Femnet e.V.

Fast fashion is a clothing supply chain model that is intended to respond quickly to the latest fashion trends by frequently updating the clothing products available in stores. The shift towards fast fashion leads to shorter practical service lives for garments. Collaborative consumption is an alternative way of doing business to the conventional model of ownership-based consumption, and one that can potentially reduce the environmental impacts of fashion by prolonging the practical service life of clothes. In this study, we used life cycle assessment to explore the environmental performance of clothing libraries, as one of the possible ways in which collaborative consumption can be implemented, and compared the advantages and disadvantages in relation to conventional business models. Furthermore, the key factors influencing the environmental impact of clothing libraries were investigated. We based our assessment on three key popular garments that are stocked in clothing libraries: jeans, T-shirts and dresses. The results showed the benefits of implementing clothing libraries associated with the garments’ prolonged service lives. Therefore to achieve environmental gains, it is important to substantially increase garment service life. Moreover, the results quantitatively demonstrated the potential risk of problem shifting: increased customer transportation can completely offset the benefits gained from reduced production. This highlighted the need to account for the logistics when implementing collaborative consumption business models.

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The purpose of this study is to critically examine, in the context of the Fast-Fashion industry, the relevance of Eco-Fashion on young consumers’ attitudes and perceptions of the brands, in order to disclose the relationships between Eco-fashion strategies and customers’ brand loyalty – or consumers’ purchase intentions. The research design reckons on a mono method, based on a quantitative online survey conducted among 216 targeted respondents from four age groups and two different countries (China – UK). The findings reveal that, although fast-fashion consumers still lack of knowledge about the negative impacts of this industry, Eco-fashion strategies are playing a increasingly important role in fast-fashion consumption. Besides, the growing significance of sustainability in the fast-fashion industry has impacted consumers’ attitudes towards the brands, thus influencing their customers’ loyalty and purchase decision-making. Academically, the value and originality of the research relies on the newness of the thematic, since so far only few studies have focused on exploring the relationship between Eco-fashion and the Fast-fashion consumers’ perspectives of the brands. On the contrary, in the business field, Fast-Fashion retailers -in order to earn long-term profit have realized the importance of developing and implementing strategies aimed at exploiting the potentialities of the above-mentioned relationship. Therefore, this study has relevance also in terms of managerial implications for Fast-fashion retailers, since it gives some suggestions that can help the latters to achieve economic profit. 

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Mit der Repräsentativbefragung im Rahmen des InNaBe-Forschungsprojekts sollte untersucht werden, a) welche Faktoren den Konsum von und den Umgang mit Kleidung bestimmen und b) inwieweit die notwendigen Veränderungen in Richtung eines nachhaltigeren Kleidungskonsums von den Verbraucher*innen mitgetragen werden bzw. in welchen gesellschaftlichen Segmenten mit einer schnellen Diffusion nachhaltige Innovationen zu rechnen ist und welche Hemmnisse oder Treiber bestehen. Folgende Inhalte wurden in der Befragung berücksichtigt:

• Problembewusstsein in Bezug auf Kleidungsproduktion und -konsum
• persönliche Bedeutung von Mode und Kleidung
• Einstellungen zum Kleidungskauf
• Ansprüche an Kleidung/ Kaufmotive
• Umfang des Kleidungskaufs
• Nutzungsdauer von Kleidungsstücken
• Gründe für das Aussortieren von Kleidung
• Einstellungen zu sozial- und umweltverträglich produzierter Kleidung
• Einstellungen zu Kleidung aus zweiter Hand
• Einstellungen zur Nutzung von Angeboten, die zur Verlängerung der Nutzungszeit von Kleidung beitragen können, Hemmnisse
• Bereitschaft zur Einschränkung des Kleidungskaufs/-konsums

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Ethical issues with offshore manufacturing plants in the readymade garment industry is a regular affair, particularly for factories located in lesser developed nations. Despite efforts by non-government agencies around the globe pressurizing both governments and multinational corporations to adopt ethical practices, disastrous accidents and loss of lives continue to haunt the industry. This paper reviews existing literature to develop an understanding of consumers as pressure groups, and proposes a factor model that may influence consumers’ willingness to pay for ethical garments which will be tested in future studies.

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New and existing companies are looking for ways to thrive in a competitive environment with innovative business models while respecting society and avoiding actions that harm the planet. Trends such as circular economy, fair trade, lowsumerism, and sharing economy are some of the many emerging entrepreneurial approaches that address this issue, but there is still a gap between what theory argues and the levels of environmental and social sustainability realized when theory is put into practice. In fact, most research on the topic of sustainable business models is still exploratory and does not fully acknowledge these emerging approaches, whose definitions, boundaries, and defining characteristics are still somewhat vague. This study seeks to contribute to the understanding of the inner entrepreneurial dynamics of innovative sustainable business models. In particular, we focus on the fashion business, a resource-intensive industry in which opportunities to reduce environmental impacts and to innovate business models abound. The aim of our research is to investigate innovative business models in the fashion industry that have sustainability as their defining characteristic, especially in terms of value proposition. In order to do that, we combine a systematic review of the literature with empirical research comprised of six interviews with specialists in sustainability, business model innovation, and the fashion industry, along with eight case studies on innovative fashion startups we define as ‘born sustainable.’ As a result, we propose a synthesizing framework that discloses trends and drivers of innovative and sustainable business models in the fashion industry. We also highlight opportunities and challenges for researchers and entrepreneurs interested in this topic. 

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