Can Consumers’ Desire for Newness in Fashion Reconcile with the Growing Need for Sustainability?
(A2022-106318)

AUTHORS

DENIZ ATIK, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Zeynep Ozdamar Ertekin, Izmir University of Economics; Lena Cavusoglu, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

ABSTRACT

Excessive fashion consumption and production processes have social and environmental ramifications that endanger future generations, making the need for long-term solutions more pressing than ever. From a conceptual viewpoint, this study explores how consumers' restless desire for newness in fashion interferes with long-term sustainability goals. Through a comprehensive literature review, authors demonstrate how consumers' psychological and social needs drive their desire for newness and how fast fashion brands nurture that desire. The paper further discusses the negative repercussions of excessive fashion buying and suggests strategies for re-orienting the drive for newness toward more sustainable consumption alternatives. The study has practical and sociological implications that influence a wide range of stakeholders, including consumers, marketers, and public authorities, given the growing awareness of the negative consequences of excessive consumption.