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Journal of Global Fashion Marketing

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The Roles of Consumers Need for Uniqueness and

Status Consumption in Haute Couture Luxury Brands
a b
Chelsey Latter , Ian Phau & Chris Marchegiani
a
Curtin University, The School of Marketing, Australia, Australia E-mail:
b
Curtin University, The School of Marketing, Australia, Australia Phone: +61 4 18106433
Fax: +61 4 18106433 E-mail:
Published online: 12 Dec 2012.

To cite this article: Chelsey Latter , Ian Phau & Chris Marchegiani (2010) The Roles of Consumers Need for Uniqueness
and Status Consumption in Haute Couture Luxury Brands, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 1:4, 206-214, DOI:
10.1080/20932685.2010.10593072

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 206 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214

The Roles of Consumers Need for Uniqueness and Status Consumption in

Haute Couture Luxury Brands

Chelsey Latter1)*, Ian Phau2), Chris Marchegiani3)

Abstract sumer market.

Haute Couture is the prestigious front for French creative
fashion (recently a number of fashion houses outside Paris
A vast body of knowledge exists regarding the attitudes in-
have been afforded membership) and original design and refers
volved in the consumption of luxury brands. The purchase of
to “wildly expensive garments made to measure for an elite
products for their symbolic and social value rather than for
cadre of the world’s ultra rich…where designers unleash their
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their inherent utility is now widely recognised as a significant

creativity, using the finest materials and techniques” (Barchfield
determinant of consumer behaviour (Mason, 1992). With
July 15, 2009, 3)
changes in industry trends, gaps in knowledge are created.
Haute couture creates the illusion through brand association
Thus, it is important to examine luxury brands in relation to
that accessories, (bags, scarf's, sunglasses etc.) are as exclusive
uniqueness. Moreover, whether consumers need for uniqueness
as the couture products at the premium end of the range.
is in fact a need for status in this younger emerging market
Couture generates high levels of publicity, which funnel down
(Clark, Zboja, and Goldsmith, 2007).
into sales in the ready to wear and mass production stages
The Australian Generation Y market is a dynamic and ex-
(Catry, 2003).
tremely competitive environment (Phau and Leng 2008). It en-
A self-administered pen and paper questionnaire was devel-
compasses 26% of the adult population (Khoo and Conisbee
oped for the study, which utilised a non-probability con-
2008) with the benefit of offering a market segment open to
venience sample of Australian Generation Y consumers. The
generalisations. Thanks to a decrease in the affordability of the
survey instrument took approximately 10 minutes to complete
housing market the average disposable income has increased
and used existing scales with strong reliabilities to measure the
and as a result Generation Y has enormous spending potential.
five main constructs on a seven-point scale ranging from
In 2015 Generation Y will have the largest share of the con-
“strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. Data was collected
sumer market and is set to dominate retail trade (Khoo and
from students studying in a large Metropolitan University in
Conisbee, 2008). However, limited research has been conducted
Western Australia. A total of 259 usable questionnaires were
using the Australian Generation Y market in regards to their
analysed. Data analysis was conducted using factor analysis
attitudes towards uniqueness and luxury brands. According to
and multiple and step-wise regression analysis. It was found
Phau and Cheong (2009) consumers between the ages of 30-50
that consumers’ need for uniqueness has three dimensions, cre-
years have been the prime market for luxury goods. The im-
ative choice counter-conformity, unpopular choice counter-con-
portance of adult consumers has been explored in depth, but
formity and avoidance of similarity, in the concept of a hatue
there has been less attention given to the emergence of sym-
couture brand. The effect of consumers’ need for uniqueness,
bolic consumption in young people.
status consumption and brand perceptions was tested in relation
This study examines the causal relationships among consum-
to purchase intentions. It was found that brand judgements had
ers’ need for uniqueness, brand perceptions (brand judgements
the strongest most significant effect on purchase intentions.
and emotional value), and purchase intentions of an haute cou-
The three dimensions of consumers’ need for uniqueness, crea-
ture luxury apparel brand and it’s ready to wear range among
tive choice counter-conformity, unpopular choice counter-con-
Australian Generation Y status and non-status consumers. This
formity and avoidance of similarity were found to have differ-
research will allow further examination of how Australian
ing relationships with purchase intentions. Only creative choice
Generation Y consumers’ need for uniqueness influences prod-
counter-conformity was found to have a significant relationship
uct acquisition behaviour concluding with how marketers and
with purchase intentions through brand perceptions.
practitioners could use this to effectively target this young con-
The paper adds knowledge to the field of consumers’ need
for uniqueness and status consumption and provides an insight
1) * Corresponding Author: Curtin University, The School of Marketing, into Australian Generation Y consumers’ purchasing intentions
Australia, E-mail: c.latter@ curtin.edu.au
toward an haute couture luxury apparel brand and offers a
2) Curtin University, The School of Marketing, Australia, E-mail: Ian.Phau
@cbs.curtin.edu.au
number of significant contributions. Theoretically, it introduces
3) Curtin University, The School of Marketing, Australia, Tel. +61 4 theoretical underpinnings from branding, psychology and con-
18106433, Fax. +61 8 92663937, E-mail: Chris.Marchegiani sumer behaviour to develop a framework in which to examine
@cbs.curtin.edu.au insights from existing fashion literature in a new light. This
Ⓒ 2010 KAMS. All rights reserved. study focuses on Australian Generation Y consumers’ purchase
 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214 207

