Slow fashion and sustainability in Spain: How can local manufacturing improve sustainability and how do consumers respond?

"Slow Fashion" attempts to offset the demand for fast fashion and mass production (Fletcher, 2007). Consumers' response to sustainability-based practices is a limited discourse and studies for slow fashion concept are scarce. This study thus aims to enlighten the subject of how slow fashion concept could improve local economies and how Spanish consumers respond to such initiatives. This paper is based on an exploratory qualitative research for which focus group interviews including three group discussions with Spanish consumers were held. The data was examined by constant comparison analysis to present consumer insights. Moreover, a case study was conducted with a Spanish apparel brand. Saint Brissant was chosen since it manufactures in Spain to (i) ensure its products? high quality and (ii) to empower Spanish economy. This paper provides empirical insights. Even though local manufacturing was perceived to have a higher quality, Spanish consumers? behavioural intentions of using local brands were not high.Self-interest, mainly price and design, was recorded as the most influential purchase criteria. Furthermore, Saint Brissant case demonstrated that local manufacturing could boost local economies by creating workforce. However, governmental subsidies should be rearranged and consumers? perceptions should be improved to support local manufacturers in Spain

Fashion exposed: research pathways for a just transition in fashion operations and supply chain management

Purpose: This impact pathways paper proposes that operations and supply chain management (OSCM) can help to ensure that the transition from a high-carbon to low-carbon fashion industry takes place in a just, inclusive and fair way. By immersing ourselves in fashion brands, suppliers and workers’ realities across multiple supply chains, we identify challenges and issues related to just transitions, while proposing research pathways to inspire future OSCM research and collaboration using innovative and creative methods to answer complex questions related to just transition. Design/methodology/approach: The research we introduce used a multi-level field research approach to investigate multiple fashion supply chains in transition. Findings: We uncovered that in the pursuit of lowering carbon emissions, fast-fashion giants work with industrial associations to create top-down governance tools, leading to severe problems in supply chain data and paradoxical demands. These demands are cascaded onto the workers in these supply chains. The goals and tools dictated by the fashion giants exclude workers, while the physiological and psychological effects on the workers are routinely ignored. These issues impede a just transition to a low-carbon fashion industry. Originality: We introduce concepts largely missing from OSCM literatures and ensure representation of the most marginalised group, supply chain workers, in a novel setting in a call for research in this emerging area. Keywords: Fashion, Supply management, Just transition, Workers, Sustainability, Impact, Research pathway

How Can Local Manufacturing Improve Economic Sustainability? Saint Brissant: a case study of local manufacturing in Spain

Fast-fashion retailers and mass production dominate the fashion and apparel industry. Increased globalization, labor intensity and outsourcing to developing countries are fostering the interest in sustainability within the industry. There is a growth of a new movement attempting to offset the demand for fast fashion, "Slow Fashion" movement. Slow fashion is not time-based but quality-based approach in which designers, buyers, retailers and consumers are more aware of the impacts on workers, communities and ecosystems (Fletcher 2007). European Union has also some critical targets to reach by 2020. Spain, specifically, has to meet some requirements in terms of economy and sustainability. This exploratory study analyzed how slow fashion concept, precisely manufacturing locally, could improve economic development. Local manufacturing, its impact on economic development and the challenges of Spanish market are illustrated through a case study of one Spanish fashion brand, Saint Brissant

Does the devil wear Prada? Lessons in supply chain sustainability from luxury fashion

In this article, we present the results of a five-year ongoing research project, with multiple companies in the luxury fashion industry. We uncover the new strategic dimensions driving these companies: innovation, exclusivity, and consciousness and provide a radar for capturing sustainability practices along the dimensions of strategy, production stage and capability. In order to help senior managers who want to embed sustainability into their strategy and translate this into the right practices for their company, we also provide a sustainability practice decision-making matrix

