The Devil Wears (New) Prada

Sammanfattning: In contemporary society, it is emphasised that ownership of clothing plays a crucial role in construction- and presentation of personal identities. With the rise of sustainable consumerism and the sharing economy, access-based consumption has emerged as a notable trend, offering individuals temporary access to non-exclusively owned clothing. The shift in consumption habits and preferences challenges the traditional notion of viewing possessions as means to identity construction. In spite of this, the questions regarding how consumers navigate their identity projects and self-presentation when donning rented luxury arises and are further examined in this paper. From an empirical stance, the research originates in three semi-structured virtual focus groups, each consisting of six women ages 16-28 carrying previous experience of luxury rental. Drawing on the concepts of Russell Belk, Erving Goffman and Pierre Bourdieu, the field of study employs a Consumer Culture Theory perspective to explore identity projects and self-presentation. In this manner, this qualitative research aims to gain valuable insights to the broader field of identity construction in relation to luxury fashion rental, with the specific objective of investigating how consumers engage with non-exclusively owned luxury clothing and its implications for identity construction and self-presentation. The findings of our study reveals the possibility and desirability to temporarily identify with rented luxury fashion in multiple ways as non-exclusively owned clothing carries an equivalent amount of identification value, despite being shared outside the family realm. The derived discoveries from our research questions highlight rented luxury fashion as means to nurture identity projects in the following ways; (1) providing emotional value, (2) the ability to create multiple identities, (3) the possibility of fostering a sustainable identity, following in self-presentation; (4) conveying social belonging, (5) showcase a desired style, and (6) obeying contextual norms. Taking these findings into account, theoretical- and practical implications are provided.