intentions of a luxury apparel brand and it is subsequently ” (Barchfield, July 15,

found that deviations exist between Australian Generation Y 2009, 3)。
consumers and Generation Y consumers previously studied , （ ， ，
(Northern Asia and the United States) (O'Cass and Choy, ） ， ，
2008; Park, Rabolt, and Jeon, 2008; Knight and Kim, 2007). ， 。
Furthermore, only creative choice counter-conformity is found ， ， (Catry, 2003)。
to be a significant predictor of purchase intentions of luxury Y 。
apparel. This proposes a new way of thought in regards to 10 。
uniqueness seeking consumers’ attitudes towards products with 。 “ ” “ ”
an exclusive and customisation approach, illustrating that con- 。
sumers’ place a level of sameness with a well-recognised luxu- 。 259 。
ry brand regardless of the exclusive, one-of-a-kind designs the 。
premium end of the brand portrays. Managerially, the study ， ： ，
supports the belief that exposure to a recognised luxury appa- 。
rel brand can prompt brand judgements and emotional re- ， 。
sponses in status seeking consumers. This can be seen through- 。
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out hypothesis 2 in the significant difference in the results of ， ，

status seeking consumers’ as compared to that of uniqueness 。
seeking consumers. 。
Although the findings of this research are market specific, ，
they have important implications for general fashion con- Y 。
sumption research. This research demonstrated the value of the ， ，
consumers’ need for uniqueness and the status consumption ， 。
scales in explaining fashion adoption behavior especially per- Y ，
taining to luxury apparel. Y Y
(Northern Asia and the United States) (O'Cass and Choy,
Keywords: Consumers’ need for uniqueness, Status con- 2008; Park, Rabolt, and Jeon, 2008; Knight and Kim, 2007)。
sumption, Luxury, Haute couture, Generation Y. ，
。
。
。 ，

。 。 2
。
(Mason, 199 ，
2)。 ， 。 。
， 。 ， 。
， (Clark, Zboja, and
Goldsmith, 2007)。 ： , , ,
Y , Y .
(Phau and Leng, 2008)。 26%
(Khoo and Conisbee, 2008)。
，Y 。 2015 ，Y 1. Introduction
(Khoo
and Conisbee, 2008)。 Y Consumers come to regard their possessions as part of
Y 。 Phau themselves and their identity (Belk, 1988). To a large degree,
Cheong (2009) ， 30-50 they define themselves by what they have and possess. Valued
。 。 material possessions are then seen to act as signs of self, with
。 self being defined as the sum of all a consumer can call
， （ theirs including, but not limited to, their possessions. This con-
)， tinual consumption and acquisition of material possessions at-
。 Y tempts to differentiate consumers from others in an effort to
develop a distinctive self and social image (Tian, Bearden, and
。 Hunter, 2001). This study evaluates how status consumption
（
and consumers’ need for uniqueness influence brand judge-
)， “
ments and emotional value and how these lead to purchase in-
，
 208 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214

