Wanqi Sun

The Rise of Character and Entertainment-Licensed Fashion: Understand the Key Factors Influencing Gen Z’s Purchase Intentions

In today’s dynamic fashion landscape, character and entertainment-licensed (C&EL) fashion products have become a powerful means through which Generation Z expresses personal identity, subcultural belonging, and digital social engagement. While the commercial influence of licensing strategies continues to rise, academic understanding of the psychological and cultural motivations behind Gen Z’s consumption in this niche remains limited. This study explores the key affective and cognitive drivers influencing Gen Z’s purchase intentions toward C&EL fashion, drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the ABC model of attitude. Using a quantitative, deductive approach, 202 Gen Z respondents participated in an online survey assessing five variables: Post-Subcultural Affiliation, Emotional Resonance, Social Sharing Value, Perceived Novelty, and Collection Value. The findings reveal that Post-Subcultural Affiliation is the most significant positive predictor of purchase intention, followed by Social Sharing Value and cognitive factors such as novelty and collection value. Interestingly, Emotional Resonance was found to have a significant negative impact. These insights highlight that for Gen Z, identity signaling and digital relevance often outweigh emotional attachment in driving purchase decisions. This research offers a fresh, theory-driven model that not only fills a gap in existing literature but also provides practical guidance for brand managers aiming to design culturally resonant, identity-centric licensing strategies in a competitive market.