Creating Sustainable Fashion Designs from Egyptian Folk Art and Mosaic Art

Clothing, often referred to as a second skin, serves as a unique expression of individual personality and history. It embodies a cultural zeitgeist, reflecting the needs and aspirations of specific eras. National identity is often conveyed through distinct design elements, such as colors and materials. In Mexican garment design, color holds cultural and anthropological significance, influenced by various artistic manifestations, including literature, poetry, music, photography, painting, cinema, and cultural events such as opera and theater. Additionally, customs, myths, beliefs, values, and ethics play a significant role in shaping these designs (Nallely Range). Mexican art, renowned for its diversity and vibrant use of natural elements, provides a rich source of inspiration for fashion design. The creative spirit of Mexico is evident in its cities, workshops, and family exhibitions, offering an immersive experience for visitors (Marina Aguirre). Mexican folk art, deeply rooted in tradition, has been passed down through generations. While some elements have been influenced by Spanish culture, many are grounded in indigenous Indian arts and crafts (Mexican Tin Art). Currently, approximately 8% of Mexico’s population—many of whom reside in indigenous communities—earn their livelihood through the creation and sale of folk art and crafts, with textile design being a prominent focus. These artisans often take popular concepts or ideas and reinterpret them, blending traditional techniques with modern innovation. As a result, Mexican folk art, rooted in age-old traditions, continues to evolve and inspire new forms, making it a valuable resource in various design fields. Research Problem: To what extent can the symbols of popular Mexican art and natural elements found in the Mexican environment inspire the creation of innovative designs for the fashion industry? Research Significance: This research emphasizes the importance of extracting symbols and natural elements unique to the Mexican environment and using them as inspiration to create innovative fabric designs for women, with potential applications in the fashion domain. Research Objectives: Identify the most prevalent symbols and natural elements in the Mexican environment. Analyze these motifs in terms of outlines and color schemes. Derive inspiration from these motifs to conceptualize and develop multiple design visions. Compare the original symbols with the design concepts inspired and developed from them. Extract a cohesive color palette from the proposed design visions. Apply these designs to mannequins and explore their usability in fashion. Research Hypothesis: The study hypothesizes that Mexican heritage and its motifs hold significant potential for greater recognition and application in textile design, particularly in the fashion industry. Research Scope: Spatial Limits: Creation of design concepts inspired by symbols and motifs from the Mexican environment. Objective Limits: Analysis of motifs in Mexican folk art to develop textile designs for women's fashion. Research Methodology: Descriptive and Analytical Method: Conduct an analytical study of the aesthetic features of Mexican symbols and motifs, focusing on elements like line, color, and composition. Experimental Method: Develop experimental design concepts inspired by the analytical study, suitable for women’s fabrics and applicable in fashion design. Results: The study concludes that Mexican art offers a wealth of inspiration for various design fields. Its vast and diverse collection of motifs provides an excellent foundation for developing innovative design concepts, which can be realized through fabric printing and applied in textile and fashion design. Recommendations: The research advocates for increased focus on Mexican art as a rich source of inspiration for innovative designs. These designs could be utilized across multiple disciplines, especially in printing women’s fabrics and advancing the fashion industry.

Sustainability reporting guidelines developed by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provide a systematic approach for the companies to report their performance on social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. This study compared the sustainability reports of leading Indian public and private sector companies. Reports were analyzed based on GRI guidelines toward their reporting on sustainability. A numerical score from 0 to 3 was assigned for each of the 84 performance indicators (9, 30, and 45 indicators for economic, environment, and social dimensions, respectively) of the GRI 2011 guidelines based on inclusiveness of sustainability report. The analysis showed that reporting on economic dimension was comparatively better as compared to social and environmental dimensions. Sampled companies did not show much difference in their reporting practices on economic performances. However, considerable difference was observed in their reporting practices on environmental and social dimensions. Reporting practices of Tata Steel were better in all dimensions of sustainability and emerged as a responsible company on sustainability reporting.

Sustainable development is based on environmental, social, economic, and technical dimensions. In this study, the sustainability of wastewater treatment techniques in urban areas of Iraq was assessed using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)/the weighted sum model (WSM). The analysis was performed on 13 operating wastewater treatment plants in 10 provinces, Iraq, using a questionnaire sheet with the assistance of 52 specialists in the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, Iraq. Four types of wastewater treatment techniques (Conventional Treatment, Oxidation Ditches, Aeration Lagoons, and membrane bio-reactor (MBR)) were assessed. The environmental, social, economic, and technical dimensions were represented by 11, 5, 7, and 4 indicators, respectively. The main results of this study indicate that the sustainability of MBR recorded the highest total importance; the order of the total importance from the highest to the lowest was: MBR > Oxidation Ditches > Aeration Lagoons > Conventional Treatment. The environmental dimension proved its dominance in the four studied treatment techniques' sustainability as it recorded the maximum contribution to sustainability. While the technical dimension recorded the least contribution to sustainability, the order from the highest to the lowest was: Environmental Dimension > Economic Dimension > Social Dimension > Technical Dimension.