tentions of an haute couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to trends and styles are ever changing (Bertrandias and
wear line. This integrates earlier research from two academic Goldsmith, 2006).
areas that examine consumer’s need for uniqueness. First, there According to this theoretical perspective, an individual, de-
is considerable research in psychology on how consumers use spite the influence of normative pressure, seeks differentiation
possessions to define identity (Goldsmith and Clark, 2008; (Clark, Zboja, and Goldsmith 2006) and intentionally disregards
Phau and Leng, 2008; Knight and Kim, 2007; Clark, Zboja, prescribed social norms in order to distinguish themselves from
and Goldsmith, 2007; O'Cass and Frost, 2002; Tian, Bearden, the group (Snyder and Fromkin, 1977). Unlike an individual
and Hunter, 2001; Simonson and Nowls, 2000; Campbell, driven by an independence motivation (Tian, Bearden, and
1995; Belk 1988). Second, researchers examine how a variety Hunter, 2001), the individual is exposed to a set of social
of factors influence the consumption of certain products and norms and actively seeks differentiation through non-congruence
brands. Studies found that status seeking consumers are con- (Clark, Zboja, and Goldsmith, 2006). The effect on the in-
cerned with their peers and use brands to convey this message dividual is ultimately dependent on the good becoming a pub-
(Ruvio, Shoham, and Brencic, 2008; O'Cass and Frost, 2002). licly recognized symbol (Tian and McKenzie, 2001). Because
This study therefore extends the application of consumers’ of its recognized meaning, these expressions of uniqueness are
need for uniqueness and status consumption into the context of sought in different forms and through multiple outlets where
mass customisation using an haute couture luxury apparel the social penalties for being different are not severe. This
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brand. This allows the study to extend from areas regarding makes the acquisition of material goods particularly valued
branded fashion apparel that are conceptually the same as oth- (Ryan, 2008; Tian, Bearden, and Hunter, 2001; Snyder, 1992).
er brands in the same category to branded fashion apparel that Linked as it is to the concept of conformity, consumers’
utilises a one off customisation approach. Haute couture creates need for uniqueness deserves study as a motivating factor in
the illusion through brand association that accessories, (bags, purchase intentions as extant research shows it can have a sig-
scarf's, sunglasses etc.) are as exclusive as the couture products nificant effect on purchase decisions. An individual’s need for
at the premium end of the range. Couture generates high lev- uniqueness is ultimately a psychological variable (Snyder and
els of publicity, which funnel down into sales in the ready to Fromkin, 1977). It has been found that psychological
wear and mass production stages (Catry, 2003). (including the need for uniqueness) and brand antecedents of
an individual has a significant and positive effect on con-
spicuous consumption, “the tendency for individuals to enhance
2. Theory and Hypothesis Development their image, through overt consumption of possessions, which
communicates status to others” (O'Cass and McEwen, 2004,
34). Furthermore, the congruency of self-concept, brand-image
2.1. Consumers’ Need for Uniqueness Theory and brand aroused feelings contribute towards the antecedent
for purchase decisions of conspicuous and unique brands.
The theory of consumers’ need for uniqueness explains how
an individual’s need for uniqueness can influence brand re-
sponses and the need to be different from others (Ryan, 2008; 2.2. Status Consumption
Tian, Bearden, and Hunter, 2001) through the pursuit of mate-
Status consumption can be defined as “the motivational
rial goods (Knight and Kim, 2007). This need can be demon-
process by which individuals strive to improve their social
strated in three types of consumer behaviour; (1) creative
standing through the conspicuous consumption of consumer
choice counter-conformity, the search for social differentness
products that confer and symbolise status both for the in-
through the consumption of products that are acceptable to
dividual and surrounding significant others” (Eastman and
others (Knight and Kim 2007; Tian, Bearden, and Hunter
Goldsmith, 1999, 42). Thus, an enduring individual trait, con-
2001), (2) unpopular choice counter-conformity, where consum-
sumption of status products may aid the individual in their
ers’ willingly risk social disapproval to establish their unique-
struggle for self-respect and social approval. Status seeking
ness by consuming products considered outside group norms
consumers are concerned with what relevant groups consider
(Knight and Kim, 2007) and (3) avoidance of similarity, which
the best choices in order to gain group approval and thus ele-
refers to the consumers’ avoidance of mainstream products and
vate status (Clark, Zboja, and Goldsmith, 2006).
the tendency to favour products or brands that are unpopular
The theory of status consumption is used to understand and
or not likely to become popular (Knight and Kim, 2007).
measure an individual’s tendency to purchase goods and serv-
Snyder and Fromkin (1977) found it is logical to speculate
ices for the status afforded by the products ownership
that different people exhibit varying degrees of need for
(Eastman and Goldsmith, 1999). The extent to which an in-
uniqueness in similar circumstances and this can have a sig-
dividual seeks status will influence the extent to which they
nificant impact on their purchase decisions. Individuals with a
display and engage in the consumption of status symbols
high need for uniqueness tend to adopt new products and
(Eastman and Goldsmith, 1999). Independent of both income
brands quicker which is pertinent to the fashion industry where
and social class, Mason (1992) found significant levels of sta-
tus consumption in communities throughout the world where
 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214 209

