| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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An "Orphan" Creative Industry : Exploring the Institutional Factors Constraining the Canadian Fashion Industry
- 2017
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In: Growth and Change. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0017-4815 .- 1468-2257. ; 48:4, s. 942-962
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, tier-two fashion countries have been making gains in the global fashion industry, with hip young brands, buzz-worthy fashion weeks and export-oriented designers. The Canadian fashion industry, on the other hand, continues to fall behind and instead has experienced recent high-profile closures of leading domestic fashion names. This paper explores why this is the case by considering a wide range of factors from a historical and institutional perspective. We argue that Canadian fashion is facing a number of systemic problems relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses, rather than a lack of talent and know-how within the entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector. While the fashion industry is indeed global, we argue that it is in fact national and local level factors—political, economic, and cultural—that structure and constrain the Canadian fashion industry for independent designers. Through exploring the experiences of this group of actors—entrepreneurial fashion designers—in this particular context, we not only learn about Canada as an economy but also what is needed in order to develop the fashion industry more broadly. We provide a framework for analysing the range of socio-economic, historical, and political factors at the national level which affect the performance of the fashion sector and the operation of fashion designers as the entrepreneurial actors at the heart of the industry.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Becoming a personal style blogger: Changing configurations and spatialities of aesthetic labour in the fashion industry
- 2019
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In: International journal of cultural studies. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. - 1367-8779 .- 1460-356X. ; 22:1, s. 119-139
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increasing pervasiveness of social media and digital technology has had a particular impact on the geographies and nature of work in the fashion industry. A new segment of entrepreneurs - fashion bloggers - are utilizing these digital technologies, such as blogs and social media, to transform their personal lives and style into online businesses. This article draws on an in-depth case study analysis of an American personal style fashion blog; tracing its nine-year evolution from an outfit-of-the-day personal style blog, to one that encompasses her entire personal life, including diets, fitness, home decor and pregnancy. By focusing on one blog, we provide an in-depth exploration from its roots as a hobby for personal expression to a means of full-time employment in the fashion industry. Through this examination, emphasis is given to the process of becoming a blogger and the intensification of the ways in which the self is presented and commodified over time. We argue that personal style fashion bloggers provide an illustrative case study, not only for expanding our understanding of aesthetic labour in the digital age, but also highlighting the spaces and temporalities of work that these new formations and engagements of work give rise to. These processes highlight the changing configurations and spatialities of aesthetic labour online.
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| 5. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Changing geographies of fashion during the Covid-19 : The Australian case
- 2021
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In: Geographical Research. - : Wiley. - 1745-5863 .- 1745-5871. ; 59:2, s. 206-216
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- COVID-19 has impacted a range of industries, of which the fashion industry is no exception. Here, we examine the effects of COVID-19 on the geographies of that industry in Australia. We use a path-dependency framework to understand the evolution of the Australian fashion industry and to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 as an external shock to this evolution. The Australian fashion industry has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Drawing upon a qualitative methodology and associated set of methods consisting of 24 semi-structured interviews with key industry actors, we explore three key themes. First, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on firm dynamics, investigating how fashion brands have navigated a period of significant uncertainty through a combination of highly nimble internal business practices and industry collaborations. Second, in light of unstable globalised supply chains, we consider the important role of local garment production in supporting industrial resilience. Third, we explore how changing consumption behaviours are altering the retail geographies of the Australian fashion industry in both physical and virtual spaces. Based on our analysis of preliminary results, we reflect on the suitability of an evolutionary approach in this context and outline a number of themes of future research.
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| 6. |
- Brydges, Taylor
(author)
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Closing the loop on take, make, waste : Investigating circular economy practices in the Swedish fashion industry
- 2021
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 293
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fashion industry is one of the most wasteful consumer industries in the world. Through the advent of fast fashion -trendy, low-cost clothing produced by global fashion brands -clothing has evolved from a durable good to a daily purchase. In recent years, the concept of the circular economy, a framework for a more efficient, closed-loop economy, has emerged as a key way forward in the transition to a more sustainable and less wasteful fashion industry. This paper investigates how the Swedish fashion industry has implemented circular economy principles. Drawing on interviews with the founders, CEOs, and/or brand sustainability managers of 19 Swedish fashion brands, this article maps circular economy strategies across key stages: take, make, and waste. Crucially, for the fashion industry to move towards circularity, this paper argues that brands must integrate these strategies across supply chains, rather than limiting them to the waste stage. The analysis explores the gaps between circular economy principles and practice, identifying challenges inherent in fashion brand approaches. It concludes with recommendations for further study of the circular economy and the fashion industry.
