Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, 2023, Business Administration

This research explores the value of secondary packaging of luxury items and its impact on consumers' post-purchase experience. Using a mixed methods approach, this research employed three studies to better understand this topic. First, qualitative in-depth interviews were completed with Gen Z luxury consumers who had kept their packaging after acquiring a luxury brand item. From these interviews, three overarching themes of secondary packaging emerged: packaging is considered to be an extension of self and an art form, packaging tells a long-lasting story, and five types of actions (i.e., keep, display, store, reuse, and throw away) are taken by consumers when it comes to their luxury brand packaging. Next, several luxury and non-luxury brands were pre-tested to confirm that respondents viewed Dior and Prada as equally luxurious, and Old Navy as distinct (i.e., non-luxury). An online experiment with a hypothetical gifting scenario and a between-subjects design was employed (1) to measure price assessment of three layers of secondary packaging associated with luxury vs. non-luxury brands, (2) to determine the type of post-purchase actions with packaging, and (3) to discover the respondents' social media sharing behavior as pertaining to the different levels of secondary packaging. Moderating effects of luxury sensitivity, need for status, and product status consumption were also tested. Though the experiment found there was not a significant difference in dollar valuation among the three levels of secondary packaging, luxury secondary packaging did hold value for consumers. Consumers are more likely to post images of secondary packaging on social media for luxury brands than non-luxury brands. None of the moderating effects were found to have a significant effect between packaging layer and price. This research represents a start to understanding an important and understudied area of post purchase consumption of secondary packaging for luxury brands and how Gen Z lux (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Moumita Gyomlai (Advisor); Dr. Jessica Weeks (Advisor) Subjects: Business Administration; Marketing

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2016, Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (Education)

The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility as advertised by favorite brands on female Chinese luxury shoppers' purchase decisions. Twelve qualified participants were chosen from a list of customers provided by the Beijing SKP shopping mall. Data were collected using in-depth interviews via email. All participants completed the demographic questionnaires and answered 22 open-ended interview questions, covering luxury, social responsibility, consumer behaviors and value congruence. Content analysis, followed by coding and categorizing, was used to analyze the data. Value congruence theory was used as the theoretical framework to explore the degree to which the participants valued social responsibility and such values shown by luxury brands. The emerging themes of luxury, high prices, and nonessential items were summarized based on the participants' responses. As a result, the majority of the participants believed in luxury products and lifestyles and the outstanding qualities that luxury items offer. The participants' perceptions of social responsibility can be attributed in part to the luxury brands' practices of CSR. Almost half of the participants' perceptions of CSR motivated their decisions to purchase socially responsible luxury products. Moreover, most participants indicated their willingness to continue to support their favorite luxury brands' practices of CSR. Most Chinese luxury shoppers preferred to learn about luxury brands' socially responsible practices from social media. Design and quality were the most important external factors that affected the participants' decisions to purchase socially responsible luxury products. Luxury companies that engage in CSR need to spend more time introducing and advertising their actions to Chinese luxury shoppers. These companies also need to pay more attention to providing more product options for socially responsible products with unique designs (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mijeong Noh (Advisor); Yegan Pillay (Committee Member); Lisa Williams (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian Studies; Behavioral Sciences; Womens Studies

MFIS, Kent State University, 2024, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

From the fashion industry's clothing overproduction and subsequent negative impacts on the environment to the rise of Generation Z's interest in luxury goods, pre-loved luxury has emerged as a more approachable and growingly popular option for sustainable luxury purchases (Islam & Singh, 2020; Maiti, 2023). This study delves into the motivations that drive Generation Z consumers to engage with pre-loved luxury and the possible effects that pre-loved luxury has on individuals who have previously consumed these products. Through a quantitative approach, a self-administered online survey was sent to college-aged Generation Z participants and received 225 usable responses. The survey is comprised of nine sections which explore personal values, proximity of clothing to self, social embarrassment, along with attitude and behaviors toward pre-loved luxury. Principle factor analysis, reliability testing, and independent sample t- test were conducted to examine the differences and similarities of the research constructs between Generation Z consumers who have purchased pre-loved luxury and those who have not. The results showed that three hypotheses were supported: higher level of self-transcendence values among pre-loved luxury consumers, attitude towards pre-loved and behavioral intention towards pre-loved. The results have implications that will benefit the pre-loved luxury industry, Generation Z individuals, and academia.