the usefulness of products is measured in terms of the social but pay a higher amount for a hidden brand label (Husic and
advantage their purchase offered. Veblen (1994 [1899]) sug- Cicic, 2009). According to extant literature this behaviour illu-
gests those individuals who outwardly display wealth are re- minates the present situation in luxury apparel. On one side
warded with preferential treatment by social contacts. Recent consumers wish to distinguish themselves while on the other
status consumption research supports Veblen’s notion adding side there are those who imitate the ‘trend setters’ including
individual’s social networks largely determine status con- their aspiration to distinguish themselves.
sumption, with status-conscious consumers more socially aware The preceding discussion has lead to the following hypoth-
and more interested in social relationships. Status seeking con- eses:
sumers overlook the excessive nature of status products be-
H1. Consumers’ need for uniqueness is positively related to (a)
cause of the honour these products intrinsically hold and the
brand judgements and (b) emotional value of an haute
reputability associated with ownership (Mason, 1992).
couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear line.
When consumers purchase and endorse a specific brand,
H2. Status consumption is positively related to (a) brand
they are communicating their desire to be associated with the
judgements and (b) emotional value of an haute couture
kind of people also perceived to consume the brand (Phau and
luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear line.
Prendergast, 2000), the brands image, and the lifestyle pro-
H3. Brand judgements’ are positively related to emotional val-
jected by the brand (Husic and Cicic, 2009). Luxury brands
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ue of an haute couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to

possess a desirability that extends beyond their utilitarian func-
wear line.
tions and provides the consumer with a perceived status
H4. Consumers’ (a) perception of judgements and (b) emo-
through ownership.
tional value is positively related to purchase intentions of
Consumers’ consider many aspects of the brand when mak-
an haute couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear
ing a purchase including evaluating if the brand satisfies their
line.
emotional needs (Kumar, Kim, and Pelton, 2009). According to
H5. (a) Consumers’ need for uniqueness and (b) status con-
Keller (2008) more and more companies are attempting to tap
sumption will positively influence purchase intentions of
into consumer emotions with their brands. Previous research
an haute couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear
found emotional response plays a key role in determining pur-
line
chase intention and is twice as likely to account for purchase
than cognition (Knight and Kim, 2007). This has lead re- A number of mediating relationships are also postulated as
searchers to recognise that consumers respond to brands in two follows:
ways; cognitively and emotionally during the decision making H6. Emotional value mediates the relationship between con-
process (Knight and Kim, 2007; Babin and Babin, 2001). sumers’ need for uniqueness and purchase intentions of
Knight and Kim (2007), who surveyed Japanese Generation an haute couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear
Y consumers, found emotional value had a significant impact line.
on purchase intention as did Babin and Babin (2001) who sur- H7. Brand judgements mediates the relationship between con-
veyed American consumers. Consumers perceived emotional sumers’ need for uniqueness and purchase intentions of
value refers to their affective reactions to a brand, and this is an haute couture luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear
especially true for fashion because a preoccupation with ap- line.
pearance and socially consumed goods is directly linked to the H8. Emotional value mediates the relationship between brand
personality of consumers (Knight and Kim, 2007; Bertrandias judgement and purchase intentions of an haute couture
and Goldsmith, 2006). As a product category, fashion induces luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear line.
a high level of involvement and interest due to its symbolic H9. Emotional value mediates the relationship between status
and hedonic nature (Kumar, Kim, and Pelton 2009) exposing consumption and purchase intentions of an haute couture
consumers to others judgement making it both a socially and luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear line.
emotionally risky product (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). H10. Brand judgements mediate the relationship between status
As outlined by Park, Rabolt, and Jeon (2008) young Korean consumption and purchase intentions of an haute couture
consumers consider global luxury brands as status-oriented luxury apparel brands’ ready to wear line.
possessions. It is therefore assumed that this perception re-
inforces the purchase intentions of luxury brands for status These relationships are depicted in Figure 1.
seeking consumers.
Even though status consumers and consumers with a high
need for uniqueness buy luxury products for apparently oppo-
3. Methodology
site reasons, their basic motivation of enhancement of self im-
age is the same (Husic and Cicic, 2009). A paradox exists;
3.1. Sample and Data Collection
status consumers will purchase products with visible logos to
conspicuously display status and wealth whereas consumers’ University students formed the sample in this study. This
with a need for uniqueness will also purchase luxury brands segment of the population was chosen not only because of
 210 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214

