Communicating green fashion across different cultures and geographical regions

Abstract

This paper studies the communication of eco-fashion start-ups across different cultures and geographical regions. The focus lies on market potential of the niche market in sustainable fashion, previous communication of former eco-fashion brands, the cultural diversity and desired brand-awareness to identify recommendations in communicating sustainable fashion. By applying a grounded theory qualitative approach – relying on in-depth interviews with a sample of five (co-) founders of green start-ups from three different continents –, this paper suggests effective practices for communicating transparently, for including influencers in the process, and for addressing local needs successfully. Communicating green fashion labels and, at the same time, protecting the identity, coherence and appeal of the brands remains a key challenge. Findings also suggest that sustainability is demanded worldwide, yet with different communication purposes – distinctiveness in the Western world and group cohesion in Latin America and Middle East. Consequently, this paper lays a foundation for understanding the creation of desire in sustainable fashion. Overall, this paper seeks to contribute to a better comprehension of the specific communication patterns involved in green fashion.