H Goworek

Social and environmental sustainability in the clothing industry: a case study of a fair trade retailer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the issues currently involved in social and environmental sustainability in the clothing industry. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a case study approach to investigate a business that operates successfully in this challenging market. Findings – As a consequence of increasing demand for ethical clothing, it has become standard practice for UK clothing retailers to develop CSR policies which impact upon their methods of garment sourcing and partnerships with suppliers. There is also a significant trend for retailers to offer ethical clothing ranges made from organic cotton or produced by Fair Trade manufacturers. The paper includes a case study on People Tree, which sells Fair Trade clothing sourced from developing countries. People Tree is rare amongst clothing companies in that it provides customers with a transparent view of its production sources via the internet. The company provides an example of how socially responsible and environmentally sustainable global sourcing can be applied in practice. Research limitations/implications – The study focuses on aspects of sustainability in an individual retailer. This could be extended to other ethical retailers in different countries, and a longitudinal study of such companies could be conducted. Originality/value – Literature on ethical fashion companies and their use of socially responsible strategies is sparse, and there is a lack of research that covers both social and environmental sustainability in this market. This paper fills some of the gaps.

An investigation into product development processes for UK fashion retailers: A multiple case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate contemporary practice in product development for clothing sold by UK fashion retailers, focusing on three essential types of participant: textile designers, fashion designers, and fashion buyers.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted with practitioners working in textile design, fashion design and fashion buying in clothing suppliers, a design agency and fashion retailers, from which case studies were compiled.Findings – The case studies provide evidence that communication skills have become particularly significant to enable effective collaboration during fashion product development. The three roles discussed in the paper have a high degree of congruence in their responsibilities, particularly in terms of awareness of fashion trends and market.Originality/value – There is an overlap between textile design, fashion design, fashion buying and other roles in the fashion business, evidenced by the case studies in the paper. Therefore the ...

The relationship between design and marketing in the fashion industry

This Special Issue investigates key factors in the relationship between designers and marketers in management roles. Several previous studies have investigated the nature of the relationship between marketing and design, viewing them as existing within different cultures and modes of thinking. For example, Roberts-Lombard and Holland (2011) identified key differences in approaches to working practice, in that designers in their study were innovative and creative via design, as well as non-profit-orientated, in contrast to marketers whose creativity was more profit-orientated, driven by the requirements of target customers. Similarly, Beverland and Farrelly (2011) refer to stereotypical views of designers as ‘impractical idealists’ concentrating on the shape of products and looking to the future, whereas marketers can be perceived as lacking imagination and focusing mainly on how products fit with consumer needs at the present time. As a result of their research, Beverland and Farrelly (2011) proposed that improved relations between marketers and designers via the deployment of ‘cultural intelligence’ should contribute to improvements in New Product Development (NPD). Similarly Svengren Holm and Johansson (2005) identified differences in the mindsets of designers and marketers and identified five key factors of co-operation between the two specialisms: 1) attitude towards the product 2) professional identity 3) attitudes towards corporate identity 4) relation to value creation and 5) approach to consumer and market research. Other researchers have proposed practical solutions to integrate design and marketing effectively, e.g. by locating these departments in close proximity and conducting cross-functional reviews (Leenders and Wierenga, 2002). However, previous research in this field has concentrated largely on product design, rather than fashion, with limited reference to design in relation to other aspects of the marketing mix, hence the requirement for a journal issue on this topic.

An investigation into retail buying roles and responsibilities for own-label clothing: a multiple case-study

The purpose of this research is to investigate own-label buyers’ roles and responsibilities within the context of fashion retailing in the UK, as distinct from the roles of buyers of branded merchandise supplied by other companies. The elements of the fashion retail buying role are drawn together into a framework to offer academics and retailers a perspective on the ways in which theories on buying processes relate to practice. It concludes that buying own-label fashion products is largely similar to buying branded merchandise, with one of the main exceptions being in the area of new product development. Retail merchandisers were found to play a significant role within the buying function, yet there was a relative lack of collaboration between buyers and marketers within the sample.

Embedding CSR within the undergraduate business curriculum: the development of a sustainable organisation module

This chapter examines the development and implementation of a sustainability module at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in the UK and assesses how this is embedded within the undergraduate business curriculum. The objectives are to explain the background to the development of the module in the context of the University as a whole and to examine the issues and potential benefits concerning its implementation. The chapter explores how sustainability can be integrated effectively within the curriculum and focuses on a module for the academic year 2011/2012 ‘The Sustainable Organisation’ (SO) and its underlying principles from the perspectives of members of the module team. It also reflects on previous and concurrent modules incorporating sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The modules connections with industry and related research will also be discussed within the chapter. In conclusion, the wider implications of offering the SO module within a business school will be assessed.

