Purdue consumer science researcher looks beyond the label to understand consumer behavior, sustainability and innovation in luxury fashion

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu

Upcycled, biodegradable, ethically sourced, zero-waste. There are plenty of sustainability buzzwords that float around brand marketing today. With companies being aware of making these more environmentally conscious efforts, what might cause consumers to hesitate before jumping onboard with this greener version of luxury retail?

Jiyun Kang, associate professor in the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), has found messaging to be key when it comes to consumer perception of the choices their favorite brands make. As a key influencer of the fashion world, luxury brands have been the focus of Kang’s efforts through a top-down approach toward shaping the retail landscape.

“I found that fashion and luxury retail are ideal contexts for this work because of their significant impact on the environment, society and consumer well-being,” Kang said. “I saw this as an area where my research could make a difference.

Jiyun Kang

“Luxury sets the tone for the entire fashion industry. What happens in luxury often trickles down to mainstream fashion. If luxury brands take responsibility or sustainability more seriously, it signals to both consumers and the broader industry that responsibility is part of what defines true luxury. Luxury has the resources, power and influence to innovate in ways that can shift practices across fashion and retail more broadly. Luxury fashion also sits at the intersection of consumer behavior, sustainability and AI-empowered innovation — areas where I contribute to both research and applied practice.”

Kang recently conducted a series of studies looking at fashion subscription services, such as Rent the Runway, where consumers pay a fee to select a set number of luxury retail items, borrow them for a period of time and then return them to receive new ones, examining their viability as a sustainable business strategy. She noted these business models have a strong potential to shift the material focus of the fashion industry, but brands are having a difficult time getting consumers to adopt. Kang’s findings suggest bringing sustainability to the forefront could be the answer.

“What we found was that when retailers highlighted how this service reduced waste and contributed to the circular economy, it actually reduced consumers’ concerns about this new business model and lowers hesitation to adopt,” Kang said. “That’s very different from most of the current marketing by retailers because they usually focus on personal benefits like highlighting or featuring ‘endless wardrobe’ rather than explicitly talking about the environmental benefits. From this research, we can actually deliver actionable strategies for those retailers.”

For Kang, this work is particularly influential as brands try to tailor their strategies to a younger generation of consumers who are very in-tune with environmental and social issues.

“Younger generations really pay attention to how brands act on those issues,” Kang said. “For luxury brands, responding to these more cautious consumers is critical to authentically connect with those consumers and maintain their leadership in the industry.”

A branch of Kang’s work in consumer behavior also looks at emerging technologies, such as AI, and how they shape consumer decision-making and experiences. In recent studies, Kang found that while companies are often quick to get on board with the latest trending tech, consumers’ reactions depend on how responsibly those tools are designed and communicated.

“This challenges the conventional belief that more advanced technology automatically means better consumer experiences,” Kang said. “This tells us that it’s not just about developing advanced tools. It’s about how we communicate and design those tools in ways that make the consumer more comfortable, empowered and confident in their decisions.”

Recognizing her work, Kang was recently awarded the International Textile & Apparel Association (ITAA) Mid-Career Excellence Award and will be celebrated for her strides in research at the ITAA Annual Conference in November.

“I was truly honored to receive the Mid-Career Excellence Award from ITAA,” Kang said. “That’s the largest academic association in my field. It’s especially meaningful because it recognizes excellence in research with emphasis on impact and scholarship. I’m also grateful because awards like this raise visibility of consumer science, HTM and Purdue within the field.”

While helping businesses and organizations make informed decisions is a benefit of her work, as a member of the College of Health and Human Sciences, Kang noted the true impact of her work lies in consumer well-being and focusing on ways brands can help consumers live their happiest and best lives.

“My work is human-first,” Kang said. “While fashion and retail often focus on making new products or business outcomes, my research always comes back to the consumer — how people feel and make their choices. With a human-centered lens, I aim to uncover the psychological processes behind these behaviors so brands and companies can innovate responsibly — whether through sustainability or emerging technologies like AI — while consumers can make more confident, informed decisions that enhance their well-being.”