Influencer Marketing and Copycat Fashion Consumption: Examining Gen Z Purchase Intentions in the Digital Era - An Indian Perspective

The present study is a systematic literature review that discusses the role of influencers in the purchase intention of Gen Z towards copycat fashion in India. The review indicates that influencer marketing has emerged as a significant driver for fashion discovery and aspiration as well as purchasing among the Indian youth. Fashion copycat and dupe behaviour is influenced by influencers' credibility, parasocial relationships, emotional attachment, trendiness, FOMO, impulsive buying, perceived value, affordability, and platform availability. This is distinct from the Indian context where youth is a significant population, internet is growing rapidly, Instagram and YouTube have extensive reach, social commerce is gaining momentum, the price sensitivity is high, informal retail networks are prevalent, and there is a great desire to create a sense of self through fashion. Copycat fashion is not simply copying but a form of engaging with digital culture within economic means for many of the Indian Gen Z consumers. Yet, the phenomenon also presents ethical issues: copycat consumption coupled with counterfeit products, misleading influencer marketing, low-quality products and rapid fashion are not sustainable. The paper suggested a conceptual model with the inclusion of the factors of influencer marketing, parasocial relationships, trend-driven behaviour, and virtual/AI influencers as influencers that affect the purchase intention of Gen Z through emotional attachment, impulse buying, and perceived value. Sustainability awareness and ethical fashion concerns were placed as moderators which can reduce or modify copycat fashion purchase intention. This model needs to be empirically tested in India through quantitative methodology like PLS-SEM or covariance-based SEM in future. Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities including Delhi-NCR, Gautam Budh Nagar, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore and Chandigarh should be compared in terms of studies. More longitudinal studies are required to look at if the purchases made by influencers lead to long term brand aspiration or the drop in original brand loyalty. The impact of disclosure labels, type of influencer, price framing and sustainability messages on purchase intention can be tested in an experimental study. Additionally, future research could investigate the impact of AI influencers in India, including their potential to evoke trust or skepticism among audiences, as compared to human influencers. Lastly, the effectiveness of the ASCI guidelines and consumer awareness campaigns for reducing the incidence of misleading promotions and counterfeiting fashion products should be assessed. To Indian fashion brands, the message is simple: learn about the ‘dupe culture' and don't judge it. The challenge for influencers is to find a way to be both relatable and responsible. The first thing that policymakers have to prioritize is transparency in disclosure, consumer protection and awareness. For researchers, the Indian market is an interesting and pressing environment for examining the intersection of digital influence, aspiration, affordability, ethics and identity as it relates to Gen Z fashion consumption.

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