Towards a sustainable future of apparel : Perspectives from Swedish clothing brands and sustainable fashion consultants

Sammanfattning: The manner in which clothing is designed, produced and used is responsible for major negative impacts on the environment as well as major ethical and social issues on a global scale. The increased concern for sustainability issues in the industry is similarly argued to have led to transformations of the business context of apparel companies, that have been shown to increasingly incorporate sustainability in their corporate strategies. This thesis focuses on sustainability strategies of Swedish clothing brands operating in the global apparel and fashion industry, with the aim to explore the topic of sustainability in relation to the Swedish apparel industry. Through qualitative interviews with sustainability managers and consultants working within the industry, it explores the drivers for working with sustainability as well as main challenges for achieving sustainability within the apparel industry. The results show that the concept of sustainability is indeed highly complex and broad in regard to the design, production and use of clothes. Companies are influenced by many factors that drive change towards sustainability. The future of the apparel sector is believed to be increasingly affected by new ideas to produce and indeed also consume clothes that challenge the dominating linear system. In conclusion, the industry faces many challenges concerning sustainability, but the proactive approaches by apparel companies seem to create new opportunities for change. Also, the anticipated further increase in interest for sustainability in society and subsequently among consumers and other actors may stimulate further advancements of the strategic responses among apparel companies.