Note: Mediating relationships are not shown in model

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Fig. 1. Research Model for consumers’ need for uniqueness in haute couture luxury brands

convenience but also for several other important reasons. First, professionals to establish these characteristics and ensure reli-
a high proportion of students fall in the Generation Y age ability and validity.
bracket, born from 1977 to 1991 (Khoo and Conisbee, 2008,
211), where they purchase brands and products as a means of Table 1. Source of scale items and reliabilities
expressing their individuality and status (Piacentini and Mailer,
Scale and source Reliability
2004). Second, according to Khoo and Conisbee (2008) they Avoidance of similarity α=.70
Consumer need for uniqueness
form a potential bulk of consumers for luxury products. Third, (Tian, Bearden, and Hunter 2001)
Unpopular choice α=.62
Creative choice α=.72
university students represent a significant avenue of potential
Status and consumption
growth due to their current and potential future spending pow- α=.70
(Eastman and Goldsmith 1999)
er and subsequent interest in shopping coupled with their de- Brand Judgements
N/A
(Keller 2008)
sire for uniqueness (Goldsmith and Clark, 2008; Khoo and
Emotional Value
Conisbee, 2008; Phau and Leng, 2008; O'Cass and Frost, α=.94
(Sweeney and Soutar 2001)
2002; Tian, Bearden, and Hunter, 2001). Purchase Intentions
Barker and Churchill (1977) α=.82
(Barker and Churchill 1977;
The survey instrument took approximately 10 minutes to Bower and Landreath 2001)
Bower and Landreath (2001) α=.90
complete and consisted of a self-administered pen and paper
questionnaire. A total of 268 questionnaires were personally
administered by the researcher during scheduled classes over a 4. Analysis
four week period. A usable sample of 259 was obtained which
included 140 males and 119 females. 61.8% of participants
were aged between 18 and 21 and 68.7% of participants had 4.1. Factor Analysis
an annual income of less than $20,000. The age range and
variation in income associated with young Australian consum- To begin, exploratory factor analyses were used to determine
ers suggests that the demographic profile of the sample is rep- the underlying dimensions of the five constructs. The consum-
resentative of the population of interest (Yavas, 1994). ers’ need for uniqueness scale factored down into 17 items
and formed three distinct factors, comparable to Tian et al’s
3.2. Survey Instrument (2001) original consumers’ need for uniqueness scale. Factor
analyses of status consumption, brand judgements, emotional
Existing scales with strong reliabilities were used to measure value and purchase intentions indicated unidimentionality with
the five main constructs on a seven-point scale ranging from Cronbach’s alphas of above .80.
“strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. The measures and reli-
ability scores are summarised in Table 1. A separate stimulus 4.1.1. Hypothesis 1 and 2
accompanied the questionnaire containing images of Christian Regression analysis of consumers’ need for uniqueness and
Dior Haute Couture. Christian Dior was chosen because of its status consumption (avoidance of similarity, creative choice
status in the haute couture market, its familiarity to the sam- counter-conformity, unpopular choice counter-conformity, and
ple, and its high level of exclusivity and thus uniqueness. status consumption) against brand judgements account for ap-
Pre-testing was conducted through an in-depth interview with proximately 27.7% of the variance. Only unpopular choice
an expert panel consisting of academic researchers and industry counter-conformity construct was shown to be a non-significant
 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214 211

