Skilled Immigrants in the Textile and Fashion Industries: Stories from a Globe‐Spanning History. Edited by Nazanin HedayatMunroe. Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2024. xii + 248 pp. £85.

Fashion and textile industry are one of the fastest growing sectors that involves a complex supply chain at local and global levels to procure raw materials and supply finished products to the market. The complexity of the industry demands for a system which is transparent, distributed and can protect the intellectual property rights. With key characteristics like decentralization, immutability, consensus etc., blockchain technology has the potential to enhance the exiting fashion industry by adding an extra layer of security and trust to it. One of the major challenges faced by the fashion industry is the counterfeit products flooding the market place. These fake products have a negative impact on the brand image and value. Blockchain has the ability to protect and secure the digital identities and establish authenticity in fashion industry. Despite of the exponentially growing popularity and interest in this technology, very little is known about the current state of application and use of blockchain in fashion and textile industry. This paper discusses the various aspects of the use of blockchain technology in the fashion and textile industry highlighting the benefits that blockchain could bring. The role of blockchain in providing potential solutions to the existing issues and challenges faced by the fashion industry are discussed with an insight into the current state of the blockchain technology in fashion industry. Further, the work also discusses the challenges in the integration of blockchain into the existing processes of the fashion and textile industry.

According to the standard of GB/T4754-2017 Classification of National Economic Industry and the characteristics of the textile and apparel industry, the textile and apparel industry is divided into three categories: textile industry, clothing industry and chemical fiber manufacturing industry. Based on the panel data of the textile and apparel industry from 2010 to 2019, this paper measures green total factor productivity (GTFP) by using the unexpected output super efficiency SBM model and the ML index. On this basis, this paper empirically tests the impact of digital economy on the GTFP of textile and apparel industry, and the dual intermediary effects of rationalization of industrial structure and advanced industrial structure are discussed. The results show that: (1) The GTFP of the textile and apparel industry shows a fluctuating upward trend, but it is in a state of low growth. (2) Digital economy has a significant effect on promoting the GTFP. Among them, it has a positive effect on the improvement of GTFP in textile industry, but has no obvious effect on the clothing industry, and has a restraining effect on the chemical fiber manufacturing industry. (3) In the process of the impact of digital economy on GTFP, the rationalization of industrial structure has a partial intermediary effect, and the level of effect reaches 35.81%, while the advancement of industrial structure does not necessarily have a "structural dividend", and its influence on GTFP is non-linear. This paper enriches the research on the influencing factors of GTFP, and is also an effective supplement to the research on digital economy. The conclusions provide a reliable empirical basis for digital economy to help the textile and apparel industry pollution control, and also provide policy references for giving full play to the green value of digital economy.

Purpose of the study: Due to changes in the occupational structure and the new regulations in all global industries, skill development is critical for stakeholders from the local governments and industry persons. This study explores how companies and technical vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Vietnam can promote new ways of skill development for the future workforce in the garment and textile industry. It aims to address issues that impede collaboration among both parties to promote the development of key future skills in the garment industry.
 Methodology: Qualitative approach, using personal interview and secondary data, is adopted in this study. The research team conducted 54 semi-structured interviews with key informants in the garment industry and the vocational education and training sector. They include managers, teachers, and trainers, and students, the content analysis was performed in the data analysis process.
 Main Findings: This study shows some complacencies in strong supports among stakeholders in the garment industry. Training institutions need to be upgrading their teaching staff and their skills, the institution curriculum, and the relationship with industry. Developing a relevant curriculum that meets the required skills is a starting point for TVET institutions in Vietnam. To strengthen the collaboration between institutions and enterprises, the government needs policies that support formal training and ongoing training, allowing the skill development for new employees as well as upgrading the skills of existing employees.
 Applications of this study: The results of this study can be adopted by TVET institutions aiming at improving their industry engagement and skill-building for future graduates. Moreover, it can be used as a basis for policy development in skill development. Skill gaps are one of the key determinants of training investment made by firms and workers in the garment industry. Given the changing face of the labor market, both workers who are just entering the labor force and those that are already in the workforce have to be willing to learn new skills.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: The study is specific to the global garment and textile industry, which is important and somewhat underestimate. The findings from this study can also apply to garment and textile from most developing countries aiming at improving their industry-education engagement strategies, by some Governments and policymakers in TVET.

