Corporate Social Responsibility in the Fashion Industry: How Eco-Innovations Can Lead to a (More) Sustainable Business Model in the Fashion Industry

Abstract

This chapter uncovers the most important insights into the challenges encountered by fashion companies that want to realize eco-innovation to market a justified, sustainable brand. This chapter examines the opportunities and risks and highlights the major changes that companies should make within the fashion industry to become more sustainable. To support the main objective, an interview questionnaire was designed to compare sustainability experts’ perceptions with current fashion brand attitudes towards social responsibility. The results indicate that while the current fashion industry is taking steps to become more sustainable, this is a slow process. This delay is mainly due to a repetitive pattern: preserving the fashion industry is a vicious cycle where stakeholders do not cooperate to change. Among many others, the first challenge is for governments, businesses, and consumers to become more aware of the importance of sustainability to break the current pattern in which “fast fashion” dominates “slow fashion” and to speed up developments. Based on the interview results, recommendations are made for the fashion industry for its eco-innovation in processes and products.