(p<0.359, β=0.055, t=0.918) predictor of brand judgements to- relationships with purchase intentions. Thus H4a, H4b and H5b
ward luxury apparel. Conversely, avoidance of similarity are supported. All three factors from consumers’ need for
(p<0.040, β=-0.136, t=-2.064), creative choice counter-con- uniqueness, namely avoidance of similarity (p<0.307, β=0.040,
formity (p<0.00, β=0.429, t=6.404) and status consumption t= 1.024), creative choice counter-conformity (p<0.096,
(p<0.00, β=0.274, t=4.769) are significant, indicating these β=0.072, t=1.669) and unpopular choice counter-conformity
three factors are good predictors of and have a positive effect (p<0.532, β=0.024, t=0.532) are found to be non significant;
on brand judgements towards the selected luxury brand hence H5a is not supported, results are summarised in Table 3.
apparel. Hence, H1a is partially supported while H2a is sup-
ported, as summarised in Table 2. Next consumers’ need for 4.1.4. Hypothesis 6 and 7
uniqueness and status consumption were regressed against emo- H6 and H7 look at the relationship emotional value and
tional value. The results account for approximately 30% of the brand judgements have as mediating variables between consum-
variance. Creative choice counter-conformity (p<.000, β=.357, ers’ need for uniqueness and purchase intentions. Hypothesis 5
t=5.455) and status consumption (p<.000, β=.393, t=6.948) are shows the non-significant result all factors of consumers’ need
significant. Thus, avoidance of similarity (p<.093, β=-.109, for uniqueness (avoidance of similarity, creative choice coun-
t=-1.685) and unpopular choice counter-conformity (p<.567, β ter-conformity and unpopular choice counter-conformity) have
=-.034, t=-.573) are proven to be non-significant predictors of
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with purchase intentions from the stepwise regression analysis.

emotional value towards a luxury apparel brand, Table 2. Step 2 of Baron and Kenny’s (1986) mediation analysis re-
Similarly H1b is partially supported while and H2b is fully quire the results to be significant in order to progress through
supported. to the next step and for the mediation analysis to be
supported. Hence H6 and H7 show no mediation.
4.1.2. Hypothesis 3
A positive and significant relationship is found when brand 4.1.5. Hypothesis 8, 9 and 10
judgments are regressed against emotional value (p<0.000, β H8 tests the relationship between brand judgements and pur-
=.727, t=16.963) accounting for 52.6% of the variance Thus, chase intentions to examine if emotional value plays a meditat-
H3 is supported, Table 2. ing role. The four step process proposed by Baron and Kenny
(1986) is followed to ascertain the state of the relationship.This
4.1.3. Hypothesis 4 and 5
analysis found emotional value (Sig.=0.000, β=.386, t=7.402)
Stepwise regression was conducted to determine the influ- and brand judgements to be significant (Sig.=0.000, β=.540,
ence of consumers need for uniqueness, status consumption, t=8.121), indicating a partial mediation. A Sobel test confirms
brand judgements and emotional value on purchase intentions. the finding of a partial mediation (test statistic=12.089 and
2
Status consumption (p<0.000, β=0.224, R =0.652), brand p-value=0.00), which indicates emotional value is a significant
2
judgements (p<0.000, β=. 512, R =. 545) and emotional value partial mediator for brand judgements’ leading to purchase
2
(p<0.000, β=. 320, R =. 626) were found to have significant intentions. Thus H8 is a partial mediation.
H9 looks at the relationship brand judgements has as a me-
Table 3. Antecedents to Purchase Intentions diating variable between the independent variable, status con-
sumption as the predictor and purchase intentions as the
Beta t-value Sig. Finding
dependent. This analysis found both status consumption
Antecedents
Brand judgements .424 7.853 .000 Supported (Sig.=0.000, β=.262, t=6.115) and brand judgements
Emotional value .337 5.942 .000 Supported (Sig.=0.000, β=.639, t=14.952) were significant, indicating a
Avoidance of similarity .040 1.024 .307 Not Supported partial mediation. A Sobel test verified the finding of a partial
Creative choice mediation. (test statistic: 8.397, p-value of 0.0).
.072 1.669 .096 Not Supported
counter-conformity
Unpopular choice H10 analysed the relationship emotional value has as a me-
.024 .626 .532 Not Supported
counter-conformity diating variable between status consumption and purchase
Status consumption .183 4.283 .000 Supported intentions. This analysis found both status consumption

