Fashion Business Commons^™

How Covid-19 Has Accelerated The Shift Towards A More Sustainable Fashion Industry, Samantha Frances Casey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sustainability in fast fashion is a pertinent issue as the fashion industry is one of the most environmentally damaging industries. Fashion retailers have started to integrate sustainability initiatives, but consumer preference is vital to making firms change their practices. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, worldwide lockdowns exposed the fragility of the consumer-driven fast-fashion business model. This thesis will examine how COVID-19 has and will continue to impact sustainability in the fashion industry. More specifically, this thesis will examine the implications of consumer sustainability preferences brought about by the pandemic. These implications accelerate the preexisting sustainability trends …

Conscious Couture: Upcycling And Sustainable Style, Sara Wilson

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fashion and apparel industry has become synonymously associated with wastefulness and pollution due to the high levels of production, consumption and disposal of the billions of garments produced globally each year. Throughout the industry, brands have continued to set sustainability goals for both efforts to reduce their environmental impacts as well as appeal to the ‘green’ consumer. The power that a consumer holds can be leveraged for driving sustainability related initiatives through an apparel market that is virtually available everywhere. Since the 1990s, the secondhand market has developed from simply an economically friendly place to purchase necessities, to its …

How Companies Can Overcome The Barriers To Sustainability In The Fashion Industry, Madison Perreault

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary intent of this paper is to explore existing case studies on the barriers to sustainability in the fashion industry as well as incorporate my own contributions by crafting and analyzing the results of a survey. This survey will give insight to the attitudes and behaviors of respondents towards sustainable fashion. I will also investigate government policies on this topic, or the lack thereof. Finally, I will offer my recommendation on how businesses can overcome the barriers to sustainability in the fashion industry.

From The Runway To The Racks: A Comparative Analysis Of Gucci And Zara, Hailey Bauer

Experience Industry Management

The fashion industry is constantly evolving. Today, consumers face more choices than ever when it comes to purchasing clothes. The purpose of this study was to examine a high-end luxury brand, Gucci, and a fast fashion brand, Zara, to compare and contrast their marketing strategies, sustainability practices, brand personality, and customer experiences. The research for this study was collected using a case study matrix, developed by the researcher, to evaluate Gucci and Zara’s marketing, sustainability, and customer experience practices. The study resulted in findings indicating the importance of social media and online marketing platforms for the increase of sales and …

Driving Sustainable Change In The Fashion Industry, Christina Pasqualicchio

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

Climate change is a threat to global sustainable development and the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. This thesis explores how fast fashion and consumerism have contributed to an overabundance of clothing, an increase in greenhouse gases, fibers and fabrics that don’t disintegrate properly, and water pollution; all of which create negative environmental and social issues. Through detailing each of these problems, it can be seen that there needs to be internal changes within the fashion industry and external changes made by consumers. In order to create these changes, the fashion industry needs to adjust …

Beyond Sustainable: An Analysis Of The Visual Rhetoric Behind The Branding Of Christy Dawn, Megan Mccormick

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research project offers insight into the visual rhetorical of design decisions made in the marketing materials of Christy Dawn, a sustainable fashion brand. The primary goal of this research is to identify several motivators, based on prior studies, for the consumption of sustainable fashion and analyze the existing marketing visuals of Christy Dawn’s brand, specifically in how they appeal to these motivators, thus also communicating their sustainable rhetoric to consumers in the process. This project defines these motivators in detail and addresses them in relation to particular elements of design in Christy Dawn’s materials, such as images, color, and …

The Future Of Fashion: Corporate Social Responsibility And Essential Marketing Strategies, Taite Jorgensen

CMC Senior Theses

This paper analyzes how fast fashion has impacted future trends of the fashion industry. Due to globalization, the fast fashion industry has been able to create new norms of over-consumerism and international labor. Because of this, the fast fashion industry is able to mass produce in a way consumers have never seen before, in addition to making it all at extremely low prices. However, fast fashion brands are only able to mass produce cheap goods through unethical methodologies; these methodologies include unsustainable materials and practices, inhuman labor conditions and wages, and by making sizes that exclude bigger bodies. Consumers are …

The Connection Between People And The Sustainable Fashion Industries; How People Can Become More Aware Of Sustainable Fashion., Nivaldo Nazario

Business ETD Collections

This project consisted of in-depth research on the theme of sustainability in the fashion market. The main focus was the search for the connection between consumers and industries on the subject related to sustainability, how companies will seek adaptation to the sustainable fashion market and how people are valuing this subject over the years.

The research presented relevant data that show how the new generation is more concerned with environmental issues, but still not much is being done in practical actions to make this happen.

Technology proved to be a great ally for this sustainable fashion market, as analysed in …

Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Case Of The Fashion Industry, Karina Zhao

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a focus on corporations within the fashion industry. First, I discuss the evolution of CSR from its origin in the 1930s until present day, along with global trends that have risen in respect to emerging economies, industry sectors, and regulatory change. Then, I summarize factors that motivate firms to prepare and provide CSR reports – i.e., the determinants of voluntary disclosure of CSR reports. In addition, I discuss to what extent these reports are regulated and assured across the globe, as an increasing number of corporations participate in disclosing …

Fast Fashion And Sustainability - The Case Of Inditex-Zara, Tatiana Destiny Sitaro

Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between Inditex’s business model of fast fashion and sustainability, specifically using Zara as a case study. The analysis focuses on the comparison of Inditex and their sustainability goals, against a fixed definition of sustainability split into three parts: profit, environment, and people. The methodology of the paper is analyzing Inditex’s 2018 Annual Report and their global sustainability goals against various scholarly articles and studies conducted of the company and sustainable fashion. Ultimately, I synthesized prior studies and added the most recent sustainability report published by Inditex. The findings show that …

