AN EXPLORATION OF THE MOTIVATIONS FOR USING MODERNISED AFROCENTRIC FASHION DESIGNS TO ESTABLISH PERSONAL BRANDS

Abstract

The purpose of personal branding is the achievement of goals and the gratification of needs. Some individuals use modernised Afrocentric fashion symbols and designs, which are becoming commonplace in the global fashion industry, to build their personal brands. In this qualitative study, a deeper understanding was sought regarding the motivations of these individuals for using Afrocentric fashions and whether it, apart from being used for professional/commercial purposes, also fulfil personal and social needs. The interpretative study was approached from a symbolic interactionism viewpoint and theories such as identity management and social media engagement, as well as existing literature and previous studies on the topic were used to develop a conceptual framework for the study. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with a sample of young South Africans who purposefully choose to use modernised Afrocentric fashions for establishing and building their personal brands. The verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analysed and interpreted by using a thematic analysis. Motivations for using Afrocentric fashions to build personal brands were found to be professional/commercial of nature, but a strong link was also found to personal and social gratifications of participants. Findings included inter alia that these fashion designs are used because they affirm the participants’ identities and facilitate a sense of unity - interpersonal connection with other like-minded individuals who share the same goal of advancing Africanism. It was also found that although most of the participants do not know the specific meanings of the symbols anymore, they are aware of the intrinsic significance of the clothing to communicate their sense of pride in their African heritage. The contributions of the study are rooted in a deeper understanding of the topic’s multiple facets. Apart from identifying the fulfilment of professional/commercial needs, identifying the fulfilment of personal and social goals was especially significant. A limitation of the study may be a small sample size, but the purpose of the study was to gain an in-depth and rich understanding of the topic and not to generalise the results. Recommendations are made for future research on this topic.