Research on the Impact of the Appeal Characteristics of Kidult Culture and the Consumer Culture Characteristics of Fashion Collaborations on Sustainable Consumption Behavior

Kidult culture is a culture of those in their twenties and thirties that focuses on comfort in products and sensory experiences reminiscent of their childhood. This study examined the appealing characteristics of kidult culture and the consumption culture aspects of fashion collaboration phenomena from the perspective of socio-cultural theories on consumption. The structural relationships between these characteristics, the consumption value of fashion products as symbolic elements, and their impact on continuous consumption behavior were analyzed. A sample of 374 consumers with experience purchasing kidult fashion products was selected, and research hypotheses were tested using SPSS and AMOS statistical packages. The results showed that among the appealing characteristics of kidult culture, multiculturalism, cultural capitalism, and deviance significantly influenced the consumption value of kidult fashion products. Second, within the consumption culture characteristics of kidult culture– fashion collaboration, plurality, intertextuality, and de-representation had significant effects on the consumption value. Third, the consumption value of kidult fashion products significantly influenced the continuous consumption behavior. Hence, kidult culture, which fosters polysemic interpretations in modern fashion, contributes to the formation of consumption culture through collaboration. Moreover, it highlights how consumers engage in symbolic consumption, not merely purchasing products but interpreting the meanings embedded within them. This study identified the key factors contributing to the continuous expansion of consumer culture through kidult fashion products. This research provides valuable data for a deeper understanding and interpretation of consumer behavior related to kidult fashion products.