Emotional fit: developing a new fashion design methodology for mature women

Townsend, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-2511, Sadkowska, A and Sissons, J, 2016. Emotional fit: developing a new fashion design methodology for mature women. In: Lloyd, P and Bohemia, E, eds., Proceedings of DRS2016: Design + Research + Society - Future-Focused Thinking Conference, Brighton, 27-30 June 2016. Coventry: Design Research Society, pp. 3521-3537.

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Abstract

This paper reports on a user-centered methodological approach towards fashion design for mature women (55+). Referred to as the 'baby boomers' the women in this study are the product of the cultural revolution of the 1960s, who consequently have a strong sense of their own 'agency', as conveyed through their clothing and style, but now find themselves stepping into the unknown territory of a limited market. The majority of fashion brands and stores are aimed at younger consumers, and with some exceptions, it is only high and niche designer labels who are offering stylish garments that complement the changing bodies of an older generation women with strong aesthetic values. In response to this situation three researchers have developed an original research methodology which synthesizes fashion and textile design practices with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), resulting in an holistic, co-design and user-centred approach that responds to the emotional and physical needs of an ageing female demographic.

Item Type:	Chapter in book
Creators:	Townsend, K., Sadkowska, A. and Sissons, J.
Publisher:	Design Research Society
Place of Publication:	Coventry
Date:	June 2016
Volume:	9
ISSN:	2398-3132
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.21606/drs.2016.422 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Art and Design
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	15 Dec 2016 13:42
Last Modified:	09 Jun 2017 14:09
Related URLs:	http://www.drs2016.org/proceedings/
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29391

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