Committee: Jihyun Kim-Vick (Advisor); Lauren Copeland (Committee Member); Kim Hahn (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Environmental Science

Urban landscapes are actively exerting new and unique pressures on insect and plant communities which affect the way ecosystems function. Features of human landscapes include impervious surfaces, built environments, vacant land, and socioeconomic variation in landscaping. In the first chapter, we investigated what urban variables are impacting web-building spider (Linyphiidae & Tetragnathidae) community richness and abundance in shrinking cities. We sought to determine if vegetative biomass, land management through mowing of vacant lots, urban fragmentation, or dietary niche partitioning were driving abundance and richness of small web-building spiders in vacant lots in Cleveland, OH. To measure the abundance and richness of spiders we set pitfall traps at our seven sites (3 mown biannually and 4 mown monthly). We also hand collected three specific web-building spiders: Glenognatha foxi, Erigone autmnalis & Tenuiphantes tenuis and utilized gut content analysis techniques to identify the breadth of their prey availability and the overlap between species. We also calculated biomass on site and fragmentation using Arcmap. We found that fragmentation and biomass both positively influenced dietary breadth and dietary overlap, and that breadth and overlap positively drove abundance and richness of spiders. Niche partitioning is an important aspect of spider community assemblage, and our findings suggest that it is influenced by the urban environment. We found that fragmented lots with high biomass hosted the highest abundance of spiders, but not the richest communities. We suggest that biomass is an important aspect of conserving for spiders, but that more connected groups of lots may conserve greater richness of spiders across shrinking cities. In our second chapter, we tested the Luxury Effect Hypothesis, which posits that as median household income of an area increases, so will the plant richness and abundance of that area. As plants are a basis of insect ecosystems, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mary Gardiner (Advisor); Desheng Liu (Committee Member); Matthew Davies (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Entomology; Geographic Information Science

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism (Communication)

In recent years, the positioning of streetwear in the fashion sector has changed. Therefore, it is of interest to understand how streetwear brands achieved this image transformation, specifically the role visual art plays in the image communication of streetwear brands that prefer to engage in a business to consumer relationship with their audience. This work is rooted in the field of strategic communication and aims to provide qualitative insights from an internal company perspective into the streetwear sector. Because this topic depends on internal information to reveal contexts as well as issues of purpose, this research utilizes qualitative expert interviews with streetwear brand owners and creative directors. Results include brand owners describing how art changed the perception of streetwear in the fashion industry, and findings indicate that brand positioning and branding can be identified as the branches with the most extensive application of visual art in the communication strategy. Furthermore, results reveal categories that illustrate how the integration of visual art serves the brand community.

Committee: Elizabeth Hendrickson Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Communication; Fine Arts; Marketing

MFIS, Kent State University, 2021, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

The luxury fashion industry has had an extensively long history of racism against African Americans. Because luxury fashion has issues of racial discrimination while shopping and has used racially charged designs/ visual displays African Americans have not felt comfortable shopping luxury retail. The purpose of this study was to explore how black-owned businesses can change the narrative in luxury fashion. Within the study, the following question was explored: How can a luxury resale pop-up shop catered toward African American female shoppers address the racial discrimination issues in the luxury fashion industry? The researcher implemented a practice-based solution – through The Curated Estate pop-up shop. This study created a three-day live shopping experience curated and catered toward African American women which measured the success of the pop-up shop event through sales, consumer experience and social media interaction. This study found that black-owned businesses can serve as the connector between luxury fashion and African American women by amplifying their experiences by showcasing their value through visual inclusivity and interpersonal connectivity. This project created a scholarship to support Black students studying fashion at HBCUs. The Curated Estate serves as a catalyst for black-owned businesses looking to tackle racial issues and advocate for necessary change in the fashion industry.

