Do empowerment and materialism influence slow fashion consumption? Evidence from Brazil

Abstract

Purpose Given that slow fashion is a movement that develops a comprehensive understanding of sustainable fashion and it is little explored in the Brazilian academic field, this study aims to analyze the influence of empowerment and materialism on slow fashion consumption. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via an online survey, and quantitative methods were applied to analyze the sample of 306 clothing consumers from Fortaleza, the 5th largest Brazilian city and capital of the State of Ceará, which ranks fifth in the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Chain Billing Ranking. Findings In general, empowerment had a positive influence on slow fashion consumption. On the other hand, materialism positively influenced only one orientation toward slow fashion (exclusivity). Research limitations/implications As a limitation of the study, the lack of a specific scale to measure consumer empowerment stands out. In addition, the sample was restricted to consumers from Fortaleza, thus results might differ for different locations. Practical implications The study provides managerial implications related to how strategies of empowerment can be incorporated by slow fashion companies into their marketing programs, such as more active consumer involvement in product co-creation processes. Originality/value This study contributes to the construction of theoretical and empirical knowledge on slow fashion, from its association with constructs such as empowerment and materialism. Furthermore, a conceptual model involving all relations found between the factors of the three constructs has been proposed.