Can Luxury Fashion Provide a Roadmap for Sustainability?

Abstract

Fashion industry is one of the prominent industries in the world with critical negative impacts on the social and ecological environments. It constitutes a very complex and fragmented industry. The currently dominant model of "fast fashion," fulfills the desires of consumers who aspire to wear luxury fashion brands but cannot afford them, by offering them similar styles at affordable prices. However, the main principles of fast fashion, which are speed, affordability, change, disposable trends and aesthetic fads, contradict with sustainability goals and principles. Luxury fashion, on the other hand, emphasizes longevity, durability, authenticity, craftsmanship and quality, and can therefore be better associated with sustainability. Hence, it is important to discuss if luxury fashion brands and retailers are more likely to foster the values of sustainability and thereby initiate change towards a more sustainable fashion system. In this regard, this conceptual paper examines the relationship between fashion and sustainability and assesses how the values of luxury fashion align and or contradict with sustainability. Luxury fashion brands can overcome some of the problems that fast fashion creates. On the other hand, there are some challenges and skepticism about luxury fashion and sustainability relationship. The paper reflects on these conflicts and evaluates the role of luxury fashion in development for a better and a more sustainable fashion system.