Immersive innovations for the communication of heritage, handcraft and sustainability.

Cross, Karen; Mesjar, Lyndsay; Steed, Josie; Jiang, Yang

Abstract

Textile and fashion brands convey core values through marketing, and in slow-fashion heritage brands this often includes skilled craftsmanship, authenticity, sustainability and provenance. As industry digitalisation continues, brands are employing immersive technologies – virtual (VR) or augmented (AR) reality – however there is scarce evidence of these being used to communicate craftsmanship or provenance. To explore this potential, survey participants were shown immersive and traditional marketing content and perceptions of brand image were sought. The immersive content elicited new brand associations compared with the traditional content, which may be desirable if targeting a younger or more fashion-forward demographic. However, the immersive content was less effective at inspiring participants to make a purchase, with many participants overwhelmed by the virtual environment. The research concludes that effective immersive content should incorporate a streamlined representation of brand identity and core values, utilising an accessible platform while the adoption of VR headsets remains limited.

Citation

CROSS, K., MESJAR, L., STEED, J. and JIANG, Y. 2025. Immersive innovations for the communication of heritage, handcraft and sustainability. International journal of fashion design, technology and education [online], 18(1): conscious communities: exploring contemporary research and practice within fashion and textiles higher education, pages 15-25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2023.2277264

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 25, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 21, 2023
• Publication Date: Apr 30, 2025
• Deposit Date: Nov 22, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 22, 2023
• Journal: International journal of fashion design, technology and education
• Print ISSN: 1754-3266
• Electronic ISSN: 1754-3274
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 15-25
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2023.2277264
• Keywords: Immersive technologies; Virtual reality (VR); Augmented reality (AR); Heritage fashion; Brand identity; Brand marketing; Brand image
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2126590