Creativity at Work and Sustainable Product Development: Practitioner Perspectives from the Clothing Industry

This chapter addresses creativity in the context of product development within the creative industries, incorporating an example from the clothing industry. In relation to creativity and product development, designers are supported by many other actors, such as technologists, engineers, and buyers, who are also creative in their own right. We begin by exploring creativity at work, which we consider to encompass idea generation comprising creative problem-solving, moving beyond product ideas to service and commercial concepts. Product (or service) development, improvement, and practical process adaptation are amongst the various tangible aspects of creativity which can be managed, whereas other aspects of creativity such as creative thought processes are less tangible and consequently less manageable. In the clothing sector, the temporal, financial, and technical parameters of creativity at work are set for designers by other functions within their own organization and from their clients and suppliers, subject to conflicting commercial demands. Sustainable design through clothing longevity appears at odds with the priorities of the prevailing “fast fashion” business model. Challenging issues such as sustainability and longevity require innovative solutions, and the creative thought processes used by designers could be central to improving sustainability within the fashion industry.

Introduction to Sustainability in Fashion

This chapter provides an insight for the idea of the book and a brief overview of sustainability in the fashion industry. The chapter further introduces the content of the book and finishes with acknowledgements.

Investigating the Relationship Between Consumer Attitudes and Sustainable Fashion Product Development

This chapter investigates the relationship between consumers and sustainable fashion products, revealing views closely intertwined with the product offering provided by clothing retailers and brands, through mutual influence. The chapter draws both from the literature and a research project, which aimed ‘to explore the technical, behavioural and strategic obstacles to implementing innovative and sustainable product development processes that could enhance clothing longevity’ (Oxborrow et al. 2017). Fashion retailers and brands can acquire information about consumer attitudes through formal methods organised by consumer insights teams, such as retailers’ regular online questionnaires to selected consumers and focus groups between buyers and consumers to discuss new product samples face to face. The information acquired by these methods is exclusive to the companies concerned however, and would usually be closely guarded, remaining with the large organisations who can afford to employ their own market research teams or consultancies, whereas our study comprises findings which are applicable and freely available to companies of all sizes and can therefore have a wider potential impact upon the fashion industry. The extant literature has identified a gap for an improved understanding of consumer perspectives on sustainable clothing (see, e.g. Oxborrow and Claxton 2016; WRAP 2012), which this chapter seeks to address by investigating views on purchase, maintenance and disposal of garments.

Pilling in knitwear – a clothing longevity problem beyond design

The environmental impact of clothing could be reduced by extending garment lifetimes, and many clothing retailers are now exploring design for longevity as a sustainable approach. In order for products to meet durable design standards consistently, global supply chain processes must be managed and controlled to avoid quality problems and early product failure. This paper uses a single case study to explore the challenges of meeting specified durable product standards in production by tracing and observing the identification and resolution of a quality issue affecting the durability of luxury knitwear. The research demonstrates that new tests and processes could enable durable products to be produced more consistently, but also identifies the obstacles and limitations to implementing these enhanced procedures. The paper proposes that effective production management of durable clothing may be more difficult within global supply chains where differences in business culture, operational practice and knowledge exist between companies. Supply chain models that emphasise shared values, knowledge and information exchange, trust and collaboration are considered as the most effective in delivering sustainable products. It concludes by identifying a range of conflicting priorities between commercial and sustainable practice that must be addressed to achieve consistency in durable clothing production, and makes recommendations for industry and future research.

New product development and testing strategies for clothing longevity

Many garments have short life-spans, contributing to excessive carbon emissions, water consumption and waste. This paper reports on a research project which aimed to identify expectations of clothing longevity, examine the NPD process within the supply chain and identify opportunities for change, evaluate the potential for innovative technologies and improved product testing, and explore business practices aimed at more sustainable approaches to NPD. The paper provides an overview of the two-year project, presenting key findings from data collection that included interviews with 31 industry practitioners, three consumer focus groups, three industry and consumer round tables, an expert workshop, and four pilot actions undertaken with UK clothing retailers to evaluate key issues. The research identified and explored themes relating to NPD that could enable increased garment lifetimes, which were consolidated into six areas: the adoption of advanced textile processes and finishing techniques, action to overcome constraints on appropriate product testing, the potential for retailers to influence consumer behaviour, a loss of technical expertise and lack of multi-disciplinary collaboration, failure to embed good practice early in the NPD process, and evidence to encourage retailers and brands to adopt new business models. Industry and government policy recommendations were proposed to improve knowledge-sharing, strengthen the business case and influence consumer behaviour, while further research may be needed on the adoption of new garment and textile technologies, the business case and the global context of the clothing industry.