The strong demand to transform the textile and fashion industry towards sustainability requires continuous implementation of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) mission statement in education and industry. To achieve this goal, the European research project "Fashion DIET - Sustainable Fashion Curriculum at Textile Universities in Europe. Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Teaching Module for Educators", co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union (2020-1-DE01-KA203-005657), aims to create an ESD module for university lecturers and research-based teaching and learning materials delivered through an e-learning portal. First, an online questionnaire was rolled out to assess university faculty attitudes toward and needs for ESD content and methods. The feedback questionnaire enabled the selection of the most relevant data for the elaboration of an action and research-oriented professional development module for ESD in textile education, which will be accessible through an information & e-learning portal. The e-learning portal can be used as a web-based tool to apply and evaluate the project outcomes, e.g. the further education module and the teaching and learning materials for educators, such as manuals, broadcasts and the provision of interactive and physical materials. It thus ensures that the teaching materials can be used sustainably in the classroom. It also provides country-specific data for the fashion and textile industry and its market, taking into account the different perspectives of universities and schools. In any case, the portal represents (1) the web-based platform to support the dissemination of ESD as a guiding principle and (2) a central contact point for the target group to obtain relevant information on ESD. Fashion DIET explores the use of e-learning to improve teaching and learning on ESD, by training educators and empowering them as multipliers for a sustainable textile and fashion industry. At a higher level, the European project strengthens the quality and relevance of learning provision in education towards the latest developments in textile research and innovation in terms of a more sustainable fashion.

Greenwashing is a prevalent issue in the fashion and textile industry, a sector known as one of the largest industrial polluters worldwide. The multi-trillion-dollar industry’s trend-driven, low-cost production models and the availability of numerous distribution options have led to mass consumption, significantly impacting consumer behavior. The aim of this review is to document and analyze the direct and indirect practices of greenwashing in the fashion industry and its impact on consumers. It also seeks to highlight the existence of greenwashing in the industry’s supply and consumption chain. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was employed to examine the complex implications of greenwashing within the fashion industry. Relevant studies from the past decade were identified through comprehensive searches on Elsevier Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus. This review found that some companies resort to greenwashing by promoting a green image without making substantial environmental or social changes. It also revealed varied interpretations and misinterpretations of green-related terms by consumers. The findings underscore the need for transparency and honesty in the fashion industry’s green marketing strategies. They also highlight the importance of consumer education to prevent misinterpretation of green-related terms and to promote sustainable consumption practices.

In the era of digital transformations, successful business activities require a rethinking of traditional marketing concepts in order to introduce more integrated approaches to promote their own goods and services. In the XXI century, a paradigm shift towards holistic marketing, which, among other things, recognizes the new scale and complexity of marketing and seeks to harmonize old approaches with innovative ones, is being established. The COVID-19 crisis that developed in 2020-2021 negatively affected the fashion industry, primarily because of a decrease in demand and, accordingly, in production volumes. Taking into consideration the matter that in Ukraine in the last decade the fashion and textile industries have become a socioeconomic stimulus for the economic development of the country, it is relevant to identify the features of the post-COVID development of the world fashion industry in order to further substantiate what can be used to restore the Ukrainian fashion industry in the post-war period. The aim of the study is to identify the spread of the concept of holistic marketing as one of the features of the development of the worldwide fashion industry in the post-COVID period. The study was carried out using the methods of theoretical generalization, comparative analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, which made it possible to define the risk factors of the COVID-19 pandemic for business, as well as to substantiate the peculiarities of spreading the concept of holistic marketing in the global fashion industry in the post-COVID period. As result of the analysis of factual material, approaches to understanding holistic marketing in the worldwide fashion industry through identification of its components (internal and integrated marketing, relationship marketing, as well as socio-ethical marketing) have been generalized. It is proved that the practices of using holistic marketing, namely, its socio-ethical component, can be considered as a means of introducing a sustainable model of design and production of fashionable products in the post-COVID period. Thus, in the post-COVID period, the global fashion industry should try to better support educational programs for workers, socially responsible sewing workshops, give priority to local traditions and social entrepreneurship in each region where elements of the production chain are located. It is substantiated that in order to develop the Ukrainian fashion industry, it is necessary to introduce a systemic, organizational, and managerial models of holistic marketing that meets the challenges of the XXI century. Future research in this scientific area is planned to focus on the development of a holistic marketing approach system, based on the differentiated needs of domestic subjects of the fashion industry in the post-war period, taking into account significant differences compared to the post-COVID period of activity.