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| 7. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Coming into fashion: Expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem concept to the creative industries through a Toronto case study
- 2021
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In: Canadian Geographer / Geographie Canadien. - : Wiley. - 0008-3658 .- 1541-0064.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper considers the entrepreneurial ecosystem concept, which in recent years has gained interest from a variety of perspectives including entrepreneurship, management, and economic geography. Specifically, the paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the concept's sectoral or industrial focus. Prior applications to real‐world case studies have focused on a fairly narrow range of industries and places. In this paper, we apply the concept to a case study of one creative and cultural industry, the fashion industry, to help us understand not only the performance and function of entrepreneurs and small businesses in this industries, but also potential policy supports. We map the institutions and spaces in Toronto's entrepreneurial ecosystem, drawing on extensive qualitative research to consider the dynamics and interactions therein. In parallel, we advance the concept theoretically, questioning its tenability and applicability in a wider range of economic systems by adding the perspective of cultural and creative industries.
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| 8. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Coming into fashion: Expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem concept to the creative industries through a Toronto case study : [Devenir à la mode: étendre le concept d'écosystème entrepreneurial aux industries créatrices à travers une étude de cas à Toronto]
- 2021
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In: The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien. - : Wiley. - 0008-3658 .- 1541-0064. ; 65:3, s. 346-367
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper considers the entrepreneurial ecosystem concept, which in recent years has gained interest from a variety of perspectives including entrepreneurship, management, and economic geography. Specifically, the paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the concept's sectoral or industrial focus. Prior applications to real-world case studies have focused on a fairly narrow range of industries and places. In this paper, we apply the concept to a case study of one creative and cultural industry, the fashion industry, to help us understand not only the performance and function of entrepreneurs and small businesses in this industries, but also potential policy supports. We map the institutions and spaces in Toronto's entrepreneurial ecosystem, drawing on extensive qualitative research to consider the dynamics and interactions therein. In parallel, we advance the concept theoretically, questioning its tenability and applicability in a wider range of economic systems by adding the perspective of cultural and creative industries.
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| 9. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Consuming Canada : How fashion firms leverage the landscape to create and communicate brand identities, distinction and values
- 2018
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In: Geoforum. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-7185 .- 1872-9398. ; 90, s. 108-118
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the increasingly global and competitive fashion industry, firms are adopting a variety of strategies to generate value and brand loyalty. While some emphasise the quality of material elements such as inputs, local production and design, others focus on immaterial aspects such symbolic value and exclusivity. In recent years, place-branding has become an important way to create connections between people, places, and products. Yet, the processes behind this type of branding remain poorly understood. In particular, limited attention has been paid to the ways in which landscapes – in all their forms – are being incorporated into place-branding practices. Drawing on 87 interviews, participant observation and an innovative analysis of Instagram accounts, this paper examines how a range of Canadian fashion firms leverage the landscape to create and communicate brand identities, distinction and values. It demonstrates how firms of different sizes and scales construct, harness, or reimagine landscapes and/or popular stereotypes to connect with Canadian identities and consumers. It also highlights how landscape-centric branding can be combined with broader value creation strategies such as local production. In so doing, this paper brings together the economic geography literature on place branding and the cultural geography literature on landscape and identity, and makes a methodological contribution to nascent examinations of social media and visual data sources in geography.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Entrepreneurship in the Fashion Industry: A Case Study of Slow Fashion Businesses
- 2014
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In: <em>Beyond Frames. Dynamics between the creative industries, knowledge institutions and the urban context</em>. - Delft : Eburon Academic Publishers.. - 9789059728844 ; , s. 73-79
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this chapter, we explore entrepreneurship in the slow fashion industry at a time of significant restructuring in the global fashion industry. Drawing on a case study of self-‐employed designers in the slow fashion industry in Geneva (Switzerland), Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Toronto (Canada), we argue that small, slow fashion businesses, through their innovative design, branding and retail practices, have carved out a unique niche in the hyper competitive fashion marketplace. In particular, we demonstrate that they have a very innovative approach to sustainability, characterized by an interest toward the use of salvage materials, the revalorization of craftsmanship, as well as a tendency for handmade productions. Driven by personal beliefs and values, these designers seem to wish to reconcile personal fulfillment with professional achievement as they seek to compete with the paradigm of fast fashion that continues to dominate the fashion industry. This paper contributes to our understanding of the entrepreneurial practices of emerging designers, in particular in the slow fashion industry. It also contributes to the emerging studies in fashion and design-‐oriented industries that consider the value craftsmanship and the wish to “stay local”, predicting a rise or return of the makers and small-‐scale manufacturing in contemporary cities.
