Partitioned country of origin effect for fashion products

The study included therein investigates the impact of two specific components of partitioned country image (country of design and country of manufacture) on consumers¿ perception of a fashion product. The empirical work is based on an experimental study which manupulated three Italian brands with different level of familiarity and ¿country sounding¿ and two countries with different reputation as places of design and of manufacture (Italy and China). The experiment was conducted in London on a sample of 264 respondents. Results show that the experimental variables included in the experiments play an effective role in affecting consumers¿ perceptions of product quality, design quality, brand image and are able to influence intentions to buy and willingness to pay a premium price. The book discusses the contribution of the study to country of origin theory and the related implications for Italian fashion products and brands.