Being Transformed by Luxury Fashion Brands' Art Foundations
(A2019-8093)

AUTHORS

Alessia Grassi, University of Huddersfield

KEYWORDS

Transformative Experience; Value Co-creation; Luxury Fashion Brands

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates luxury fashion brands' art foundations as a potential venue to provide consumers with transformative experiences: in particular, Fondation Louis Vuitton and Fondazione Prada. Consumers are asking brands for more authentic experiences, to stand for specific values, and to permeate their businesses with those values (Gilmore & Pine, 2009; McKinnon, 2017). Transformative experiences are considered more meaningful, they could strengthen the consumer-brand relationship (Mermiri, 2009), and dedicated non-commercial venues, and the proximity with the arts might facilitate them (Arnould & Price, 1993; Kozinets, 2002). Through participant observation and focus groups, this paper investigates if luxury fashion brands' art foundations are a potential venue for transformative experiences. Results suggest that, providing that certain changes would be implemented, luxury fashion brands' art foundations could be a transformative experience for their public.