Analysis of the Consumer Knowledge and Attitude toward Innovations in the Fashion Industry

Abstract Taking into consideration the complex interaction between new emerging technologies and social transformations, the importance of consumer attitudes toward fashion innovations should not be ignored. There are thousands of new patents related to nanotechnology being announced each year being undoubtedly perceived as one of the fundamental technologies of the present century. When it comes to the fashion sector, nanotechnology offers an innovative mean of processing fabrics that could change the clothing industry. Previous studies conducted in the domain of technology revealed that consumer attitude toward nanotechnology is determined by the perceived risks and benefits of applying nanotechnology and consumer’s scepticism when encountering new challenges. This research aims to analyse the determinants that affect the consumer’s knowledge toward nanotechnologies used in the fashion industry in Romania. In this respect, I applied a questionnaire in the Romanian public universities to identify individuals’ attitude toward technology and their knowledge regarding the usage of nanotechnology in this industry. The consumer’s level of knowledge regarding the nanotechnology implementation in fashion production is expected to be influenced by their attitude toward technology. Also, the consumer’s requirements regarding the labelling of nanotextile are expected to be influenced by their level of nanotechnology knowledge. Based on the empirical results, this study is intended to provide suggestions that could contribute to the expansion of the acceptance of the innovations applied in the clothing industry.