INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA CHAT GROUPS ON PORT HARCOURT FASHION DESIGNERS’ AWARENESS OF MODERN FASHION DESIGNS

Abstract

This study examined the Influence of social media chat groups on Port Harcourt fashion designers awareness of modern fashion designs. It investigated the social media applications used by Port Harcourt fashion designers for chat groups; how often Port Harcourt fashion designers use the above applications for chat groups; the extent to which new fashion trends are discovered using social media chat groups and; the benefits of social media chat groups usage for Port Harcourt fashion designers. Uses and gratification, planned behaviour, media literacy and trickle-down theories formed the theoretical framework of this study. Adopting survey as the research design, a sample size of 178 was chosen using census sampling technique from a population of 178, while the questionnaire was utilised as the instrument for data collection. The findings reveal that Port Harcourt fashion designers use at least two(2) social applications to interact with and share ideas among themselves as a group, of which WhatsApp is top of the list, followed by Facebook, Telegram and other applications; Port Harcourt fashion designers use social media chat groups regularly with a great number (60%) of respondents confirming so; new fashion trends are discovered regularly (daily or weekly) and members are given opportunities to ask and/or share knowledge among themselves; a great percentage of respondents have been helped to improve in their fashion and designing skills as a result of being in the chat groups; respondents recommend chat groups for every fashion designer who desires to remain in the competitive and fast-rising industry of fashion and designing. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made: Fashion designers should encourage their students, interns and workers to interact with other fashion designers by joining available chat groups and; more chat groups should be created and made accessible for beginners in the fashion and design industry.