The high population of Central Java Province has become a factor triggering the dynamics of land cover change and regional development. Uncontrolled urban expansion and development threatens sustainability. This study aims to identify the types and patterns of land cover change, the level of regional development, the index of sustainable development in environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and the typology of regencies/cities based on the index of sustainable development. This research was conducted in Central Java Province from January to April 2023 using land cover data, village potential data, provincial statistics, and administrative maps. Land-cover changes were identified using overlay analysis in QGIS. The level of regional development was determined using the scalogram. The index of sustainable development was constructed using factor analysis, while the regional typology was identified using cluster analysis. The results showed a dynamic change in forest cover, with a significant decrease from approximately 1 million hectares to 550,000 ha from 2014 to 2019. Agricultural land and built-up areas increased by 312,000 ha and 164,000 ha, respectively. A scalogram analysis indicated an improvement in the regional development index. Sustainability analysis reveals that the sustainability index in the economic dimension is lower than that in the social and environmental dimensions. The cluster analysis indexes that approximately 60.31% of the areas had a low sustainability index. All urban areas have a high sustainability index in the economic and social dimensions, otherwise in the environmental dimension.

This research seeks to identify the direct effects and interactions of the economic, social, environmental and institutional dimensions or systems on sustainable development for 16 Latin American countries between 2007 and 2019. The sustainable development index (SDI) proposed by Hickel (2020) is used as the dependent variable, as are the pillars of Legatum’s prosperity index, grouped into the indicated dimensions (explanatory variables). A dynamic panel data model is estimated using the generalised method of moments. The results indicate that business conditions, economic quality, health and education have positive and significant direct effects on the SDI. It is corroborated that the interactions between institutional and economic, as well as institutional and social, and economic and social dimensions have a positive effect on the SDI, although only the first interaction is statistically significant. As for the other interactions, the results show negative signs and only the interactions between the environmental dimension and the economic dimension and social dimension, respectively, are statistically significant. For Latin America, improvements in the SDI are associated with the economic and social dimensions (weak sustainability). This is reinforced by the strengthening of the institutional framework but with higher levels of CO₂ emissions and material footprint, whose indirect effects along with the rest of the dimensions condition the possibility of achieving better results in terms of sustainability.

Purpose – This study analyzes the reflections of information sharing and collaborative innovation in the social responsibility, in its environmental, economic, and social dimensions, of cooperatives that form part of strategic alliances. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted of managers of Brazilian agricultural cooperatives that have strategic alliances and 91 valid questionnaires were obtained. The data collected were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings – Information sharing had positive effects on collaborative innovation and the environmental dimension of social responsibility. No significant relationships were found between information sharing and social responsibility, in the economic and social dimensions, nor between collaborative innovation and social responsibility, in the environmental and economic dimensions. Originality/value – The main contribution of the research is to examine the links between information sharing, collaborative innovation, and social responsibility. The study provides empirical evidence that information sharing between cooperative partnerships favors the exploration of new knowledge/technologies. It also reveals that information sharing helps social responsibility in its environmental dimension by providing information that can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the activities of cooperative alliances. However, it suggests that information sharing influences collaborative innovation and social responsibility in its environmental dimension, but not in its economic and social dimensions.

<p><strong>Background</strong>. As a strategy to design actions aimed at sustainable development at the local level, it is necessary to carry out a thorough diagnosis of the social, economic and environmental dimensions that affect the sustainability of a community. <strong>Objective.</strong> With that in mind, this research evaluated the sustainability of the natural resource management of the productive units in the Yungañan River micro-basin in the Ecuadorian Andes in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their actions as well as the possible internal differences between the different management systems. <strong>Methodology.</strong> For the execution of this work, 25 indicators were developed in a participatory manner, organized into 8 attributes that respond to the social, economic and environmental dimensions, following the methodology proposed by Sarandón (2002). These indicators were evaluated in the field through interviews and the results were weighted on a scale of 0 to 4 for analysis. In order to verify similarities and differences between the different productive units, a cluster analysis was carried out and a t-test was performed to verify significant differences between the indicators evaluated. <strong>Results.</strong> If we consider each dimension analyzed, the economic dimension reached an average value of 2.14, the social dimension 1.65 and the environmental dimension 1.80. Consequently, the average of all the indicators measured through the General Sustainability Index (GSI) was 1.86, which indicates deficient sustainability in the sector, with critical values for the social and environmental dimensions. With respect to internal differences, two groups were identified that were mainly conditioned by differences in the economic dimension. <strong>Implications.</strong> <span>The main aspects to be addressed in the sector to improve its sustainability were identified and the usefulness of the methodology employed for studies of similar characteristics was highlighted.</span> <strong>Conclusions.</strong> In order to design an effective strategy for the community’s development, the strengths detected in this study must be taken into account, such as the relatively efficient management of the community’s crops, and weaknesses, such as the lack of technical training, the lack of association and the difficulties of access to the sector, as well as the internal differences detected between the different productive units.</p>

