Visual Markers of Ethnicity: Exploring Cultural Representation in African Fashion Brands Online
摘要
This chapter explores the visual markers of ethnicity within emerging fashion economies, with a particular focus on how African fashion brands leverage digital platforms to express their cultural identities. Digital platforms have significantly boosted the growth of African fashion businesses by connecting them to a global marketplace through e-commerce and social media. While these platforms have been instrumental in raising awareness of African fashion products and services, they also introduce increased competition from global brands. Historically, global fashion brands have used visual markers and aesthetics to highlight their brand ethos, often incorporating elements that reflect the founder’s ethnicity and the brand’s country of origin. This chapter investigates how such branding strategies are employed in the African fashion industry and identifies the online visual markers of ethnicity in these businesses through a content analysis of the digital platforms of four African fashion brands. The findings reveal that African fashion brands express their ethnic heritage by integrating ethnic markers into their digital strategies, balancing cultural authenticity with global appeal in today’s market.