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| 12. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Evolution versus entrenchment : Debating the impact of digitization, democratization and diffusion in the global fashion industry
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Fashion Studies. - : Intellect. - 2051-7106 .- 2051-7114. ; 5:2, s. 365-372
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the report The State of Fashion 2017, written by Business of Fashion and the McKinsey Institute (2016), industry executives used three words to describe the current state of the fashion industry: uncertain, changing and challenging. Indeed, the fashion industry is undergoing dramatic transformations, from digitization and the rise of ‘see now, buy now’ fashions, to brands redefining the function and timing of fashion weeks, and increasing levels of global integration and competition (Crewe 2017). As such, the fashion industry has been recognized as a valuable lens through which to explore significant and ongoing changes to the production, curation and consumption of goods, services, and experiences (Brydges et al. 2014; Brydges 2017; D’Ovidio 2015; Hracs et al. 2013; Lavanga 2018; McRobbie 2016; Pratt et al. 2012).Drawing inspiration from this stream of scholarship, we organized four sessions titled Trending Now: The Changing Geographies of Fashion in the Digital Age at the Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) conference in London, 30 August – 1 September 2017. In these sessions, researchers and practitioners from a wide range of locations and disciplines – including fashion studies, media studies, cultural economics, business and geography – came together to share research related to the structures, labour dynamics, spaces, value propositions and practices of the contemporary fashion industry.While a range of issues were discussed, the sessions were connected by an overarching theme. Namely, the extent to which power in the fashion industry is expanding or consolidating. While there is a prominent discourse that states that structures, systems and spaces within the global fashion industry have been (and will continue to be) disrupted by new actors, technologies, practices and cities, we collectively questioned whether the fashion industry has really entered an era of democratization, or if established power structures remain entrenched. Through empirical case studies from a variety of geographic contexts – from India to Italy – about different actors and activities within the industry, each presentation contributed new evidence and perspectives to this debate. The discussion below distils some of the key themes that emerged.
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| 13. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Garment worker rights and the fashion industry’s response to COVID-19
- 2020
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In: Dialogues in Human Geography. - : SAGE Publications. - 2043-8206 .- 2043-8214. ; 10:2, s. 195-198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this commentary, we examine the fashion industry’s early responses to COVID-19. Looking across fashion’s global production networks, we argue the fashion industry’s response has been rapid, yet highly inequitable, reflecting—and further entrenching—existing inequalities in the industry.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Brydges, Taylor
(author)
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Made in Canada : The strategies, spaces and working lives of independent designers in the Canadian fashion system
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Drawing on 87 interviews with independent fashion designers and key informants, this thesis is a collection of papers which aim to explore the strategies, spatial dynamics and working lives of independent fashion designers in the Canadian fashion industry. The majority of fashion design firms in Canada are small independent businesses, typically run by an individual or pair of designers, with few employees. Independent fashion designers create unique small businesses, produce high quality garments defined by the label ‘made in Canada,’ strategically mobilize physical and virtual spaces within the national system, and yet, the long-term viability of these businesses is far from certain. The Canadian fashion industry is facing a number of systemic challenges relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses that make it difficult to grow a long-term domestic or international fashion business. However, the findings also suggest that a key strength of the Canadian fashion system is that it offers a variety of spaces for designers of different sizes, scales, and motivations. Throughout this thesis lies the tension between the quest for independence and creative freedom, which often comes at the cost of highly precarious entrepreneurial and labouring conditions. This thesis contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of ‘second tier’ fashion cities and regional systems, the entrepreneurial motivations and working lives of independent fashion designers, the locational choice decisions and the mobility of patterns of creative workers in the digital age, and the evolving nature of intermediation and value creation within the fashion industry.