Spatial transformation management is a crucial aspect of urban development, but integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions is often complex and poorly coordinated. This study aims to identify the factors influencing spatial transformation management at the Center Point of Indonesia (CPI) and explore the relationships between economic, social, government policy, and environmental dimensions with spatial management. Path Analysis was used to analyze data collected through questionnaires from the community around CPI in Makassar City. The findings show that economic, social, and government policy dimensions have a significant influence on spatial transformation management, while the environmental dimension does not show a significant relationship. The implications of this research highlight the need for a holistic approach in developing sustainable cities, considering economic, social, and policy aspects in an integrated manner. Practical recommendations include increasing community participation in government policy processes and further research to deepen the understanding of factors influencing spatial transformation management.

The availability of sustainable (or green) building certifications schemes is constantly increasing and it is not always easy to understand how the schemes on the market differentiate from each other. The purpose of this study is to create a better dialog between client and consultant in relation to building certification systems. Here it is relevant to give an overview and understanding of selected certification systems, and how they fulfil the definition of sustainable buildings. There is a great variation of how certification systems are structured and evaluated. Furthermore, “sustainability” is a word with many meanings and definitions, which is why sustainable certifications will also vary. In this study, certification schemes are categorized using a definition of sustainable buildings. This definition consists of a social, environmental and economic dimension of sustainability and in total 13 subcategories. The subcategories are based on recent years’ publications concerning sustainable buildings from the Danish Building Research Institute and the Danish Transport and Construction Agency, which leans on the European CEN TC/350 standards for sustainable buildings. The certification schemes analysed are both of international, regional and local scale (Active House, BREEAM, DGNB, Green Star, HQE, LEED, Living Building Challenge, Miljöbyggnad, Nordic Ecolabel and WELL). The results show a large variation of the weight on the dimensions of social, environmental and economic sustainability within the 10 certification schemes included in the analysis. To be defined as a sustainable building certification, the three dimensions should be given equal weight according to the definition of sustainability. However, this is only the case for the DGNB certification scheme. A majority of the building certifications have the largest focus on criteria within the environmental dimension. Across the selected certifications this dimension account for an average of 51%. This indicates that certifications have “green” buildings as their main focus point. However, a certification such as WELL almost completely focuses on social sustainability (93%) due to its attention to the wellbeing of the user inside the building. The social dimension on average account for 43% with a large focus on the indoor environment. Overall, economy is only represented in the certifications to a very low degree (average of 5.6%), except within DGNB. There are aspects, which this categorisation method does not consider such as the ambition within the criteria. In addition, the values in the environmental and social dimensions potentially have an impact on the economic value of the building and thus the economic dimension indirectly becomes a focus, which is not visible through this method. However, the categorisation makes it easy to get an overview of the thematic content within the certification and thereby highlight the value of the certification. Furthermore, it could be of especially good use for non-technical clients.

In the transformation process toward the circular economy (CE), sustainable and circular management of water resources is one of the strategic objectives. The CE requires the implementation of systematic changes in the whole value chain of water—from the collection of water from primary sources, through its use in commercial and industrial applications, to the management of the resulting waste, such as sewage or sewage sludge. To monitor the effectiveness of introducing changes during the transformation toward the CE, a monitoring framework was proposed in this paper. It contains a set of environmental, economic and social dimensions that are related to the water and wastewater sector. Those three dimensions are mutually dependent and related to each other. If a water-related company creates new green job places in a developing or emerging country, it affects positively the material standard of living (economic dimension) through knowledge and technology transfers. This also contributes to gaining better access to education and health for the local communities (social dimension). Due to this situation, income increases, and consumption also rises, so social and economic aspects are improved in the given region. The integration of analyzed three dimensions is a base of sustainability.