Committee: Kim Hahn Dr. (Advisor); J Vick Dr. (Advisor); Tameka Ellington Dr. (Committee Member); Rhonda Hylton Dr. (Committee Member); Tasha Lewis Dr. (Committee Member); Krissi Riewe MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Art Criticism; Fine Arts

BFA, Kent State University, 2021, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

Fast fashion has been one of the most damaging developments within the fashion industry due to the harmful cycle of extreme waste, overconsumption, and overwhelming social, ethical, and environmental concerns. Instant trend cycles have become the focus in support of financial profit, trumping over artisanal craft and a careful consideration of environmental and human resources. One of the results of emphasis on fast fashion is a loss of essential artisan skills that have the potential to advance aesthetic and cultural innovation as well as enable financial autonomy for the individual. This paper is therefore is an examination of contrasts between the often dangerous and diminishing short-term gains of fast fashion versus the long-term traditions, value, and need for slow fashion that recognizes kills and fair treatment of human beings. In support of this argument is a literature review, two case studies, and a practice-based adoption of some of these artisanal practices. This thesis sets out to study this small sector of the fashion industry that is attempting to preserve and celebrate the skills of craftspeople, as well as discuss a personal exploration of employment of artisans. One 501(c)(3) company that is within the fashion industry has been selected to research and develop a case study for the purpose of evaluating effectiveness. Since the celebration of artisans and the reinstitution of craft into the fashion industry is a rising concept, the research on how to successfully do so is limited. Developing of a case study of a company in this sector will expose gaps and weaknesses in the process, revealing areas for improvement, for the sole benefit of the artisans and craftspeople while enabling profit for the company. Additionally, a personal exploration of the employment of local artisans in partnership with a senior collection project will be discussed and compared to the case study. This additional research will expose the challenges and successe (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Noël Palomo-Lovinski MFA (Advisor); Krissi Riewe MFA (Committee Member); Shawn Rohlin Ph.D. (Committee Member); J. Kim-Vick Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MFIS, Kent State University, 2021, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

Drop marketing strategy is now being used by an increasing number of luxury brands to attract a new generation of young consumers. Concerning luxury consumption, research has shown that Chinese shoppers have penetrated the market. Notably, starting in 2018, Gen Z consumers began to penetrate the Chinese personal luxury market. Chinese Gen Z has a purchasing power of $507 a month, while 35% of respondents said they had a steady income source, such as part-time jobs and scholarships, in addition to their parents' money (Pan, 2018). Thus, this study aims to understand Chinese Gen Z consumers' attitudes towards drop marketing and researched the key drivers for Chinese Gen Z consumers to buy drop-marketed luxury fashion products. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Chinese Gen Z consumers (born between 1997 and 2002) via email in this qualitative study. The study used thematic coding analyses to interpret data and found three major motivations for Chinese Gen Z consumers regarding luxury shopping through drop marketing: channel-driven motivations, product-driven motivations, and emotion-driven motivations. This study's findings will help fashion industries better understand Chinese Gen Z consumers' key motivations to buy personal luxury goods via drop marketing strategy and remind the academic community of the importance of drop marketing strategy in the luxury fashion industry.

Committee: Jihyun Kim-Vick (Committee Chair); Gargi Bhaduri (Committee Co-Chair); Meng-Hua Hsieh (Committee Member) Subjects: Marketing

