FACTUM 27 Conference

• Nadzeya Sabatini, Gdansk University of Technology (Gdansk, Poland) & USI – Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano, Switzerland)
• Lorenzo Cantoni, USI – Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano, Switzerland)

FACTUM 27 Conference

FACTUM 27  Conference: Fashion communication in the digital age is a major international academic conference dedicated to advancing theoretical and empirical interdisciplinary research on the ways in which diverse communication practices shape the fashion industry, as well as fashion-related social practices and value systems. The conference particularly welcomes scholarly contributions addressing media in its broadest sense, sustainability, fashion brands, and visual and textual modes of communication. FACTUM provides an intellectual forum for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge research that examines both established practices and emerging digital developments within the fashion and luxury sectors, with a focus on their implications for consumers and wider societal dynamics. 

Main goals of the FACTUM27 conference

• to consolidate Fashion Communication as an academic field 
• to expand the dialogue between communication studies, media and consumer studies, and Fashion-related disciplines 
• to establish an international and interdisciplinary network of scholars in the field of Fashion Communication
• to share methodological approaches 
• to support junior researchers 

Topics of interest

The major topics of interest focus on communication aspects in the Fashion domain. They include but are not limited to: 

• Artificial Intelligence and fashion communication 

• Communication of sustainability and ethical issues in fashion 

• Corporate communication in the fashion domain 

• Digital media channels and their use by fashion brands 

• Evaluation of inter-sector collaborations (e.g. tourism and fashion, music and fashion, automotive and fashion, sport and fashion) 

• Fashion brands and communication with consumers 

• Fashion communication in the retail environment 

• Fashion shows and fashion films as a communication object 

• Gamification in fashion 

• Historical perspective on fashion communication 

• Human Computer Interaction and UX in fashion 

• Influencer Management (including virtual influencers and digital twins) 

• Innovation in digital fashion communication (e.g. NFT, blockchain, Digital Product Passport, personalization activities) 

• Intangible Cultural Heritage dimension of fashion communication 

• Intercultural Communication in Fashion 

• Media Management in fashion 

• The role of social media management in fashion 

• Visual communication in fashion 

• User Generated Contents 

FACTUM 27 Conference program committee

Romana Ando’ – The Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Simonetta Buffo – Università Cattolica, Italy
Barbara Castillo – University of Design, Innovation and Technology (UDIT), Spain
Gianluigi Di Giangirolamo – University of Bologna, Italy
Rocio Elizaga – ISEM Fashion Business School – University of Navarra, Spain
Alessia Grassi – University of Leeds, UK
Michelle Grillo – eCampus University, Italy
Sigita Kamašauskė – Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania
Olga Karamalak – National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia
Chung-Wha (Chloe) Ki – Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Ethan Lascity – Southern Methodist University, USA
Marie Ledendal – Lund University, Sweden
Carini Ludovica – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
Silvia Mazzucotelli Salice – Universita’ Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Modacult, Italy
Tekila Harley Nobile – USI – Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
Eleonora Noia – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
Michela Ornati – University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland – SUPSI, Switzerland
Marco Pedroni – University of Ferrara, Italy
Flavia Piancazzo – Università di Bologna, Italy
Greta Rizzi – Design Department, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Mercedes Rodriguez – Centro Superior de Diseño y Moda de Madrid – CSDMM, Spain
Teresa Sadaba – ISEM Fashion Business School – University of Navarra, Spain
Katharina Sand – Parsons Paris, The New School, France
Patricia Sanmiguel – ISEM Fashion Business School – University of Navarra, Spain
Priyanka Srivastava – Amity School of Fashion Technology, Amity University Mumbai, India
Marta Torregrosa – ISEM Fashion Business School – University of Navarra, Spain
Angelica Vandi – Design Department, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Michele Varini – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, Italy
Paula von Wachenfeldt – Stockholm University, Sweden

Conference location

The Conference will take place at the Communication University of China, located in Chaoyang District, Beijing 

Conference proceedings

Accepted papers will be published in an Open Access Proceedings volume by Springer.  

The conference proceedings will be indexed by Scopus. 

Key dates

• Papers are required no later than 30 November 2026 
• Notification of acceptance will be provided by 1 February 2027 
• Final papers should be submitted by 1 March 2027 

Formats

• Full Papers: presenting a major original contribution, up to 12 pages in length. 

• Research Notes: presenting an in-progress research (e.g.: by a PhD candidate), up to 6 pages in length. 

All types of research are invited for the application, including empirical/case studies, evaluation/impact studies, assessments, etc. Theory development: adaptations of existing theoretical frameworks to better explain how communication formats work in the fashion domain, and measurement issues of the new formats of fashion communication are especially invited. 

All contributions should be innovative and should advance the knowledge base of related fields.  

All papers will be double-blind peer-reviewed by experienced researchers who are members of the scientific review committee. Final acceptance will depend on whether the author(s) can adequately address review comments to the satisfaction of the reviewers. 

To ensure blind-review process, please, keep your submission anonymous.

Submit your paper here: FACTUM 27

FACTUM 27 conference is the fifth event in the series of conferences on fashion communication and will be hosted at the Communication University of China in Beijing, China. All conferences had their proceedings published by Springer.

The first FACTUM Conference took place in 2019 in Ascona (Switzerland), and it was organized by USI – Università della Svizzera italiana:

• FACTUM19 Proceedings
• FACTUM19 Conference

The second one was held in 2021 in Pamplona (Spain) and was hosted by the University of Navarra and ISEM Fashion Business School:

• FACTUM21 Proceedings
• FACTUM21 Conference

The third edition was held in 2023 in Pisa (Italy), hosted by the Museo della Grafica (Palazzo Lanfranchi) of the University of Pisa and of the Pisa municipality and by the Department of Civilization and Forms of Knowledge of the University of Pisa:

• FACTUM23 Proceedings
• FACTUM23 Conference

The fourth event, FACTUM25 was organised by Department of Media studies (Fashion Studies) at Stockholm University:

• FACTUM25 Proceedings
• FACTUM25 Conference

Check out our social media activity before and during the conference by following #factum27!

For questions related to the local organisation of the conference (e.g. local logistics, visa, visits), please, contact:

Cindy Zhang
Beijing Ruizhongrui Consulting Group
xinruizhang68/at/outlook.com

For questions related to the conference program, please, contact:

Joanna Liu
PhD student, USI – Università della Svizzera italiana
joanna.liu/at/usi.ch

For questions related to the website or social media of the event, please, contact:

Mia Lepp
PhD student, USI – Università della Svizzera italiana
leppm/at/usi.ch

Francesca Manna
PhD student, USI – Università della Svizzera italiana
mannaf/at/usi.ch

Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau 

Changping District Bureau of Economy and Information Technology 

Caiyu Digital Fashion Town, Daxing District (Caiyu Digital Fashion Town in Daxing District) 

Communication University of China (Institute of Media Science)