The Link Between Fashion and the Senses PDF

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Sensory Fashion: The Link between Fashion and Human Senses Name Department; University Course Name; Course Number Instructor Date

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Introduction As stipulated by science, human beings have five senses, which include, smell, touch, hearing, taste, and vision. These senses are vital in aiding human beings to make sense of their surroundings. In line with fact, recent literature have increasingly played attention to the connection between these five human senses with fashion and arts, often referred to as 'sensory fashion'. This text evaluates and explores the topic of sensory fashion using examples such as demonstrated by popular fashion houses such as Sephora and Louis Vuitton to demonstrate the role of sensorial perspectives in the field of fashion. Often, fashion is linked to eyesight including how the clothes look. However, according to the recent literature regarding the topic of sensory fashion, there is more to fashion than eyesight including touch, smell, taste and hearing. This study explores the topic of sensory fashion and how human emotional responses are linked to the world of fashion. A common concept in the contemporary business world including the fashion world is emotional branding. Emotional branding has become a common concept in the twenty first century with more and more businesses seeking to address and develop emotional relationships with their customers. While consumers may forget the technicalities involved in their shopping experiences, they are unlikely to forget how a brand made them feel. Positive emotional connections result in long-term relationships between brands and customers. However, to trigger an emotional and unforgettable experience, retailers have to appeal to the five human senses (Youn-Kyung & Pauline, 2019). Many people believe that vision influences the clothes, shoes and jewelry they choose to wear. However, they fail to understand that what they choose to wear and endure is equally influenced by all their other remaining four senses. The texture of the fabric for instance plays a critical role in influencing one whether to like it or not. By touching the fabric one can distinguish the texture of the cloth, whether soft or rough or whether the material is natural or synthetic. It also informs one whether the material is going to be itchy or not, among many other factors (Straker & Wrigley, 2016). Many fashion designers and companies have leveraged sensory fashion to increasingly market and sell their products. This text looks at how companies leveraged the concept of sensory fashion and how it has played a critical role in influencing sales within the company and improving its brand reputation. Empirical evidence collected from literature published within the last 10 years will be used in supporting the information collected from the case study to demonstrate that indeed there is a close link between fashion and human sources. Context Philosophy of the Senses

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According to the philosophy of senses; the five senses are instrumental in helping human beings make sense of the world around them. The human brain is bombarded by millions of bits of information flowing from other parts of the body to the brain where they are interpreted. Human beings also have a subconscious sensory preference which is instrumental in aiding them explore the r choice of clothes and related fashion accessories as well as how what they say to themselves can influence how they feel (Hanin & Muhammad, 2020). Sensory messaging and phrases such as I look good in this' or 'that dress would look amazing on you' are vital in influencing the preferred channel for self-chatter in fashion. The sense of vision can be regarded to be the most powerful in the context of fashion. When shopping for clothes, vision becomes activated first allowing the buyer to filter what they like or they do not like. Subconsciously, human beings make different choices for what to wear during t5he day and during the night. For instance, glittery and more sparkly clothes are delegated for evening while lighter clothes are delegated for day wear. Touch is then considered to be the second-most important sense when choosing clothes. For instance, a fabric may look beautiful but feel scratchy when won. By touching, buyers can determine the nature of the fabric of the material and its possible effect on their skin including whether it is synthetic or natural (Bethanna & Karinna, 2016). While hearing may not be associated with clothing, it can be associated with accessories such as heels. Often, the embellishments on clothes and jewelry brings out the sensory experience of sounds; for instance, sound made by the clink of earrings. The hearing sense also includes what one says to themselves, including how they look and feel. It is critical in grounding one's feelings about clothes. This sense brings about a balancing aspect; if something regarding what one is wearing feels a bit off balance, then there is a high chance that the person in context will not have a great day. The sense of smell has a powerful connection to memories and emotions. The scent of a perfume can evoke a certain memory whether good or bad. Different clothes have different scents due to a wide range of reasons including the dye used or the fabric; the scent may remain for long even after multiple washing (Muhammad, Mahsan, & Iffat, 2016). In some instances, the sense of smell is evoked by the prints on the clothes; for instance, a floral pattern may evoke an imaginary flowery scent. Also referred to as the gustatory sense, the sense of taste is also linked to fashion and clothing. It is often associated with the preferences one has such as having the taste for vintage clothing. All these senses play a vital role in influencing one choice of clothes and accessories, demonstrating the relationship between senses and fashion. Background Increased competition in the world of fashion globally and the invention of digital technology has forced designers and companies to innovate new ways of amplifying their brands and

