Ethnicity in the Fashion Business: Design, Communication and Beyond

by Léo-Paul Dana (Editor), Gianpaolo Vignali (Editor), Daniella Ryding (Editor), Songyi Yan (Editor)

Overview

This book demonstrates the multi-disciplinary nature of the contemporary fashion industry. Edited and authored by leading scholars and industry experts, this comprehensive volume explores how ethnicity influences every facet of fashion—from design and production to marketing and consumption. Drawing on theoretical frameworks, with practical application, this book examines how designers incorporate ethnic motifs and traditions into their collections while navigating issues of cultural appropriation and authenticity. The role of ethnicity in shaping fashion communication and business strategies, including advertising campaigns, social media branding, and runway presentations is further examined. Moreover, it sheds light on the business dynamics of ethnic fashion markets, exploring the challenges, opportunities and future directions faced by entrepreneurs and enterprises within diverse consumer market.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031990205
Publisher:	Springer Nature Switzerland
Publication date:	12/29/2025
Series:	Ethnic and Indigenous Business Studies
Pages:	503
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Léo-Paul Dana is a Visiting Professor at Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne in France. He is also affiliated with LUT School of Business and Management at Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland, and he holds a professorship at Dalhousie University in Canada. A graduate of McGill University, he has served as a Marie Curie Fellow at Princeton University and as a Visiting Professor at INSEAD and Kingston University.

Gianpaolo Vignali is a Professor of Sustainable Fashion Business and co-lead of The SAFE Futures (Sustainable Approaches in Fashion Entrepreneurship) Research Group at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. Gianpaolo's notable contributions to academia encompass the publication of over 70 papers and books in the realm of Marketing and Management, including texts and papers published by Springer Nature and Palgrave, as well as those included in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, The Social Enterprise Journal, and The Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. Additionally, he has established himself as a distinguished presenter at various international conferences.

Daniella Ryding is a Professor of Fashion Marketing and is both an editor and an author of several fashion business textbooks for the Palgrave Series in Luxury Fashion Retailing and Springer Nature. She is affiliated with Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. The author has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers in leading business journals within the field of marketing, including, but not limited to, the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, the European Business Review, the International Journal of Consumer Studies, the Social Enterprise Journal, and the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. The author enjoys collaborating with a network of international academics to develop contemporary marketing thought. Daniella has a passion for researching consumers in their locations and environments within the areas of digital marketing and the circular economy.

Songyi Yan is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. Dr. Yan explores modular fashion's definition and companies' sustainable material communication. Her recent work includes "What is Modular Fashion: Towards A Common Definition" and "How do companies communicate their ‘sustainable’ material innovations on company websites?". Dr. Yan also investigates circular business models and microfiber pollution's consumer perspective, contributing significantly to understanding sustainability in the fashion industry.

Table of Contents

Introduction.- Part I: Design & Production.- Stakes of Globalization and the Aesthetic Challenges of Traditional Fashion Design in Tunisia: Traditional Clothing Design in Sfax as a Model.- Challenges of Fashion Entrepreneurs During Seasonal Festivities in Ghana: A Case Study of Fashion Designers in the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers’ Association in the Accra Metropolis.- Exploring Influences of Regional and Tribal Heritage in Fashion Design and Local Brands: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia.- Ethnicity and Fashion in the Manufacturing Industry: Namibian Perspective from Dinapama.- The Competitive Situation of the Ghanaian Ethnic Fashion Industry Using Porter’s Five Forces Competitive Strategy Model.- Part II: Fashion Communication.- Ethnicity and Fashion: Relationships? A Bibliometric Mapping.- Navigating Cultural Appropriation and Authenticity of the Namibian Aaawambo Tribe Fashion.- Visual Markers of Ethnicity: Exploring Cultural Representation in African Fashion Brands Online.- From Margins to Mainstream: Understanding Consumer Perceptions in Delivering Ethnic Minority Fashion in China.- Commodification of Ethnic Cultural Symbols in Fashion: A Social Sustainability Perspective.- What Boundaries Were Mediated or Eliminated Through Transhumanist Ethnicity? A Perspective from Chinese Virtual Fashion Influencers.- Part III: Business Strategies.- Berber Fashion in North Africa: Between Tradition, Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship.- Current Status and Future Prospects of Ethnic Fashion Industries in Sri Lanka.- Beyond the Threads: Navigating Consumer Perceptions of Ethnic Fashion Appropriation vs. Appreciation.- Honouring Tradition: Bow, Arrow, Animal Skin and Patchlappies in Namibia’s Fashion Industry — A San/Khoe Khoe and Ovaherero Ethnic Perspective.- Cultural Dynamics and Consumer Behaviour: A Global Perspective on Ethnic Fashion.- Ethnic Diversified Brand Personality Perception.- 19. Heritage Meets Innovation: The Role of Ethnic Influence and Sustainability in Contemporary Fashion Design.- 20. Comparing the Effects of ‘Showing Available Product’ vs. ‘Showing Unavailable Product’ by Social Media Influencers for Luxury Fashion Brands in China.