FACTUM Conference: Fashion Communication in the Digital Age will be held in Beijing, China on 30 June - 02 July 2027. It is a major international academic conference dedicated to advancing theoretical and empirical interdisciplinary research on the ways in which diverse communication practices shape the fashion industry, as well as fashion-related social practices and value systems. The conference particularly welcomes scholarly contributions addressing media in its broadest sense, sustainability, fashion brands, and visual and textual modes of communication. FACTUM provides an intellectual forum for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge research that examines both established practices and emerging digital developments within the fashion and luxury sectors, with a focus on their implications for consumers and wider societal dynamics.

Main goals of the FACTUM27 conference

• to consolidate Fashion Communication as an academic field
• to expand the dialogue between communication studies, media and consumer studies, and Fashion-related disciplines
• to establish an international and interdisciplinary network of scholars in the field of Fashion Communication
• to share methodological approaches
• to support junior researchers

Topics of interest

The major topics of interest focus on communication aspects in the Fashion domain. They include but are not limited to:

• Artificial Intelligence and fashion communication

• Communication of sustainability and ethical issues in fashion

• Corporate communication in the fashion domain

• Digital media channels and their use by fashion brands

• Evaluation of inter-sector collaborations (e.g. tourism and fashion, music and fashion, automotive and fashion, sport and fashion)

• Fashion brands and communication with consumers

• Fashion communication in the retail environment

• Fashion shows and fashion films as a communication object

• Gamification in fashion

• Historical perspective on fashion communication

• Human Computer Interaction and UX in fashion

• Influencer Management (including virtual influencers and digital twins)

• Innovation in digital fashion communication (e.g. NFT, blockchain, Digital Product Passport, personalization activities)

• Intangible Cultural Heritage dimension of fashion communication

• Intercultural Communication in Fashion

• Media Management in fashion

• The role of social media management in fashion

• Visual communication in fashion

• User Generated Contents

Submission Guidelines

Formats

• Full Papers: presenting a major original contribution, up to 12 pages in length.

• Research Notes: presenting an in-progress research (e.g.: by a PhD candidate), up to 6 pages in length.

All types of research are invited for the application, including empirical/case studies, evaluation/impact studies, assessments, etc. Theory development: adaptations of existing theoretical frameworks to better explain how communication formats work in the fashion domain, and measurement issues of the new formats of fashion communication are especially invited.

All contributions should be innovative and should advance the knowledge base of related fields.

All papers will be double-blind peer-reviewed by experienced researchers who are members of the scientific review committee. Final acceptance will depend on whether the author(s) can adequately address review comments to the satisfaction of the reviewers.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to dr. Nadzeya Sabatini nadzeya.sabatini@usi.ch