Phygital Fashion Emporium

Abstract

The modern consumer is immersed in an experiential driven economy. Fashion has been rather slow at embracing emerging technologies, but the COV-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transition online by forcing the industry to re-evaluate and adapt to new digital formats. Historically, luxury products have been presented in a manner that crafts a compelling narrative which appeals to the consumers’ quest for self-actualization. The conspicuous reasons for consumer purchases are not the primary vehicle driving consumers’ motives as they previously once were. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a theoretical framework, the fashion market has shifted from satisfying basic priorities towards fulfilling personal growth and identity offered by experiential moments. It was the establishment of French Couture which enabled a desire for fashionable products. As it is commonly misunderstood, the emergence of luxury fashion brands led to the disappearance of diverse regional folk costumes and to the attenuation of heterogeneous class differences in dress. This was achieved by harnessing the power of storytelling through the act of runway presentation. Globalization and mass mediation has broadened the way contemporary fashion is perceived. This project seeks to remediate the experience of luxury fashion in the form of a new e-commerce interface designed for inclusivity.