Table 2. Regression analysis consumers’ need for uniqueness and status consumption to brand judgements and emotional value

Brand judgements Emotional value

Beta t-value Sig. Findings Beta t-value Sig. Findings
Antecedents
Avoidance of similarity -.136 -2.064 .040 Supported -.709 -.1685 .093 Not Supported
Creative choice counter-conformity .426 6.404 .000 Supported .357 5.455 .000 Supported
Unpopular choice counter-conformity .055 .918 .359 Not Supported -.034 -.573 .567 Not Supported
Status consumption .274 4.769 .000 Supported .393 6.948 .000 Supported
Brand judgements .727 16.963 .000 Supported
 212 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214

(Sig.=0.000, β=.633, t=13.518) and emotional value (m) luted by increased market share. As mentioned, results demon-
(Sig.=0.000, β=.633, t=13. 518) were significant, indicating a strate status consumption and only a single factor of consum-
partial mediation. A Sobel test verified the finding of a partial ers need for uniqueness (creative choice counter-conformity) is
mediation (test statistic: 7.782, p-value of 0.0), confirming a shown to be significant towards the purchase intentions of a
significant result and supporting the finding of a partial media- luxury apparel brand. To target these consumers as well as the
tion of H10. two non-significant factors of consumers need for uniqueness
(avoidance of similarity and unpopular choice counter-con-
formity) the notion of information rarity should be employed.
5. Implications This is where companies rely on the information communicated
to consumers rather than actual psychical scarcity.
Although the findings of this research are market specific, Firstly, to avoid being linked to mass-produced consumer
they have important implications for general fashion con- products, luxury apparel managers should utilise public relation
sumption research. This research demonstrates the value of the initiatives and special events over traditional advertising. This
consumers’ need for uniqueness and the status consumption tool has the ability to target more specific and limited con-
scales in explaining fashion adoption behavior. The results sumer segments (e.g. Alfa-Romeo with the Sydney-Harbour
from this study propose a significant correlation does not exist sailing race and David Jones with fashions on the field). The
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for all factors of consumers’ need for uniqueness in relation to extent and impact of the media coverage generated by the
a luxury apparel brand albeit one which offers customisation in public relations would be two-fold the power of the event and
its premium products. the prestige of the brand. As an established luxury apparel
Only creative choice counter-conformity of consumers’ need brand, Christian Dior has built a reputation on exclusivity and
for uniqueness is found to be a significant predictor of pur- prestige meaning it’s likely to get superior press returns (Catry,
chase intentions. This proposes a new way of thought in re- 2003) as would other luxury apparel brands in the same category.
gards to consumers’ attitudes towards products with an ex- Secondly, price is one of the key indicators picked up by
clusive and customisation approach. This shows that consum- the market to symbolise exclusivity and prestige; the higher
ers’ place a level of sameness with a well-recognised luxury the price, the more selective the purchase seems to be (Catry
brand regardless of the exclusive, one-of-a-kind designs the 2003). An information alternative to stimulate brand-image rar-
premium end of the brand portrays. ity without limiting sales would be to follow in Tiffany’s foot-
The study supports the belief that exposure to a recognised steps and offer a mix of mass-market products with luxury
luxury apparel brand can prompt brand judgements and emo- ones in a luxury environment. This simply means that window
tional responses in status seeking consumers. This can be seen displays and any promotional material advertise the premium
throughout hypothesis 2 in the significant difference in the re- and highly priced products but continue to sell mass-produced
sults of status seeking consumers’ as compared to that of and lesser-priced items in store. This allows the brand to be
uniqueness seeking consumers. These emotional and cognitive portrayed as exclusive thus alluding to a sense of rarity with-
reflections are shown to have an effect on the thought-process- out in fact being limited in actual psychical sense.
ing activity and formation of purchase intention towards the As illustrated above the selection of the advertised products
brand. As status consumers operate within the confines of nor- and prices is a key element to the prestige and exclusivity of
mative group influence (Clark, Zboja, and Goldsmith, 2007) the brand image. According to Catry (2003) many luxury
brands should target consumers with visible predictors of pres- brands keep and promote star models even though they may
tige and use advertisements where products are being con- represent a very small part of turnover. “Hermes saddles or
sumed in a group setting or in situations that imply group Louis Vuitton trunks are virtually mythical products making
approval. This means retailers should capitalise on the need for less than one per cent of the brands’ sales for example”
group approval and encourage the involvement of others when (Catry 2003, 16) which adds to the notion of scarcity. These
shopping or purchasing. Brands should create a link with con- products are consistently promoted and, due to low sales fig-
sumers, which allow owners to feel validated in their choices ures, are rarely seen by the consumer which adds to the illu-
especially for high priced prestigious products. sion of rarity and the perception of scarcity. The selected
Secondly, this study focuses on Australian Generation Y luxury apparel brand (Christian Dior) does not have a sig-
consumers’ purchase intentions.It is subsequently found that de- nature or ‘star model’ which could be introduced to play on
viations exist between Australian Generation Y consumers and the notion of scarcity that status consumers and uniqueness
Generation Y consumers previously studied (Northern Asia and seeking consumers desire.
the United States). This means global luxury apparel brands
should not utilize the same campaigns globally but should tar-
get campaigns specifically to individual countries or countries 6. Limitations and Future Directions
that are found to have similar interests.
Companies in the luxury apparel market face the question of This study is not devoid of limitations. The use of student
whether exclusivity, central to luxury appeal, is inevitably di- sample may be a limitation to the generalisability of this
 C. Latter, I. Phau, C. Marchegiani / Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1-4 (2010) 206-214 213

