Fashionable styles and information sources: an exploratory study of Hangzhou, China

The exploratory study aims to examine Hangzhou fashion in the context of globalization and localization through in-depth interviews. Sixteen young females from Hangzhou were interviewed. In the 1990s young females from Hangzhou had a weak concept of fashionable style and they just had a preference for the feminine style, which is derived from a regional culture. In the 2010s, young females' concept regarding fashion have changed from fashionable to stylish leading to a variety of fashionable styles. The popular Korean, European and minimalist styles mostly originate from foreign dramas and fashion advertisements from the Internet. This qualitative research verified that there was a diminishing sense of locality and cultural identity in young females' fashion in Hangzhou. However, the impact of globalcultural eclecticism and mass media imagery appears larger for young females' fashion in the city, especially through the Internet, especially in the spread of SNS, online shopping malls, and online video sites. Therefore, fashion brands should expand the brand culture influence through online media. Presently, the mobile apps in Hangzhou such as Wechat and Instagram may be the most helpful tool for brand culture spreading.