This research calculated the amount of carbon emission and carbon emission intensity of Shanghai's textile and apparel industry from 2001 to 2014. Logarithmic mean Divisia index method was applied to identify the factors that affect the carbon emission and decoupling model was used to prove the relationship between economic output and carbon emission. The results showed that the total amount of carbon emission of Shanghai's textile and apparel industry decreased with fluctuation from 2001 to 2014. Among the three sub-industries, textile industry made the greatest contribution to the total carbon emission, and the carbon emission intensity of textile industry also was the largest. Industrial technology was the major driving factor of the mitigation of carbon emission of Shanghai's textile and apparel industry while industrial scale was the major inhibiting factor. Economic output and carbon emission of Shanghai's textile and apparel industry showed a coupling relationship in most years of the selected research time series.

Annually, numerous workers face job loss, injuries, and fatalities due to various occupational injuries (OIs). However, less is known regarding the burden of OIs and their associated factors in the textile and garment industries in Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of OI and the individual and job-related factors associated with OI among textile and garment workers in Bangladesh. We analyzed cross-sectional data of 13,738 workers collected during 2016–2017 from the nationally representative Bangladesh Labor Force Survey. We employed multiple Firth logistic regression models to explore the different levels of associated factors of OI. The overall prevalence of OI was 1.8%, with a higher prevalence in the textile industry (3.8%) compared to the garment industry (1.2%). Within the textile industry, jute manufacturing exhibited the highest prevalence (12.3%), while in the garment sector, the embroidery and wearing industries had the highest prevalence (1.8%). Adjusted models revealed that, in the textile industry, migrant workers had higher odds of OI (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR = 1.65; p = 0.017) compared to non-migrant workers. In the garment industry, male workers (AOR = 1.95; p = 0.002) and those working over 48 hours per week (AOR = 1.70; p = 0.063) were at greater risk of OI. A hazardous work environment significantly increased the odds of OI in both industries (textile: AOR = 13.06; p < 0.001; and garment: AOR = 3.13; p < 0.001). Additionally, garment workers without adequate protective equipment or cloth while working had a higher likelihood of OI (AOR = 1.90; p = 0.006). Regionally, workers in the Barisal division had higher odds of OI in the textile industry. Although the overall prevalence of OI was low, the disproportionate burden among certain subgroups, especially in jute manufacturing and the manufacture of spooling and thread, highlights critical areas for intervention. Improving workplace safety through the provision of protective equipment and a safer working environment is essential to mitigating OI in the textile and garment industries of Bangladesh.