study’s findings. Future research should be conducted with a two retail consumers. Journal of Retailing and
sample that is more representative of the entire Australian Consumer Services, 14: 45 - 59.
Generation Y consumer population. These findings may reflect Clark, R.A., Zboja, J.J. and Goldsmith, R.E. (2007). Status
the sentiments of the student sample but might not reflect oth- consumption and role-relaxed consumption: A tale of
er groups of Generation Y consumers. two retail consumers. Journal of Retailing and
Price has been found to be both an indicator of quality and Consumer Services, 14: 45 - 59.
the amount of sacrifice necessary to purchase a product David Jones Ltd. (2009). Story of David Jones.
(O'Cass and Lim 2002). This study alluded to high prices in http://www.davidjones.com.au/about/story_of_djs.jsp
terms of purchase intention but did not look at specific prices (accessed October 18, 2009).
relative to purchase intention; future studies should look at the Eastman, J.K., and Goldsmith, R.E. (1999). Status consumption
impact price has on purchase intention. in consumer behavior: Scale development and
Consumers’ need for uniqueness and status consumption are validation. Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice, 7
analysed as unified constructs and future studies may wish to (3): 41.
test the constructs broken down into demographic variables or Goldsmith, R.E., and Clark, R.A. (2008). An analysis of fac-
alternatively psychographic variables. A gender break down for tors affecting fashion opinion leadership and fashion
example may reveal that men and women have differing status opinion seeking. Journal of Fashion Marketing and
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and uniqueness seeking tendencies which could enable a more Management, 12 (3): 308-322.
targeted strategy enabling the implementation of campaigns that Husic, M., and Cicic, M. (2009). Luxury Consumption Facts.
resonate strongly with this target market. Pre-print of a paper Emerald Group Publshing Limited.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. University of Sarajevo.
(Received: April 16, 2010) Jung, J., and Sung, E. (2008). Consumer-based brand equity:
(Revised: November 10, 2010) Comparisons among Americans and South Koreans in
(Accepted: November 16, 2010) the USA and South Koreans in Korea. Journal of
Fashion Marketing and Management, 12 (1): 24 -35.
Keller, K.L. (2008). Strategic brand management: Building,
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Controversial Men's Fashion Products, Curtin Business
School, Curtin University of Technology, Perth