Abstract
The luxury goods industry constitutes a niche, yet tremendously valuable, segment of the global economy (Atwal & Bryson, 2014b). According to Euromonitor (2019), the sale of luxury fashion goods and leather accessories in South Africa grew by 53.8% between 2013 and 2018. The growth prospect of South Africa’s luxury goods industry remains robust, propelled by good retail and supply chain infrastructure and a steadily expanding aspirational middle-class (Pwc, 2012; AfrAsia, 2018; Euromonitor, 2019). South Africa’s vibrant luxury retail market has attracted scores of international luxury fashion brands and fostered the establishment of a small, yet distinguished, cohort of local luxury fashion brands (Jacobs, 2013, Crosswaite, 2014; Martin-leke & Ellis, 2014). However, local luxury fashion brands are encumbered by numerous challenges, the most crucial of which is a pervasive negative consumer disposition and resultant weak brand equity. These challenges threaten the growth potential of South African luxury fashion brands and have in some extreme circumstances led to the collapse of once-promising brands...
M.A. (Design)