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| 16. |
- Brydges, Taylor
(author)
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"Made in Canada" : Local production networks in the Canadian fashion industry
- 2018
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In: The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0008-3658 .- 1541-0064. ; 62:2, s. 238-249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fashion industry is a highly globalized industry increasingly dominated by international firms that favour flexible, efficient supply chains in order to produce trendy clothing at the lowest price. While much of the fashion industry follows the logics of global production networks, this paper presents a case where small, independent firms have chosen instead to engage with local production networks. Drawing on interviews with 87 independent fashion designers and key informants, this paper examines the following question: In the context of global production, why do independent fashion designers choose to work locally? In answering this question, three key findings are presented: the motivations of designers who emphasize timeless design and high-quality local manufacturing; the strategies employed by designers to cultivate exclusivity and loyalty through the distribution of their collections; and the ways in which unique consumption experiences are utilized to articulate the values of their brand to consumers. While operating outside of the traditional fashion system provides independent fashion designers with the space for creativity, innovation, and control over their brand, it will be argued it also creates challenges with respect to growth beyond their niche market.
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| 17. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Platforms and the pandemic : A case study of fashion rental platforms during COVID-19
- 2021
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In: The Geographical Journal. - : Wiley. - 0016-7398 .- 1475-4959. ; 187:1, s. 57-63
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- From Airbnb to Uber, the sharing or platform economy has reshaped many aspects of our economy and society. In recent years, fashion rental platforms have gained in popularity, fuelling the introduction of the platform economy in fashion. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the impact on fashion rental platforms was abrupt, with demand disappearing seemingly overnight as events were cancelled and many people began working from home. Drawing on a case study of fashion rental platforms, we explore the immediate consequences of the pandemic on this segment of the platform economy, examining both the challenges these platforms face in the short term and the strategies platforms have adopted to try and weather the storm. We highlight how the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fashion rental platforms thus far intersects with issues pertaining to value creation, precarious work, gender, and sustainable consumption. In doing so, we reflect on how fashion rental platforms inform understanding of the platform economy more broadly and conclude by suggesting themes for future research.
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| 18. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Selling sustainability : investigating how Swedish fashion brands communicate sustainability to consumers
- 2022
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In: Sustainability. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1548-7733. ; 18:1, s. 357-370
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Over the last thirty years, sustainability has become a growing concern in the fashion industry. While there is agreement among a growing range of actors regarding the need to engage with the social and environmental challenges created by the fashion industry, there is less consent regarding what sustainability entails. Although “sustainability” may be intuitively understood, it has different meanings, depending on how it is applied, and who it is applied by. Without a clear-cut definition, sustainability becomes subjective. In this context, there is a need for research at the intersection of brand-sustainability initiatives and their communication to consumers, who play a vital role in this transition. Drawing on a case study of the Swedish fashion industry, we explore how evolving industrial business models and emerging best practices are informed by a robust understanding of sustainability. We evaluate how brands communicate sustainability to consumers across three key sites: brand websites (including corporate social responsibility reports), social media platforms, and in-store campaigns. We found that not only do brands use a range of practices to define sustainability differently, but furthermore, these definitions vary depending on the context. Considering the industry’s ongoing history with greenwashing, it is vital to address and confront this issue head on. We argue that there is a need to determine what constitutes sustainability in the fashion industry and, in turn, hold businesses to that standard. As COVID-19 has only magnified and intensified these challenges, the article explores the implications of a more robust approach for both theory and practice.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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The locational choices and interregional mobilities of creative entrepreneurs within Canada’s fashion system
- 2019
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In: Regional studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0034-3404 .- 1360-0591. ; 53:4, s. 517-527
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although creative industries and creative talent have traditionally clustered in established global centres such as London and New York, new forms of independent production, digital technologies and mobilities are reshaping this landscape. Drawing on 87 interviews and participant observation, this paper considers whether independent fashion designers in Canada still need to locate in the established centres to realize their ambitions. It explores how these entrepreneurs choose a ‘home base’ for their operations and demonstrates how they mobilize three forms of mobility (temporary, mediated, virtual) to access opportunities and resources within Canada’s fashion system.