An Evaluation Of Sustainability In Consumption: The Behaviors Behind Purchase, Care, And Disposal Of Apparel, Ana La Rosa

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fashion trend cycles have become increasingly fast-paced and unsustainable due to competition and consumer demand in the apparel sector. Despite having sustainable apparel choices available, consumers seem reluctant to adopt sustainable changes in their consumption habits due in part to the market allure of rapid turnover of goods, better known as ‘Fast Fashion’. Paired with aggressive marketing campaigns that encourage increased consumption beyond need, the apparel industry keeps expanding at alarming rates around the world. Although it has been identified that consumers increasingly care about the unethical behaviors in the industry that negatively impact the environment, this feeling does not …

Can Luxury Fashion Provide A Roadmap For Sustainability?, Zeynep Ozdamar-Ertekin

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Fashion industry is one of the prominent industries in the world with critical negative impacts on the social and ecological environments. It constitutes a very complex and fragmented industry. The currently dominant model of "fast fashion," fulfills the desires of consumers who aspire to wear luxury fashion brands but cannot afford them, by offering them similar styles at affordable prices. However, the main principles of fast fashion, which are speed, affordability, change, disposable trends and aesthetic fads, contradict with sustainability goals and principles. Luxury fashion, on the other hand, emphasizes longevity, durability, authenticity, craftsmanship and quality, and can therefore be …

Identifying The Influences Of Psychological Factors On Fashion Customization, Sukyung Seo

LSU Master's Theses

As environmental concerns have been increasing and fashion market condition has been fierce and competitive ever before due to consumers’ ever-changing fashion tastes, customization has received growing attention considering as a solution to overcome those challenges. Despite the numerous attention, research on customization has been limited to only issues from business viewpoints whereas studies from consumers’ standpoints are little.

The purpose of the study was to examine how consumers’ psychological properties (i.e., self- promotion, need for uniqueness, self-expression, social identity, self-monitoring, and other-directedness) affect buying intention of customized apparel products mediated by perceptions of customization and extended-self. To achieve the …

The Impact Of Ethical Concerns On Fashion Consumerism: Case-Based Evidence, Lena Cavusoglu, Mourad Dakhli

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

In continuation of our previous work, “The Impact of Ethical Concerns on Fashion Consumerism: A Review,” we present here empirically based reports to support our argument that ethical concerns in the fashion industry affect consumer behavior. In line with Paper I, the initial paper of this series, we address the concept of ethical marketing, with a focus on the two dimensions of sustainable environmental practices and societally appropriate messaging. The linkages of ethical concerns in fashion with corporate image and financial performance are explored, using a set of 15 real-life cases and anecdotes. We identify challenges in this area, offer …

Exploring The Abilities Of 3d Printing And Its Viability For Consumption In The Fashion Industry, Laura C. Corral, Kaitlyn J. Walker

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

With the ever-evolving state of today’s technology, designers and retailers in the apparel industry are seeking out new technological methods that have the capacity to revolutionize and individualize their brand, as well as meet consumer needs and preferences. An emerging technology is 3D printing, which utilizes computer-aided technology and a variety of filaments to construct an object. Though 3D printing technology offers the ability for rapid prototyping, a condensed supply chain, and a sustainable additive manufacturing process, there is question as to whether or not consumers are ready for 3D printed clothing to enter their wardrobes. In this creative …

The Impact Of Ethical Concerns On Fashion Consumerism: A Review, Lena Cavusoglu, Mourad Dakhli

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Ethical and sustainable business practices have become some of the most significant concerns in the highly globalized fashion industry. Firms in this multi-billion dollar industry are taking these concerns seriously, and are carefully monitoring and responding to consumers’ actions that can range from expressing displeasure via social media to holding protests or even calling for boycotts of certain brands and firms. In this paper, the first output from a larger project on ethics of fashion, we review the extant literature on the ethical aspects of the global fashion system; and set the stage for further empirical and conceptual work.

Conflicting Perspectives On Speed: Dynamics And Consequences Of The Fast Fashion System, Zeynep Ozdamar-Ertekin

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The fashion industry today is trapped in a competitive cycle of shorter and faster sales and production periods, requiring continual changing of styles, frequent renewal of products, and speed of availability. This high speed of the current fashion system has both positive and negative outcomes on the environment, the workers and the society. The purpose of this study is to provide a more comprehensive and macro perspective on speed, by acknowledging the conflicting perspectives of different stakeholders, focusing mainly on institutional actors. Ethnography, with emphasis on participant observation and interviews, was used as a research method, supported by secondary data …

A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Denim Jeans And A Cotton T-Shirt: The Production Of Fast Fashion Essential Items From Cradle To Gate, Tara Hackett

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

As a result of harmful textile production, sustainability has become the movement by which the apparel industry explores solutions to improve procedures in fashion design to maintain a healthy environment. However, the issue is consumers trust the sustainability claims and marketing materials of apparel products at face value without knowing its environmental impact. The overall purpose of this research was to compare the environmental implications of widely produced and owned apparel products through a life cycle assessment approach. This life cycle assessment study examines key environmental impact categories of the materials and production phase (cradle to gate) of a pair …

Ua37/21/2 Research Interview, William Jenkins, Suzanne Hansen

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Research interview with Suzanne Hansen owner-operator of Recycled Revolution. The tape has quite a lot of background noise which occasionally make it difficult to hear what is being said.

For more information regarding Recycled Revolution see:

• Apodaca, Rose. New-Age Junkies, Los Angeles Times, 4/23/1993.

• Kelly, John. Bowling Green Firm Turns Old Junk Into Fashion, Kentucky News Era, 11/1/1993