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capturing the attention of their customers. The increase in literature works on sensory studies have demonstrated that human senses play a critical role in influencing the purchasing decision by a consumer including in fashion. In line with these findings, fashion companies have integrated multi-sensory experiences in their online and physical stores. When a buyer enters a physical outlet, they experience the music being played, the colors and scent of the clothes and jewelry being sold as well as the ambient temperature of the room. They can also touch and feel the texture of the clothes, including the fabrics that make them. This customer is exposed to a degree of stimuli which is integrated with their shopping experience. Previously, fashion retailers and designers paid more attention to visual communication as the main way of triggering the psychological perspectives of customers and influence them to purchase. However, visual communications is inadequate in the current competitive market. Retailers and designers face the increased pressure of developing strong relationships with consumers and develop unique brand perceptions for the sake of increased competitiveness. They have to create experiences that allow them to create an emotional communication with their consumers who believe that fashion brands should have an emotional meaning while also providing room for articulating their identity. Thus, retailers have to look beyond the visual sensory experience and address all the other human senses to increase the visibility of their brands. Key Ideas: Fashion Theory Recent literature has increasingly focused on sensory studies, particularly on social sciences and arts, including fashion. The result has been a rise in many approaches and theories explaining the link between style and the human sense (Eicher, 2020). For instance, according to fashion theory, clothes play a significant role in providing the modern consumer with a sense of identity. The fashion theory has become inherently concerned with the part of sensory responses in fashion and art. Different people have individual likings and preferences for the colors and touch of the clothes they wear. According to the fashion theory, the clothes and related accessories that a person wears play a critical role in providing him or her with a sense of identity. For instance, there are people who prefer to wear only branded clothe (Vazifehdoost, Rahnama, & Mousavian, 2014)s. Therefore, every time they enter a shop, whether online or physical, they are likely to only shop for clothes whose brands are popular. For instance, the Louis Vuitton products are characterized by the LV monogram to signify its brand; a monogram that is visible in almost all

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its products. The company understands the link between vision and fashion, particularly for such a customer who only wants to wear products associated with a popular brand. The visible monogram therefore influences the buyer to purchase the LV products.

The link between Fashion and Sense Human beings are bombarded by multiple bits of information flowing into their brain. These various bits of information are then interpreted differently by the brain per individual. For instance, one may like a different color than their peer, just as their brain interprets (Tepe, 2021). This interpretation influences their style, the colors they prefer and how they prefer to mix and match them, the jewelry they choose, and many other related fashion products. According to the Sensory Marketing |(SM) Model a multi-sensory brand experience is only encountered when the retailer incorporates the five sensory experiences. The SM-model provides retailers with a chance include sensory expressions and sensors to differentiate the uniqueness of their brands.

Figure 1: SM Model (Hanin & Muhammad, 2020)

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The desire to increase their competitiveness within the highly competitive fashion market has forced retailers to invent new ways in which they can connect with their consumers. A popular strategy, aforementioned above is through evoking powerful emotional experiences which can only be successful if the retailer positively triggers the five human senses. Many businesses have therefore embraced the concept of sensory fashion to increase their connectivity with their customers, provide memorable shopping experience as the most successful marketing strategy of encouraging repeat purchases and attracting new consumers. The integration of sensory explorations in the fashion context have been demonstrated by many fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Sephora. The French fashion house, often referred to as LV is popular for its luxury fashion products, including clothes, bags, jewelry and accessories, books and sunglasses. The success of Louis Vuitton can be greatly attributed to the ability of the company to incorporate the concept of sensory fashion in its operations. The company and its designers for years have developed and marketed their products by ensuring that they trigger the five senses of their customers, inspiring them to purchase from them. This can be demonstrated by the 2015 AW15 Collection which was characterized by a series of immersive and multisensory installations (Graham, 2015). The collection which occupied thirteen rooms in three floors, demonstrated creativity and craftsmanship in the twenty first century fashion world characterized by unique features such as 3D mannequins and laser beams. The collection demonstrates how designers have leveraged their awareness of emotional branding and how it is accelerated by the invoking of the human senses to capture the customer’s attention and influence their purchasing decisions. Regarding the sense of vision, the three series exhibition is surrounded by masterpieces and modern architecture including futuristic glass buildings by architect Frank Gehry. The futuristicglass architecture demonstrates the new dawn and era that LV is headed towards; an era which includes increased creativity and expertly done art. This strategy plays a critical role in invoking the vision sense of its consumers. The collection also includes high-speed videos to trigger the sense of sound skillfully using digital technology. This strategy is vital as in the future the consumers can associate these sounds with this collection triggering a long-lasting relationship.

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Figure 2: 3D AW15 Collection Exhibition by LV (Graham, 2015)

Sephora is also another fashion retailer that has re-invented its in-store experience by increasingly triggering the five human senses and increases its competitiveness. This has continually been demonstrated by its digital marketing strategies that leave shoppers with unforgettable experiences. For instance, shopping at the Sephora Flash, consumers have an opportunity of being welcomed and greeted by the Nao Robots. The shoppers can interact and even touch these robots. A huge percentage of the global population has not had an opportunity to touch or feel the skin of a robot (Mary, 2019). However, for Sephora shoppers they are privileged to touch and hear how a robot feels like and talks like. By invoking these senses, the retailer creates unforgettable experiences influencing repeat purchases and attracting potential customers. Sephora also ranks as the leading distributor of perfume and cosmetics in France and in many other international markets. By creating beautiful fragrances and scents, the retailer evokes the sense of smell in its customers. Customers are able to link good smelling perfumes with Sephora.

