Dear Colleagues,

Concern for the impact the fast-fashion has upon the climate emergency has been growing over the last two decades, along with knowledge that low pricing, accelerated trend change and global networks include the exploitation in workers. Research has examined production, supply chain, worker conditions, consumer behaviour and the potential for sustainable fashion acquisition, including the circular economy. There have been debates around the application of moral value and the consumer demographics that may lead to moral application in consumption. There are myriad ways in which moral value can be applied, but the conceptualisation of sustainability offers a way to apply concern for people (workers, consumers, citizens), planetary protection and economic markets holistically. While findings are inconclusive on what inspires the application of sustainability in behaviours, knowledge and concern for sustainability are growing, along with consumer activism and understandings of terminology. This is evident in the growth of ‘calling out’ fashion brands and retailers for ‘greenwashing’ in their marketing. Marketing is often cited as guilty of encouraging unsustainable consumption, with enticing marketing tactics and appeals to social capital, and there is much research on how to engage and encourage fashion consumption and the creation of marketing tactics. To date, there has been little attention focused on marketing fashion sustainability.  However, could marketing also be part of the solution to reorientate consumers into sustainable fashion acquisition?

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore fashion marketing strategies to advance the sustainability agenda. This will include a focus on fashion as constructing identity and creating social capital, as well as emotional aspects of hedonism and cognitive dissonance. It could also look at how influencers engage with fashion, are criticized by consumers for encouraging unsustainable behaviours and how sustainable fashion influencers create positive communications. In expanding the knowledge and theory, this Special Issue can support fashion brands and retailers in addressing sustainability more authentically. This may include:

• Consumer activism in co-creating sustainable fashion marketing messages through manipulating fashion marketing;
• Marketing fashion that aligns within the circular economy;
• Exploring how sustainable fashion addresses social capital;
• How to support consumers in ‘breaking up’ with fast fashion;
• Consumer reactions and understandings of greenwashing;
• Fashion marketing that educates on fashion sustainability;
• Sustainable fashion influencers on social media;
• Marketing to provide operational transparency;
• Marketing the value of social enterprise;
• Co-creating fashion marketing to encourage and engage with sustainable fashion practice;
• Marketing that recognises fashion workers;
• Marketing tactics repositioned towards sustainable fashion and the circular economy.

Dr. Elaine Ritch
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• fashion
• marketing
• sustainability
• greenwashing