The sustainability of agriculture in social, economic and environmental dimensions is important in terms of development policies. In this study, agricultural sustainability has been evaluated in social, economic and environmental dimensions. Twenty-one indicators were used and each dimension had 7 indicators. The research was carried out in Sarıkum Lake Basin of Sinop province in Turkey. The information obtained by face-to-face surveys with the farmers and the related statistics were used as data. The index method was used in the evaluation of these data. As a result, agricultural sustainability in the basin was found 13.95% in the environmental dimension, 9.64% in the economic dimension and 16.62% in the social dimension. The agricultural sustainability in Sarikum Lake Basin was determined as 40.21%. As a result of the study, in order to achieve economic sustainability it is necessary to increase the agricultural income, the ratio of irrigated land and the number of agricultural holdings with sufficient income. In order to ensure social sustainability, it is necessary to establish conditions to prevent migration and to ensure that farmers are satisfied with farming. In order to achieve environmental sustainability, it is necessary to increase the amount of protected area and to reduce wild animal damage.

Community capitals and (social) sustainability: Use and misuse of asset-based approaches in environmental management

Objective: This study aims to build, with the opinion of experts, a weighting of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development model that should prevail in Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, when prioritizing their sustainable objectives. Theoretical Framework: The Triple Bottom Line, TBL, considers economic, environmental and social aspects equally in companies, and in the case of SMEs this research considers that the three aspects should have an equivalent value in any attempt at sustainability assessment. Method: The Delphi method was applied to a semi-random sample of 9 experts in economic, environmental and social areas, who assigned importance weights to different sustainability indicators based on the Global Reporting Initiative Standards, GRI, for the economic, social and environmental dimensions. Results and Discussion: The findings reveal a positive inclination towards equity in the TBL dimensions, with approximate weightings relative to each other, 32% in the economic dimension, 36% in the environmental dimension, and 32% in the social dimension. Research Implications: Expert perspectives are discussed from an interdisciplinary approach, providing insight into academic opinions regarding sustainability assessment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by proposing a weighting of the values ​​of each indicator of the GRI Standard through a consultation with experts using a Delphi Method, with an interdisciplinary approach to address the problem of sustainability.

The Vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2030 AD encompasses the Arab and Islamic depth through a vibrant society, a prosperous economy, and an ambitious nation, which emphasized the concepts of sustainable development as its goals in several sections, such as ensuring environmental sustainability, reducing pollution of all kinds, enabling a healthy life, and enhancing identity. Nationalism, the values of justice and transparency, improving equal access to education, developing the digital economy, and other goals were consistent with the concepts of sustainable development, and in response to global trends and recommendations of previous conferences and studies, and given the pivotal role of colleges of education, the current study aimed to reveal the role of colleges of education in Achieving sustainable development goals from an educational perspective (Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University as a model), where the study relied on the descriptive analytical approach, data was collected through a questionnaire consisting of (36) statements, divided into three dimensions (the social dimension - the economic dimension - the environmental dimension), it was distributed to a sample of students (501) from the College of Education. The results of the study revealed to achieving the sustainable development goals from an educational perspective to a high degree in all their social, economic, and environmental dimensions. It is expected that the results of the study will contribute to developing the programs of colleges of education to achieve the goals of sustainable development from an educational perspective. The study developed a set of recommendations for faculty members and those in charge of the educational process at the university to prepare a generation of teacher graduates capable of competing at all levels, drawing their energy from the cultural and Islamic depth of the Kingdom.

Across decades of contemporary discussion on sustainable development, a core concern has been the balance between economic, social, and environmental dimensions. A critical strand of the debate focuses on economic growth versus economic degrowth and, more specifically, on whether economic growth can be sustainable in environmental terms and whether degrowth can be sustainable in social terms. This conceptual and theoretical article used the Sustainability Window, or “SuWi”’ method, to theoretically determine the sustainable window of economies. The window is defined as the upper and lower bounds of future change in GDP that could be deemed in line with achieving both environmental and social sustainability. The conceptual analysis considers all theoretically possible scenario paths for development by combining the outcome paths of economic, environmental, and social dimensions with the environmental and social productivities of GDP. Through SuWi analysis, it is found that only four of the logically possible scenario paths could be considered theoretically “sustainable”—two cases involving economic growth and two of degrowth. In the cases of each of the four paths, sustainability only emerges where they adhere to strict conditions in terms of environmental and social outcomes, as well as related productivities. The SuWi approach and its applied analytical formulas have many potential uses in 21st-century policymaking for sustainability, including supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It provides a unique and comprehensive theoretical and analytical framework that enables the categorisation of the complex challenges of sustainability and quantitative analysis of policy choices. Such foresight analysis could greatly assist in providing an evidence base for future development planning and policy formulation, ex ante of locking in a pathway. Further implementation in applied studies that explore a comprehensive indicator set, robust and consistent across all relevant dimensions, offers a promising opportunity to advance empirical analysis of key questions in sustainable development globally at a critical juncture in human history.