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| 21. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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What motivates millennials? How intersectionality shapes the working lives of female entrepreneurs in Canada’s fashion industry
- 2019
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In: Gender, Place and Culture. - 0966-369X .- 1360-0524. ; 26:4, s. 510-532
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The contemporary fashion industry is based on a set of ‘gendered skills and attributes.’ Women numerically domin- ate fashion schools and the labour force of fashion firms, and also start and run the majority of independent fashion brands. Angela McRobbie and others have highlighted the importance of considering the gendered dynamics of fash- ion-related work. Yet, as the industry continues to evolve in the wake of global integration, the digital transition and intensifying competition, there is an ongoing need for research. Using an intersectional approach, this paper provides a novel case study of young ‘Millennial’ female independent fashion designers who operate within the emerging and under-explored Canadian fashion industry. Drawing on 87 interviews and participant observation, the paper demonstrates how entrepreneurial motivations, path- ways, practices and experiences are shaped by individual characteristics, such as gender, age, lifecycle and class. Particular attention is paid to the challenges and tensions associated with the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) model and how forms of work, including aesthetic labour, are performed and experienced in virtual spaces such as social media plat- forms. In so doing, the paper contributes to nascent research on Millennials and nuances our understanding of the gendered nature of creative labour. Crucially, the paper also moves beyond typical masculinist conceptualisations of entrepreneurship, which focus on high-growth and high- technology businesses, to highlight the legitimacy, preva- lence and importance of alternative motivations, networks, identities and business practices within contemporary markets and creative industries.
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| 22. |
- Brydges, Taylor, et al.
(author)
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Will COVID-19 support the transition to a more sustainable fashion industry?
- 2020
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In: Sustainability. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1548-7733. ; 16:1, s. 298-308
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this policy brief, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on sustainability initiatives in the fashion industry. We ask whether COVID-19 is likely to support the transition to a more sustainable fashion industry. In answering this question, we utilize a framework for examining sustainability along the fashion-supply chain, highlighting the opportunities and challenges for a sustainable transition with respect to design, production, retail, consumption, and end-of-life. At each step, we also consider socioeconomic dimensions with regard to social impacts, employment, and gender. In doing so, we argue that any meaningful shift toward sustainability and a just transition must recognize social and environmental challenges as interconnected, addressing structural inequalities.
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| 23. |
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Culture, Creativity and Economy : Collaborative Practices, Value Creation and Spaces of Creativity
- 2021
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Editorial collection (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This book nuances our understanding of the contemporary creative economy by engaging with a set of three key tensions which emerged over the course of eight European Colloquiums on Culture, Creativity and Economy (CCE): 1) the tension between individual and collaborative creative practices, 2) the tension between tradition and innovation, and 3) the tension between isolated and interconnected spaces of creativity.Rather than focusing on specific processes, such as production, industries or locations, the tensions acknowledge and engage with the messy and restless nature of the creative economy. Individual chapters offer insights into poorly understood practices, locations and contexts such as co-working spaces in Berlin and rural Spain, creative businesses in Leicester and the role and importance of cultural intermediaries in creative economies within Africa. Others examine the nature of trans-local cultural flows, the evolving "field" of fashion, and the implications of social media and crowdfunding platforms.This book will be of interest to students, scholars and professionals researching the creative economy, as well as specific cultural and creative industries, across the humanities and social sciences.
