Green marketing in the fashion industry: a critical analysis of sustainability narratives

Abstract

Green marketing is widely used by the fashion industry to address growing consumer awareness of environmental issues. However, such marketing tends to portray fashion in ways that benefit the industry and not necessarily the environment. This paper critically examines how sustainability is defined in fashion marketing by a deconstructive reading of marketing narratives from 41 fashion stores in Norway, aiming to understand how narratives are crafted to substantiate industry perspectives on sustainability. The analysis defines three recurrent narratives: “Care for the planet” encourages consumers to contribute to the well-being of the planet through their fashion shopping; “New technological development” places faith in technological advancements to drive transformation; and “A journey towards the future” emphasises moral responsibility towards future generations. Myths of tech utopia and the neoliberal sovereign consumer are drawn upon to produce a sustainability concept fitting for a continued linear production-consumption system in fashion.