Exploring The New York Slow Fashion Value Chain: Local Animals, Fibers, And Knitwear

Abstract

This study explores the prospective development of a Fibershed in the strong fiber community of New York. It draws inspiration from the Northern California Fibershed project. "Fibershed" is a reference to fiber farms, mills, and artisan studios that support regional clothing cultures and economies. The first part of this study explored the diversity of NY fiber farms, with a focus on current marketing strategies implemented by 67 fiber farmers. The second part of the study implemented fiber farmer's marketing strategies into a consumer survey for locally produced wool, alpaca, and cashmere knitwear. Nine marketing conditions were developed that presented basic information, emphasized local production, and the individuality of the fiber animals. Findings from 250 NY women suggested that the marketing strategies do not influence product evaluation. However, other variables including product personality, user image congruence, and consumer ethnocentricity positively influenced product evaluation. Findings from the consumer survey highlight the difficulty marketing fiber products online, especially among a consumer market that prefers to touch fiber products before purchasing.