Back to the future: Just transition in the Welsh textile industry

This report combines findings from a multi-stakeholder workshop held at CardiffUniversity in March 2024, with relevant literature to determine how to support a just transition in the Welsh textile industry. The workshop brought together key individuals to discuss the industry, challenges and priority areas for growth, and provided an excellent opportunity for open discussion on this topic. This report explores the opportunity for a just transition in the Welsh textile industry and explains how this could be achieved successfully, while underlying the potential challenges that may be encountered

Piano d'azione per un lusso responsabile

Dieci principi guida per la fashion industry del futuro basata su trasparenza, circolarità, responsabilità e inclusion

Sustainability integration in luxury fashion supply chains : An empirical investigation of leather and textiles in Italy

La presente tesis doctoral explora en qué medida las sostenibilidades ambiental y social se integran en las cadenas de suministro de las marcas de moda de lujo que producen textiles (ropa) y zapatos de cuero en Italia. En primer lugar, se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura para categorizar las prácticas de sostenibilidad ambiental y social implementadas en las operaciones de moda y abordadas en la literatura existente. Posteriormente, desde un punto de vista de resource-based view o visión basada en recursos naturales, se optó por un método de estudio de casos múltiples al cubrir diez empresas ubicadas en múltiples etapas de las cadenas de suministro de textiles y cueros italianos para investigar la integración de la sostenibilidad en la gestión de operaciones. Con este fin, las prácticas industriales se descompusieron sistemáticamente en los niveles de producto, proceso y cadena de suministro de acuerdo con el marco teórico de la ingeniería centrada en las tres dimensiones del negocio. La eliminación de sustancias químicas peligrosas y el uso de material orgánico parecían ser las prácticas emergentes a nivel de producto que ofrecen beneficios operacionales tales como la reducción de costos y los beneficios del mercado, como una mejor calidad del producto. Las prácticas de nivel de proceso, por otro lado, se enfocaron principalmente en la reducción de agua y energía debido a las estrategias de reducción de costos en lugar de la administración ambiental. Las prácticas de nivel de cadena de suministro abarcaron la rastreabilidad y las auditorías de los proveedores, pero solo de forma limitada como consecuencia de la falta de visibilidad de la cadena de suministro. Además, el estudio investigó los factores que impiden que la integración de la sostenibilidad avance en la gestión de la cadena de suministro de moda de lujo. La falta de conocimiento, la falta de conciencia y la falta de un marco de traducción de la sostenibilidad en las actividades cotidianas, además de presiones comerciales altas, pero a menudo competitivas, surgieron como los principales obstáculos. Por lo tanto, los resultados revelan que la participación del proveedor, la colaboración, las capacidades innovadoras y basadas en el conocimiento son muy necesarias para desarrollarse y desplegarse en las redes de suministro a fin de avanzar en la transparencia y la trazabilidad de la cadena de suministro. Por último, el estudio concluye que los componentes relacionales y técnicos deben compartirse a través de las redes de suministro y que la sostenibilidad debe estar integrada en la filosofía empresarial a fin de emprender estrategias más bien radicales para abrazar verdaderamente la sostenibilidad. ----------ABSTRACT---------- This study explores the extent to which both environmental and social sustainability is integrated in luxury fashion supply chains producing textile garments and leather shoes in Italy. Firstly, a systematic literature review was conducted in order to categorise environmental and social sustainability practices implemented in fashion operations. Subsequently, from a natural resource-based view perspective, a multiple case study method was adopted, covering ten companies located at multiple stages of Italian textiles and leather supply chains. To investigate sustainability integration in luxury fashion supply chain management, industrial practices were systematically decomposed into product, process and supply chain levels in accordance with the three dimensional concurrent engineering framework. Hazardous chemical elimination and organic material use appeared to be the emergent product-level practices that deliver operational benefits such as cost reduction and market benefits such as improved product quality. Process-level practices, on the other hand, mainly focused on water and energy reduction due to cost reduction strategies rather than