Sustainability Policies for the Fashion Industry: A Comparative Study of Asian and European Brands

Abstract

Sustainability has become an increasingly important value in the business of the global fashion industry. All leading brands have been taking initiatives in promoting notions of environmental and social sustainability. This article discusses the similarities and differences in sustainability-related approaches, activities and collaborations of selected fashion brands. It does so as part of a comparative study of typical Asian and European brands. The European brands analysed here tend to take a holistic, structured and goal-oriented approach towards marketing their links to environmental sustainability. In contrast, the article proposes that a typical Asian brand approach seems to be more fundamental in terms of social sustainability. This is the larger context that the global fashion industry continues, embracing the concept of sustainability in terms of how businesses should not just be concerned with profits but also with commitments to society and the environment.