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The competitive nature of the highly saturated fashion world has forced businesses to invent new ways of engaging with customers in their physical and online stores. This essay adds on to existing literature on sensory fashion by delivering more information and findings regarding multi-sensory approaches in the fashion market.

A brand is refined to be something that exists in the mind of a consumer. For instance, when the LV is mentioned or its monogram seen, an individual will associate it immediately with a fashion brand. The power of any brand is based on the knowledge this individual has regarding it and what it produces as demonstrated by the Customer-Based brand (CBBE) model. However, to increase the knowledge a consumer has regarding the brand, marketing and advertisement is critical. The retailer and brand owner has to ensure that the customers have the right experiences, feelings, and perceptions of the brand for it to be considered a strong brand. In the fashion world, the concept of branding is no expectations. Therefore, each retailer is aiming to provide a positive brand experiences which positively triggers the five human senses to build a strong brand experience and increase their br5and equity.

Valentino designers hosted the Fifth Avenue Flagship collection in honor of Marcel Breuer, a great architect in 2014. To provide a memorable experience at the fashion show, the designers illustrated the five human senses throughout their collections. Regarding the sense of vision, the designers included a curated showcase and exhibition of Piero's designs and architecture pieces. The Surrealist pieces which were exhibited in this night invoked the five senses of human beings. The pieces included butterfly holograms, Fornassetti plates and a grand piano in a blacked-out room, all illustrating the different variations of a human's face (Shi, 2014). In the taste room, were 35o fornasetti plates depicting a wide variation of a woman who appeared to be tasting candy. The grand piano in the blacked-out room was used to depict the sense of sound. The touch room featured dozens of arms hanging from the ceiling. The guests could touch and weave their way through. In the sight room was a massive artwork imitating a wallpaper hang across one gallery wall. In the smell room were two drawings showcasing smell and a Fornassetti object in the middle that was used to dispense the Valentino Assoluto Fragrance.

Customers have always been aware of the quality of the product they intend to buy; therefore, they apply their five senses to detect and evaluate whether indeed a product meets their expectations. However, many remain unaware of the concept of sensory marketing where

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retailers ensure that their products evoke these senses to trigger the cognitive and emotional responses of their consumers. Retailers understand that by adding a pleasant smell, providing their fabrics with a velvety or silk texture, proper packaging sounds and using appealing colors will stimulate the buyer's sensory perceptions. It will also result in increased positive perception of the brand resulting in a stronger customer-brand association. For instance, a customer may never forget how a certain perfume was packaged and if positive sensory stimulation was experienced, they are likely to look for the same perfume with the same packaging again. As literature suggests, experiences are registered in the human memory for a long period of time. In other words, the past encounters of an individual are stored in the sensory memory, and they are vital in influencing this individuals future reactions and experiences.

The stimulating senses do not only influence one’s perception regarding a particular brand but also their purchasing behavior. When applied correctly, sensory marketing motivates customers to purchase certain brands and not others.

One major disadvantage of sensory fashion, is that in some instances, a retailer may be unable to stimulate the senses of the buyer despite having high quality products. In other instances, a buyer may have increased ability to evoke these senses to conceive a customer how good and high qualities their products are, yet their products are not (Lindström, 2012). For instance, the twenty first century has been characterized by an increase of imitated and fake goods. It is highly difficult for one to differentiate between an authentic LV product and a fake one as both have the same monogram "LV" same design and almost the same texture. A customer may purchase an LV bag due to the monogram without the knowledge that it is a fake product. In such instances, the customers will engage with brands they have sensory experiences for without the knowledge that the products are not of the expected quality. Considering that the concept of sensory market and fashion is an emerging and growing concept, it is important for consumers to conduct extensive research and be careful while evaluating brands to identify those who are manipulating their senses to sell fake or low quality products.

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Conclusion Recent literature demonstrate the close relationship between human senses and fashion. Many retailers have leveraged this knowledge and incorporated it in their marketing strategies to increase their awareness and reach a wide customer base. Human beings also have a subconscious sensory preference which is instrumental in aiding them explore the r choice of clothes and related fashion accessories as well as how what they say to themselves can influence how they feel. Sensory messaging and phrases such as I look good in this' or 'that dress would look amazing on you' are vital in influencing the preferred channel for self-chatter in fashion. As demonstrated above , companies such as Sephora, LV, and Valentino have gone to great lengths to trigger the five senses of their consumers and create memorable experiences while also building long lasting relationships. Therefore, as the concept of sensory fashion and marketing continues to grow, it is important for businesses to understand and take advantage of the relationship between fashion and senses and how this knowledge can be integrated in improving their marketing strategies. References Bethanna, A., & Karinna, N. (2016). Multi-sensory fashion retail experiences: the impact of sound, smell, sight and touch on consumer-based brand equity. In Handbook of Research on Global Fashion Management and Merchandis...