper is to shed new light to how organizations are using their dynamic capabilities in a rebranding fase, where this study is divided into three stages of the dynamic capabilities: sensing, seizing and reconfiguring. For this research, the authors have researched fashion company’s dynamic capabilities in their rebranding of their brands. A qualitative research, based on semi-structured interviews - with complete quantified data from surveys and financial statements that has explained the effect of the rebranding. The data has shown that the researched company in this research has gotten a positive result since their launch of the rebranding. Sales have gone up by 47 percent, EBIT more than doubled and EBITDA has gone up 60 percent. This research has proven that an organization that continuously works on their dynamic capabilities in a rebranding has gotten good results from it. The company in this research has increased the traffic on digital platforms and as a result reached out to new consumers, and broadened their target audience. This theory can be applied for further research, by comparing companies within the same industry, or by extending the research period. The theory can be applied to different industries

Диссертационная работа посвящена исследованию особенностей и проблем позиционирования брендов молодых российских дизайнеров на рынке моды, поиску способов их продвижения с помощью арт-дизайна. В работе рассмотрены теоретические аспекты понятий бренд, позиционирование, арт-дизайн, а также проведен анализ примеров позиционирования брендов. На основе полученных данных сформулированы рекомендации по разработке позиционирования молодых брендов. / The dissertation work is devoted to the study of the features and problems of positioning brands of young Russian designers in the fashion market, the search for ways to promote them with the help of art design. The paper considers the theoretical aspects of the concepts of brand, positioning, art design, as well as analyzes examples of brand positioning. Based on the data obtained, recommendations for the development of positioning of young brands are formulated.

In recent years, sustainability has become more important for fast fashion companies to embrace. Partly because of climate change and partly because consumers’ demands are higher. To make a real difference, fast fashion companies need to communicate sustainability clearly, and consumers need to be receptive to this type of communication. Thereby, both fast fashion companies and consumers have responsibilities towards the environment. However, previous research shows that consumers lack comprehension of sustainability communication within the fast fashion industry. This leads to consumption of non-sustainable clothing items over sustainable clothing items. Based on the aforementioned, three main concepts were identified as pertinent to build upon, encompassing subconcepts. The main concepts are sustainability communication, consumer comprehension and purchasing decisions. The subconcepts are says what, to whom, motivation and engagement, word recognition, language comprehension, knowledge, intentions and action.  As previous research is scattered, this research is conducted to give a gathered understanding. The purpose of this research was to examine consumer comprehension of sustainability communication within the Swedish fast fashion industry. Additionally, considerable emphasis lay on purchasing decisions. To successfully do this, the primary data was collected through a pilot study and focus groups. More specifically, there were four focus groups with six participants in each.  The empirical findings, together with the literature review, concluded that consumers recognise environmental labels and designations but do not know what they stand for. Further, sustainability communication is placed in a positive category, despite lack of comprehension. The level of motivation and engagement is low, due to suspicions of greenwashing, among other things. Language comprehension was found to have no major impact on consumer comprehension of sustainability communication. Some felt that the communication should be concise and others felt that it should provide a broader perspective. Moreover, consumers notice the sustainability communication, however, they do not seek nor respond to it. These conclusions intend to create value for fast fashion companies.

