Abstract
Purpose: An ageing population in the developed world has become a significant topic in the contemporary research agenda. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a new small-scale business model based on facilitating in-depth understanding and responding to mature female consumers’ needs and expectations towards fashionable clothing. Design/methodology/approach: Two complementary approaches are used: interpretative phenomenological analysis allows the researchers to employ the life-course perspective and to develop in-depth understanding of individuals’ present experiences in relation to their past. Action research offers the possibility to develop participatory, co-design processes based on collective creativity and mutual knowledge exchange between the stakeholders. Findings: The research finds a strong interest in fashionable clothing by women, irrespective of their age. The action-based co-design process involving collaborative encounters with mature consumers creates a dynamic capability for alternative fashion design methodologies. This approach can contribute to a small-scale fashion business model for the mature women’s fashion market. Practical implications: The women in the study stress the need for a more inclusive design process and expressed a willingness to buy from a brand/retailer who would offer them such a collaborative opportunity. There are practical implications for how a more flexible sizing approach to the design of fashion for older women could be implemented. Originality/value: This research makes a contribution to practice-based design solutions for mature women and a new inclusive business model based on emotional durability. The innovative methodological approach contributes to the field of ethical and sustainable fashion design.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3-20 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Management Decision |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 11 Sep 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Jan 2019 |
Fingerprint
Bibliographical note
Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Keywords
- Mature fashion consumer
- womenswear
- sustainable fashion
- action research
- business model
- Business model
- Action research
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences(all)
- Psychology(all)
- Arts and Humanities(all)
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Management Science and Operations Research
Cite this
Fashioning clothing with and for mature women: a small-scale sustainable design business model. / Townsend, Katherine; Kent, Anthony; Sadkowska, Ania.
In: Management Decision, Vol. 57, No. 1, 14.01.2019, p. 3-20.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Fashioning clothing with and for mature women: a small-scale sustainable design business model
AU - Townsend, Katherine
AU - Kent, Anthony
AU - Sadkowska, Ania
N1 - Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.
PY - 2019/1/14
Y1 - 2019/1/14
N2 - Purpose: An ageing population in the developed world has become a significant topic in the contemporary research agenda. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a new small-scale business model based on facilitating in-depth understanding and responding to mature female consumers’ needs and expectations towards fashionable clothing. Design/methodology/approach: Two complementary approaches are used: interpretative phenomenological analysis allows the researchers to employ the life-course perspective and to develop in-depth understanding of individuals’ present experiences in relation to their past. Action research offers the possibility to develop participatory, co-design processes based on collective creativity and mutual knowledge exchange between the stakeholders. Findings: The research finds a strong interest in fashionable clothing by women, irrespective of their age. The action-based co-design process involving collaborative encounters with mature consumers creates a dynamic capability for alternative fashion design methodologies. This approach can contribute to a small-scale fashion business model for the mature women’s fashion market. Practical implications: The women in the study stress the need for a more inclusive design process and expressed a willingness to buy from a brand/retailer who would offer them such a collaborative opportunity. There are practical implications for how a more flexible sizing approach to the design of fashion for older women could be implemented. Originality/value: This research makes a contribution to practice-based design solutions for mature women and a new inclusive business model based on emotional durability. The innovative methodological approach contributes to the field of ethical and sustainable fashion design.
AB - Purpose: An ageing population in the developed world has become a significant topic in the contemporary research agenda. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a new small-scale business model based on facilitating in-depth understanding and responding to mature female consumers’ needs and expectations towards fashionable clothing. Design/methodology/approach: Two complementary approaches are used: interpretative phenomenological analysis allows the researchers to employ the life-course perspective and to develop in-depth understanding of individuals’ present experiences in relation to their past. Action research offers the possibility to develop participatory, co-design processes based on collective creativity and mutual knowledge exchange between the stakeholders. Findings: The research finds a strong interest in fashionable clothing by women, irrespective of their age. The action-based co-design process involving collaborative encounters with mature consumers creates a dynamic capability for alternative fashion design methodologies. This approach can contribute to a small-scale fashion business model for the mature women’s fashion market. Practical implications: The women in the study stress the need for a more inclusive design process and expressed a willingness to buy from a brand/retailer who would offer them such a collaborative opportunity. There are practical implications for how a more flexible sizing approach to the design of fashion for older women could be implemented. Originality/value: This research makes a contribution to practice-based design solutions for mature women and a new inclusive business model based on emotional durability. The innovative methodological approach contributes to the field of ethical and sustainable fashion design.
KW - Mature fashion consumer
KW - womenswear
KW - sustainable fashion
KW - action research
KW - business model
KW - Business model
KW - Action research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052099074&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/MD-12-2016-0942
DO - 10.1108/MD-12-2016-0942
M3 - Article
VL - 57
SP - 3
EP - 20
JO - Management Decision
JF - Management Decision
SN - 0025-1747
IS - 1
ER -