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, History of Art

The contribution of this dissertation to the field of Roman art is threefold. First, this dissertation examines exclusively the iconography of large Roman Imperial cameos. While previous scholars have thoroughly examined individual Roman Imperial cameos and their iconography, I address the cameos as a coherent group. In this way, I reveal how large Imperial cameos are in conversation with one another and are referential. That is, the Gemma Augustea is a response to the Tazza Farnese and the Grand Camee is a response to the Gemma Augustea. Second, my study of the iconography of Roman Imperial cameos reveals a language of private propaganda that is different from the public art seen by the general population. In particular, I analyze the iconography of large Imperial cameos for what the private symbolism says about Octavian/Augustus, and the Julio-Claudians. For example, in cameos emperors and members of the Imperial family had the freedom to present themselves, and their family members, how they truly wished to be viewed, versus art in the public sphere in which the emperor and his family had to adhere to certain criteria. Finally, this study will illuminate the importance of these Roman Imperial cameos in understanding the development of Roman Imperial art. The iconography of Roman Imperial cameos follows Goran Hermeren's four stages of the development of symbols. In these four stages of development, Imperial cameos experiment with transmitting new Imperial messages that will become common in subsequent dynasties. In other words, the Tazza Farnese, Gemma Augustea, and Grand Camee de France serve as an iconographic testing ground for the Julio-Claudians. Furthermore, perhaps the most important contribution of this dissertation is that these large Imperial cameos, which are for all intents and purposes private works of art, actually address a broad cultural sphere. In other words, the style and iconography of the Tazza Farnese, Gemma Augustea, an (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark D. Fullerton (Advisor); Barbara Haeger (Committee Member); Timothy J. McNiven (Committee Member) Subjects: Archaeology; Art History; Classical Studies

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2014, Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (Education)

Counterfeiting in general has become a worldwide phenomenon, and the production of fashion merchandise is at the forefront of this economic predicament. As severity of the issue rises, businesses and scholars suggest that consumer education and awareness could be the tool to lessening the impact of counterfeit manufacturing (Berman, 2008; Cheek & Easterling, 2008; Juggessur, 2011; Marcketti & Shelley, 2009; Phillips, 2005). This study presents the topic of counterfeiting, its negative consequences and the fight against this illegal business. The study uses consumer education as a method of creative vigilance toward the public in an effort to find out whether this alters future purchase intentions of counterfeit merchandise. Results indicate strong support for the efficacy of a consumer education seminar with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and planned behavior toward the consumption of counterfeit merchandise. Additionally, three variables, parents' annual income, sex, and country of citizenship, introduced some variation among participants that suggest there are differences based on demographic factors. After the educational seminar, students had a greater understanding of counterfeiting, felt more knowledgeable about the topic, acknowledged that it is illegal, realized how it affects the global economy and retailers, and linked it to social issues such as organized crime, terrorism, child labor, and sweatshops. In congruence with scholars who suggest consumer education as a vehicle to decrease counterfeit consumption, participants agreed that this seminar was educational and informative, and an effective means towards minimalizing the consumption patterns of counterfeit merchandise. Because participants gained a significant amount of knowledge in the educational seminar, this could affect preferences for authentic and counterfeit merchandise, and reduce intent to purchase counterfeits. An educational session would be expected to have relatively immediate (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: V. Ann Paulins (Committee Chair); Lisa Williams (Committee Member); RayeCarol Cavender (Committee Member); Eugene Geist (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Continuing Education; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Evaluation; Gender

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

China has become the world's largest consumer of luxury goods. The noticeable market performance has led to many luxury companies establishing their presence in China and setting expectations for strong growth. In such a competitive environment, the companies that can build their reputation and compete against others in the Chinese market will be those who clearly understand Chinese culture. Among the numerous factors that connect to the performance of business, design is playing an important part that cannot be ignored. However, although there are indeed much research of the Chinese luxury market, most of them are from the economic angle, seldom mention the design aspect. This project studies the design strategy of luxury products for Chinese market. It is based on the research on the current overall market situation of luxury product in China and application of Chinese culture in product design, in order to explore the appropriate design principles. One popular and effective way to attract Chinese consumers is to design culture-relative goods, nevertheless, because Chinese culture is complex and subtle, foreign companies inevitably have some misunderstandings and some of their corresponding designs become confusing and undesirable. The phenomena and reasons of cultural misconception are studied in the thesis. Moreover, how to appropriately choose and utilize Chinese elements in luxury goods design is demonstrated here in detail with typical examples, since applying Chinese elements is the favorite and most frequently-used means in Chinese culture-relative design. The objective of this project is to help luxury companies understand the Chinese market better and design suitable luxury products. Both Chinese and international companies can get useful information here for the future product development.