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| 24. |
- Henninger, Claudia E., et al.
(author)
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Collaborative fashion consumption - A synthesis and future research agenda
- 2021
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 319
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Collaborative consumption in the fashion industry has been put forward as a way to overcome current challenges of the ‘take-make-use-dispose’ economic system that is currently dominating the market, and has gained interest from practitioners, academics, and policy-makers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the state of collaborative fashion consumption research across various disciplines by critically reviewing and synthesizing this fragmented body of work. To do so, this systematic literature review critically evaluates where, how, and what research has been conducted on collaborative consumption in the fashion context, by further outlining gaps and a future research agenda. The paper reviews publications between 2004 and 2020 within peer-reviewed journals written in English, focusing on product service systems, access-based consumption, and collaborative consumption as key words. The analysis demonstrates that scholarly work addresses issues of terminology, attitudes, and motivations, specific modalities of engagement and practices of use and disposal, as well as business models that can help facilitate collaborative fashion consumption. The review also highlights that various gaps remain that require further enquiries, arguing that a deeper and more critical research agenda is required in order to provide a coherent terminology, better understand motivations to uptake collaborative consumption practices, as well as more cross-country analysis.
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| 25. |
- Hracs, Brian, et al.
(author)
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Introduction : Exploring tensions in the creative economy
- 2021
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In: Culture, Creativity and Economy. - : Routledge. - 9781032053271
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The restless dynamism of the contemporary creative economy requires ongoing empirical study, theorisation and critical reflection. This introductory chapter outlines how this book contributes to existing studies, debates and knowledge by focusing on three key tensions: 1) the tension between individual and collaborative creative practices, 2) the tension between tradition and innovation, and 3) the tension between isolated and interconnected spaces of creativity. It also shares the story of the European Colloquium on Culture, Creativity and Economy (CCE Network), previews the nine empirical chapters and suggests some avenues for further research.
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| 26. |
- Joosse, Sofie, et al.
(author)
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Blogging for Sustainability : The Intermediary Role of Personal Green Blogs in Promoting Sustainability
- 2018
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In: Environmental Communication. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1752-4032 .- 1752-4040. ; 12:5, s. 686-700
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rise of social media radically broadens the sources and platforms used for environmental communication. Especially personal green blogs are worthy of study as they are spaces of everyday cultural politics through which people make sense of sustainability issues, and because they entail a radical break from conventional media in terms of legitimacy, form, and content of environmental communication processes. This paper studies the representation of sustainability on personal green blogs, and the communication processes through which these representations are constructed. It does so through a qualitative study of Swedish-language blogs. We study three blogs in-depth: a living experiment blog on sustainable food practices; a lifestyle blog centered around green family life; and a blog about consuming green beauty products. The analysis shows that all three blogs translate the complex landscape of sustainability to individual everyday practices. Yet, what these sustainability practices entail differs considerably between the blogs, ranging from a-political and doable lifestyle choices to an onset to radical redefining of consumption. Also, the communication processes on the blogs differ in quality and quantity. The paper uses these insights to reflect on the debates about how environmental communication is shaped by blogging and social media practices.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Pugh, Rhiannon, et al.
(author)
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The ‘Wellbeing Wardrobe’ as a tool to promote just transitions in the fashion and textile industry
- 2024
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In: Contemporary Social Science. - 2158-2041.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper we discuss the pressing need for a just transition in one of our most environmentally and socially problematic contemporary industries: the fashion and textiles industry. We detail the current injustices in the industry, from both environmental and socio-economic standpoints, and then move on to providing some suggestions as to how these entrenched problems with the industry could be addressed. Specifically, we identify five key action areas that could take us towards a just transition for the fashion and textiles industry: establishing limits, developing new indicators, promoting fairness, implementing just modes of governance, and creating new exchange systems. We propose policy interventions in each of these five action areas and discuss how they could practically be put into practice. In doing so, we develop a novel theoretical concept for a more just version of the global fashion industry: the ‘Wellbeing Wardrobe’, which draws on wellbeing economics and de-growth thinking applied to the contemporary fashion industry.
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