Teknisk utveckling och innovation är drivande för samhällets ekonomiska tillväxt. Vilja och förmåga att innovera är också avgörande för företags överlevnad då lyckosam innovation skapar konkurrensfördelar. Additiv tillverkning är en ny produktionsmetod som har potential att revolutionera hur produkter tillverkas. Tekniken kastar om förutsättningarna för hur företag konkurrerar genom att möjliggöra kostnadseffektiv tillverkning av små serier, produktion nära kundorderpunkten och kundanpassning. Modeindustrin är en komplex och hårt konkurrensutsatt bransch där företag befinner sig i en konstant strävan efter differentiering. För att nå framgång måste företag skapa fördelar gentemot konkurrenterna. Flera branscher har redan börjat använda additiv tillverkning och företag skapar framgångsrikt konkurrensfördelar genom att implementera tekniken. Inom modebranschen har dock additiv tillverkning använts begränsat och inte för produktion av konsumentprodukter. Vårt intresse väcktes för att vidare utreda huruvida det är lämpligt att implementera additiv tillverkning på bredare front. Studiens syfte är att fördjupa diskussionen kring spridning av ny teknik genom att studera additiv tillverknings potential för spridning till modeindustrin. Studien har genomförts med en deduktiv ansats där teorikärnan utgjorts av Schumpeters teorier kring innovation och Rogers teorier om innovationsdiffusion. Studien har varit av kvalitativ karaktär där empiriinsamlingen skett genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med representanter från företag som använder additiv tillverkning samt forskare inom det textila området. Studiens slutsats är att additiv tillverkning inte lämpar sig för produktion av kläder så som vi känner dem idag. När empirin analyseras i förhållande till studiens teorier framkommer aspekter som indikerar ett flertal matchningar mellan fördelarna med additiv tillverkning och modeindustrins karaktärsdrag framkommit. Att implementera additiv tillverkning kan, i framtiden, vara en möjlighet för modeföretag att i framtiden skapa konkurrensfördelar. / Technological development and innovation are driving forces behind economic growth. Having the will and ability to innovate are also crucial factors for companies as successful innovation creates competitive advantage. Additive manufacturing is a new production process with the potential to revolutionise the way products are being manufactured. The technique disrupts competitive conditions by enabling cost-effective production of small lot sizes, production close to the decoupling point and customisation. The fashion industry is a complex and highly competitive industry, companies are in a constant quest for means of differentiation. In order to be successful, companies must create advantages over the competitors. Several sectors have already started using additive manufacturing and companies create successful competitive advantage by implementing the technology. In the fashion industry however, additive manufacturing has been used sparsely and not for production of consumer products. Our interest was awaked to further investigate whether or not it is appropriate to extend the use of this new technology. The purpose of this study is to immerse the discussion of diffusion of new technology by studying additive manufacturing’s potential of spreading to the fashion industry. The study was conducted with a deductive approach and the central theories have been Schumpeter’s theories of innovation and Rogers’ theories of diffusion of innovations. The study has been of a qualitative nature and semi-structured interviews with representatives from companies using additive manufacturing and researchers in the textile field were conducted to collect the empirical data. The conclusion is that additive manufacturing is not yet suitable for production of clothing. Nonetheless, when the empirical data was analysed in relation to the theories used, multiple matches between the benefits of additive manufacturing and the characteristics of the fashion industry were revealed. Consequently, implementing additive manufacturing can, in the future, pose opportunities for fashion companies to create competitive advantage. The thesis is written in Swedish.

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Digitalisation is one of the greatest transformations in modern times and has impacted organisations, industry structures and the society as a whole. It provides new opportunities for fashion firms to interact with different stakeholders and has altered the way firms operate in foreign markets. Based on in-depth interviews with managers of Swedish high-end fashion firms, the aim of the study was to explore what impact digitalisation has on managers’ perceived psychic distance in their international operations. In particular, how managers use digital technologies to obtain and interpret information about supply and demand conditions in foreign markets was examined. The empirical findings indicate that digital technologies are essential for firms today, as they have increased information availability, enhanced information usage and improved interactive communication. This, in turn, leads to a reduction of managers’ perceived psychic distance.