Committee: Craig Vogel MD (Committee Chair); Phyllis Borcherding MS (Committee Member); Peter Chamberlain MFA MPhil (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Residential design outside the realm of the architect lacks specific customization. Developer models are meant to meet the needs of the majority. Suburban development emphasizes the typical family, so the needs of other life stages, such as young professionals or empty nesters, are left out. Architectural design, through specific customization, is capable of providing for the needs and desires of these groups, but issues such as a long development period and a lack of marketability limit the application of the architectural model. Since there is no visible element until well into the design process, the architectural model lacks a tangible object that can attract the consumer and generate the emotional connection that provides value beyond our most basic needs. By utilizing lifestyle market data, it is possible to develop a model that combines the benefits of speculative construction with a greater degree of customization for a particular consumer category. Elements that relate to specific needs of the consumer increases the perceived value to that consumer, and a shorter customization phase prior to occupancy maximizes the fulfillment of specific needs while reducing the development time. The result is a new architectural model that can supplement the current models and encourage a greater percentage of the residential market to utilize architectural design methods.

Committee: Michael McInturf (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture

MS ARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning : Architecture

What attributes define a luxury hotel? What makes someone spend $1000 at the Ritz Paris, or $9,000 at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai? For many, being utterly pampered in an extravagant environment with a distinguished and personalized service is what defines luxury. The new millennium has brought a whole new perspective on luxury hotels; who knows what trends will be next. At luxury hotels, there are guests who return again to hotels that resemble their own opulent residences. Some stay to experience the luxury that others take for granted. There are business travelers who enjoy the residential setting with state-of-the-art technology, and there are others who don't feel comfortable staying in a traditional setting. Therefore, catering to the needs of returning guests or new guests, business or leisure travelers, and young or old travelers is challenging. There are certain factors, that if balanced, will influence the perception of luxury and will therefore satisfy travelers' various needs. What creates the appealing atmosphere, what makes the stay memorable and what are the essential criteria of designing luxury hotels are explored in this thesis. The outcome of this research is intended to inform architects and planners about some of the evolving conditions they can control in order to provide guests with a satisfactory stay. An analysis of the evolving concept of luxury in hotels is presented. The thesis illuminates the guidelines used to rate luxury hotels around the world. In brief, the thesis attempted to be an effort to link both quantifiable and non-quantifiable attributes through research, literature reviews, two case studies, observations, and guests' surveys.

Committee: Dr. Wolfgang Preiser (Advisor) Subjects:

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Throughout the past hundred years, airports have been reduced to brutally functional, people processing machines that contribute to the disengaged mentality of the passenger. This thesis proposes an alternative model of air travel that optimizes passenger experience within environments using architecture as a catalyst for behavioral change. The new model will serve as an all-inclusive membership based time-share franchise that for the first time, gives passengers the opportunity to invest in a luxury transit lifestyle. The Boutique Terminal Network, or BTN, will operate as a private airline servicing flights between a primary hub and a selection of key satellite destination terminals. This thesis will focus on designing a seamless luxury transit service from an international BTN departure hub at Miami International Airport to a satellite terminal at Cyril E. King International Airport on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas. Airports embody the characteristics of what phenomenology defines as heterotopic space. Passengers are neither here, nor there--they temporarily exist in a fantastical reality, lost in transition. Analyzing the psychological implications associated with modern airport design reveals conceptions that will inform consciously experienced environments versus unconsciously perceived space. Passenger become part of a larger, carefully articulated spatial configuration that shifts from a state of animated limbo to pleasurable suspension through experiential branding.

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch (Committee Chair); Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture