You will never be me: Personalizing biofabricated handbags with user genetic material
From Firenze University Press Journal: Fashion Highlight
Isabella Alevato, University of Technology
Stefan Lie, University of Technology, Sydney
Biofabrication: producing complex biological products from raw materials such as living cells, biomaterials, and molecules (Mironov et al., 2009).Conspicuous consumption: buying goods and services to signal wealth and incite respect or envy rather than for their practical value (Farnam Street, 2019). Genetic material: can be a gene, a part of a gene, a group of genes, or the entire genome of an organism.Leather: animal skin with the hair removed that typically goes through cutting and tanning treatment; faux/synthetic/current-gen leather: fabric made of synthetic materials as an alternative to animal skin.Product attachment: the emotional bond that a consumer experiences with a significant object.Projected image: the image a person wishes to project — often through the use of products (Klein as cited in Laronche, 2011); brands also project consumers’ character and status via brand image (Shukla, 2008).Signaling: a method of communicating personal information to others in a costly way, ensuring credibility (Farnam Street, 2019). Animals and humans use signals to communicate positive attributes and accomplishments without using language. For instance, a peacock’s tail demonstrates to potential mates that the bird is likely strong, healthy, and intelligent, having survived with such extravagant plumage. Similarly, individuals use costly signals to express their accomplishments.Social status: a measure of respect and esteem linked to one’s societal position (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.); it can be achieved through accomplishments or ascribed from factors like birth. It influences relationships, organizations, and marketplaces (Anderson et al., 2015) and is often signaled through the conspicuous consumption of luxury items (Veblen, 1994). As the absence of status is undesirable (Kraus et al., 2009), status pursuit through consumption becomes a goal.Status consumption: the process of gaining status from purchasing and using high-status goods (O’Cass & Frost, 2002). Symbolic function: the ability to use symbols to represent or stand for perceived objects and events.Symbols: tools for abstraction (Gordon, 2024) that can be as powerful to unite as they are to divide (Green, 2019). As Wally Olins (as cited in Green, 2019) stated, people want to belong and then display symbols of belonging, which creates in-groups and out-groups. However, symbols are subjective and depend on one’s background and worldview (Gordon, 2024).Utilitarian feature: an object’s feature that is useful or functional; however, users might have different intentions when acquiring the same product.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-2701
Read Full Text: https://riviste.fupress.net/index.php/fh/article/view/2701