There are a lot of different business strategies for any company. However, in the fashion industry, the best way to become successful is to develop the brand using special branding strategies. Hence, a brand is the main weapon for fashion companies, which helps to launch international market and to create loyal customers around the world. Nowadays, due to the difficult current political situations and the collapse of oil and the dollar a lot of companies in different industries have to change their business strategies. It is especially true for fashion companies, because they depend on consumers ' income and their purchasing power. In the case of the fashion industry, branding strategy development can be more effective, than just business strategy. Hence, this thesis discusses the following problem: What branding strategy should Russian and Swedish fashion companies choose in order to build a strong brand and enter the international market.  The purpose of this thesis is to analyze various branding strategies of Russian and Swedish fashion companies during the process of entering foreign markets. At the end of this thesis, practical contribution in their process of international branding strategy creation will be discussed. In order to answer research questions more broadly and accurately, the mixed research method, using quantitive and qualitative study through interviews and survey was chosen. Semi-structured interviews were made with the CEO and brand managers of Russian and Swedish fashion companies. Moreover, the survey was made with two different questionnaires: for Russian and for Swedish customers. In the case of qualitative research, the author found that fashion companies from Russia and Sweden have got not just some features and differences, but also common aspects. The primary data from interviews allowed the author to understand the specifics of brand management in the fashion industry. It was found, that there are some useful aspects in Swedish strategies, which can be used by Russian companies to develop their brands on the international market. In the case of quantitative research, preferences of consumers from Russia and Sweden were analyzed and also some features were identified. Survey results provided the author with a common understanding about purchase habits, attitudes and perceptions to fashion brands. According to these, some hypothesizes, which are formulated in the first part of the thesis, have been proven or disproven. It was found, that preferences of Russian and Swedish people are pretty the same, however Russian customers do not like to risk with new brands and prefer well-known and trusted brands while Swedish customers are open for any brand, which can satisfy their tastes.

This thesis defines fashion law as a specific horizontal legal field that relates to the protection of design, materials, manufacturing processes, technology, shapes, lines, colours, finishing and labelling, trademark infringement and copyright protection. Moreover, it deals with crucial topics in the field of fashion law including licensing and enforcement of rights to the products available to retailers, manufactures, and fashion designers. In addition, the thesis studies the establishment and development of fashion law abroad, particularly in the United States of America, as well as in the Czech Republic. In this thesis, the definition of fashion design includes its features and unique remarks in comparison to other types of design. Further, the thesis thoroughly examines and analyses the protection of fashion design available to retailers, fashion designers and manufactures under Czech law, especially trademark protection, copyright protection, competition law and trade dress protection. It studies various sources of law, including case law, statutes, international treaties and soft law that relate to the protection given by the Czech and other legal systems. Moreover, it analyses the concurrence of the copyright protection of design and industrial design protection. Finally, the thesis studies...

In a fast-changing retail environment, including hard competition and demanding consumers, the customer experience of the purchasing service is crucial to gain a competitive advantage. Since consumers are to some extent moving from offline to online, and from desktop shopping to purchasing clothing in a mobile application, there is a need for investigating consumers expectations of their experience of a mobile application. The existing and performance of attributes and functions determines the satisfaction of the user experience, which is why it is reasonable to investigate expectations concerning attributes. The finding and classification of quality attributes in mobile applications in the fashion industry was the main goal of this thesis. Attributes were found using a qualitative study including 16 interviews, where respondents field tested already existing applications. The reasonability to further investigate these attributes was confirmed by a literature research. After finding 35 relevant attributes, these were investigated and analysed using the Theory of Attractive Quality and a 5-level Kano questionnaire. The analysis was conducted using the Theory of Attractive Quality, classifying attributes according to the Kano chart of evaluation. Further, each attribute was analysed using tools such as better/worse diagrams and self-stated importance values. The classification results from the questionnaire were that “Choose product size” was categorised as Must-Be, “Loading speed” as One-Dimensional, eight quality attributes were combinations of classifications, and 25 were classified as Indifferent. A number of 510 respondents answered the questionnaire. The classification of attributes implies that customers are rather indifferent to attributes during their shopping experience. However, further analysis concludes that even though many attributes are classified as Indifferent, many attributes need to be considered, according to the better/worse values and diagrams, which are useful regarding resource allocation. According to the classification and better/worse diagrams, one can distinguish a difference between genders: male respondents proved to be more indifferent to their shopping experience than females. Analysis of the data also shows a difference between age groups. The two youngest age groups including respondents born in 1990-1994 and 1995-2000, had higher better and worse values, implying that younger people expect more from their shopping user experience. Conclusively, this report resulted in an overview of consumers’ expectations regarding their experience when shopping in a fashion mobile application. The Theory of Attractive Quality is a useful method when measuring perceived and expected quality; however, each investigative occasion demands different method setup, adjusting for specific attribute types, as well as business. Some improvements can be made regarding the Theory of Attractive Quality, increasing the chances of a better result.