Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

In today’s fashion environment, sustainable fashion is a highly debated topic. From a consumption perspective, consumers’ awareness of their environmental and social impact is growing, and eco-friendly products are increasingly available in the marketplace. Consequently, companies’ communication of sustainable practices has become more important in marketing strategies. While the academic literature is unclear as to the meaning of sustainable fashion, there is ample literature that identifies its components. From a consumption perspective, consumers’ awareness of their environmental and social impact is growing. Prior green marketing literature has shown that environmentally conscious consumers who purchase green products are willing to pay more (Kim and Damhorst, 1998). Communication plays a crucial role in educating and promoting sustainable fashion. Yet, the concept of sustainable fashion remains unclear to many shoppers as the term can mean various things to different people, as there are many forms and ways of viewing sustainable fashion, including making clothing in an ecofriendly manner, as well as advocating purchasing secondhand/vintage, swapping clothes, or renting or borrowing clothes as opposed to purchasing newly produced clothes. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of communication in promoting sustainable fashion and to investigate the promotional strategies companies use to communicate sustainable practices. Preliminary background research of media communication is explored to provide the basis of direction. Using case study methodology, this article considers company communication of sustainable fashion. Actions are recommended for brands and policy makers. A theoretical model and managerial implications are provided.