environmental stewardship. Supply chain-level practices encompassed traceability and supplier audits but only to a limited extent as a consequence of a lack of supply chain visibility. Furthermore, the study investigated the factors impeding sustainability in luxury fashion supply chain management. Lack of knowledge, lack of awareness, lack of supplier engagement, and competing commercial pressures impede sustainability and make it difficult to translate sustainability objectives into daily based activities. Results reveal that supplier engagement, collaboration, innovativeness and knowledge sharing are greatly needed across supply chains in order to advance transparency and supply chain traceability. Lastly, the study concludes that relational and technical components must be developed and deployed across supply networks and that sustainability must be embedded in the business philosophy to embark on rather radical strategies to truly embrace sustainability in luxury fashion. ----------ASTRATTO---------- Questo studio esplora la misura in cui la sostenibilità ambientale e sociale è integrata nelle filiere della moda nel lusso (tessuti di moda di lusso e scarpe di cuoio fatti in Italia). In primo luogo, è stata condotta una revisione sistematica della letteratura al fine di classificare le pratiche di sostenibilità ambientale e sociale implementate nelle operazioni di moda e affrontate nella letteratura manageriali esistente. Poi, dal punto di vista di una prospettiva basata sulle risorse naturali, è stato scelto un metodo di studio di più casi che copriva dieci aziende in differenti fasi del tessile e catene di fornitura di pellami per studiare l'integrazione della sostenibilità nella gestione delle operazioni. A tal fine, le pratiche industriali sono state sistematicamente scomposte in livelli di prodotto, processo e catena di fornitura in conformità con la struttura ingegneristica tridimensionale concomitante. L'eliminazione delle sostanze chimiche pericolose e l'uso di materiali organici sembrano essere le pratiche emergenti a livello di prodotto che offrono benefici operativi come la riduzione dei costi e vantaggi sul mercato come una migliore qualità del prodotto. Le pratiche a livello di processo, d'altra parte, si sono concentrate principalmente sulla riduzione di acqua ed energia a causa di strategie di riduzione dei costi piuttosto che di gestione ambientale. Le pratiche a livello di supply chain comprendevano la tracciabilità e gli audit dei fornitori, ma solo in misura limitata come conseguenza della mancanza di visibilità della catena di approvvigionamento. Inoltre, lo studio ha valutato i fattori che ostacolano il miglioramento della sostenibilità. La mancanza di conoscenza, la mancanza di consapevolezza e la mancanza di un quadro di traduzione della sostenibilità in attività quotidiane, oltre a pressioni commerciali elevate ma spesso concorrenti, sono emersi come i principali ostacoli. Pertanto, i risultati rivelano che il coinvolgimento dei fornitori, la collaborazione, le capacità innovative e basate sulla conoscenza sono di grande importanza per essere sviluppati e implementati attraverso le reti di approvvigionamento al fine di promuovere la trasparenza e la tracciabilità della catena di approvvigionamento. Infine, lo studio finisce che le elementi relazionali e tecniche devono essere condivise tra le reti di approvvigionamento e che la sostenibilità deve essere incorporata nella filosofia aziendale. Questo è fondamentale per intraprendere strategie piuttosto radicali per abbracciare veramente la sostenibilità

The Transition issue – Dr. Hakan Karaosman talking with Prof. Donald Huisingh

A cleaner and fairer supply chain: representation and inclusion are needed for the transition to a low-carbon circular econom

The Myth of Sustainability in Fashion Supply Chains

The global fashion market is expected to account for €1,512 billion by 2018. Yet, the fashion industry is associated with critical environmental and social impact due to extensive material use, energy consumption, and safety issues. Therefore, in contrast to traditional supply chain management (SCM), a more sustainable SCM must be introduced by the explicit integration of environmental and social objectives. This study attempts to synthesise both existing and new elements in comprehensive frameworks. The main contribution of this chapter is the application of an assessment tool to evaluate the impact of SC operations on sustainability. Subsequently, a performance measurement model is proposed to assess to what extent the level of sustainability could affect the operational performance areas. An adequate understanding of how SC of a fashion company could be configured toward sustainability, how sustainability must be assessed, and how SSCM performance could be measured is provided through this chapter