• Hina Omer
• Prof. Dr. Valliapan Raju

We have come to live in an age where high-end brands play an important role in the development of consumer self-image or expression. High-end brand perceptions have influenced consumers enough to desire his or her personal belonging of fashion status. Consumer self-image has become a high-end brand phenomenon itself which is acknowledged through two consumer behavior theories “Expected Confirmation Theory and “Theory of Planned Behavior” for this study. This phenomenon is credited with philosophy of anthropology, perception, psychographic segmentation, business economics, environmental / social sciences, fashion management and consumer behavior studies to improve fashion industry knowledge. This thesis specifically spreads awareness on how high-end brand perceptions influencing Malaysian consumer to form associations such as belonging, appreciation, social acceptance and status consciousness as a common self-image. Problem statement being disregard of cultural/personal expression due to high acceptance of high-end brand perception as a status, instant change as a consumer self-image by consumer and this perception not being exerted enough to improve fashion knowledge by the fashion professionals. The objective is not to solve the perception but to spread awareness on the common consumer self-expression from which fashion professionals could gain knowledge on the disregarded cultural and personal expressions in Malaysia. Supported through both qualitative scholarly literature review, brand reports, consumer behavior theories and quantitative field work of a randomly sampled questionnaire in Bukit Bintang Malaysia. Research objectives and research questions foregrounded the selection for field work in four malls around Kuala Lumpur region namely Suria KLCC, Times Square, Pavillion and Sangai Wong with 300 respondents because majority of consumers’ shop in these malls from versatile demographic backgrounds. Such a selection became pivotal to show the Malaysian consumers self-expression which were mainly youth age range from 13-35 (generation-y/millennials). How a high-end brand’s perception impacts a Malaysian consumer to have status, pride, rank, class or belonging to before product purchase. How brand perceptions impact consumer self-image further adding value to fashion institutes in Malaysia is the backbone of this study.

High-end brands, Self-image, Status, Spread awareness, Brand perception, Fashion professionals

"Factors Determining to Spread Awareness on High-End Brands for Malaysian Fashion Industry", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no.347-388, December-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812651.pdf

"Factors Determining to Spread Awareness on High-End Brands for Malaysian Fashion Industry", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no. pp347-388, December-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812651.pdf