Annually, numerous workers face job loss, injuries, and fatalities due to various occupational injuries (OIs). However, less is known regarding the burden of OIs and their associated factors in the textile and garment industries in Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of OI and the individual and job-related factors associated with OI among textile and garment workers in Bangladesh. We analyzed cross-sectional data of 13,738 workers collected during 2016-2017 from the nationally representative Bangladesh Labor Force Survey. We employed multiple Firth logistic regression models to explore the different levels of associated factors of OI. The overall prevalence of OI was 1.8%, with a higher prevalence in the textile industry (3.8%) compared to the garment industry (1.2%). Within the textile industry, jute manufacturing exhibited the highest prevalence (12.3%), while in the garment sector, the embroidery and wearing industries had the highest prevalence (1.8%). Adjusted models revealed that, in the textile industry, migrant workers had higher odds of OI (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR = 1.65; p = 0.017) compared to non-migrant workers. In the garment industry, male workers (AOR = 1.95; p = 0.002) and those working over 48 hours per week (AOR = 1.70; p = 0.063) were at greater risk of OI. A hazardous work environment significantly increased the odds of OI in both industries (textile: AOR = 13.06; p < 0.001; and garment: AOR = 3.13; p < 0.001). Additionally, garment workers without adequate protective equipment or cloth while working had a higher likelihood of OI (AOR = 1.90; p = 0.006). Regionally, workers in the Barisal division had higher odds of OI in the textile industry. Although the overall prevalence of OI was low, the disproportionate burden among certain subgroups, especially in jute manufacturing and the manufacture of spooling and thread, highlights critical areas for intervention. Improving workplace safety through the provision of protective equipment and a safer working environment is essential to mitigating OI in the textile and garment industries of Bangladesh.

Straipsnio tikslas - išanalizuoti Lietuvos aprangos ir tekstilės pramonės įmonių konkurencinę būseną, susiformavusią po Lietuvos stojimo į Europos Sąjungą ir tekstilės gaminių importo liberalizavimo, ir pasiūlyti priemones šios pramonės įmonių konkurencingumui stiprinti. Pritaikius M. Porterio “Deimanto” modelį pagal antrinius ir pirminius duomenis buvo atliktas Lietuvos aprangos ir tekstilės pramonės įmonių konkurencingumo dimensijų tyrimas. Jis atskleidė šios Lietuvos pramonės vis dar didelę priklausomybę nuo darbo jėgos kainos, sisteminio požiūrio trūkumą plėtojant šią pramonės šaką bei parodė, kad išnaudojamos ne visos verslo aplinkos teikiamos galimybės.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to show the usage of DEA in efficiency measurement. Design/methodology/approach: The efficiencies of textile and apparel companies were analyzed by input-oriented DEA model under variable return to scale assumption. The textile and apparel companies quoted in Istanbul Stock Exchange for the period 2003 and 2008 were evaluated in terms of efficiency level providing a framework for the calculation of input excesses and output shortages. Findings: The analysis revealed that the average efficiency scores of the apparel industry was higher than the textile industry and two industries together. The companies in the apparel industry should overcome the lack of insufficient level of exports whereas the textile industry needs to increase gross value added in order to be more efficient. Research limitations/implications: Because of missing data, four companies from textile industry and one company from apparel industry were ignored although they took place in the records of Istanbul Stock Exchange. Practical implications: This study provided a framework for DEA application in determination and comparison of efficiency performance in an industry level. Originality/value: Selecting the groups compared as textile industry, apparel industry and the two industries in general allowed discussing the comparative efficiencies of two industries eliminating the industry specific pitfalls.

Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, software designed to provide perfect security for information in every field is emerging. Blockchain has also become a crucial component in such software, safeguarding information across various sectors. Blockchain technology represents one of the rapidly evolving methods for organizing and storing data online. Data is stored in blocks, and when enough blocks are connected, they form a chain, creating a blockchain. Additionally, the use of blockchain technology enhances the security of data on the network. This technology finds applications in various sectors, including media and telecom, energy and utilities, finance, healthcare, and basic industrial sectors. Notably, the fashion industry is also among the sectors benefiting from blockchain, primarily due to its transparency, a key factor given the increasing importance of sustainability.However, transparency is just one aspect of blockchain technology. It encompasses other essential features such as enhanced security, instant monitoring, increased efficiency and speed, and automation. Today, major players in the fashion industry, including LVMH, Nike, Zara, and textile-producing countries, employ blockchain technology. Blockchain facilitates the examination and recording of many issues, including supply chain management, product preparation, and fair labor practices. Luxury fashion companies, in particular, use blockchain to record product certificates, preventing the production of counterfeit models and ensuring the authenticity of their products.In this context, this study aims to reveal the perspectives of textile and fashion companies regarding blockchain, a topic with limited academic sources. As a case study, the research focuses on investigating the application of blockchain in the Turkish textile and fashion design industries. The research involves interviews with Turkish fashion designers and managers from textile companies, aiming to understand how and why businesses might potentially integrate blockchain internally. Although most interviewees stated that their companies currently lack active blockchain applications, they expressed their intention and progress toward incorporating blockchain in the near future.While blockchain is used worldwide, it is observed that Turkish fashion designers and the textile sector employ it for specific applications, and there is limited available information about Turkey. This study aims to bridge the knowledge gap by providing insights into how and why blockchain can be utilized in the Turkish fashion and textile sector, drawing from the data gathered through extensive research and interviews.

While Circular Economy (CE) strategies have been discussed as solutions for negative environmental impacts, companies are facing various challenges in applying CE strategies and redefining their business models. Recent research articulates that to achieve the CE goals, businesses should collaborate with each other within an ecosystem in which values are equally captured among all the stakeholders by governing and managing data flows. In this ecosystem, all the actors and stakeholders can share data, information and solutions regarding to CE to help each other through the path and co-create CE values. Regardless of the transition towards CE, fashion and textile industry is still following the linear economy model (take, make, use, dispose), where only less than 1% of the recycled clothes get back to use cycle. For textile and fashion industry, data plays a key role in providing transparent flow of information on product’s lifecycle, from circular material resources and design all the way to the recycling and waste management. In this regard, a data-driven ecosystem in which various stakeholders can access the source of right data, can ensure the success of circularity of the entire supply chain. A data-driven strategy can help to engage and train all organizations to build a data-literacy ecosystem towards a common goal. The purpose of this paper is to identify the important role of a data-driven CE ecosystem in fashion industry within the case study of the circularity. ID® a solution developed by-circular fashion.

The fashion industry, which stands out for its creativity and dynamism, has multidimensional impacts in terms of environmental sustainability from raw material extraction to waste management. The textile and fashion industries are criticized for posing significant threats to the ecosystem, biodiversity, and human health by negatively impacting air, water, and soil quality throughout the cycle, from production and distribution to consumption and disposal. By focusing on five emerging economies among the top ten textile exporters, this study focuses on an empirical examination of the nexus between the fashion and textile industry, energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon dioxide emissions. This study fills the existing quantitative research gap in the fashion sector. It provides a comprehensive review that analyzes the environmental impacts in the sector to adopt more sustainable and effective policies. After acknowledging the structural breaks in the sample covering 1980–2023, novel Fourier bootstrapping ARDL and Fourier Granger Causality methods are adopted to examine the long- and short-run interconnections and the directions of causality in a comparative setting for China, Türkiye, India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. The results confirmed the positive effects of textiles and fashion as well as energy consumption and economic growth with varying magnitudes for the countries examined. The causality tests confirmed varying and complex unidirectional and bidirectional causality and feedback effects among the variables examined depending on the country analyzed, in addition to identifying common causal effects from textile and fashion to environmental degradation. The findings are of great importance and have significant policy implications.

During pandemic, the fashion industry is facing challenges that put the fashion and textile industry on transformation. Since it is not possible for business to go back to normal later during post pandemic time, hence it might be an opportunity to reevaluate the existing fashion industry, and transform it to a more sustainable and progressive future. Digital prototypes, such as virtual sampling in fashion, are believed to be the solution and it can create new opportunities in sustainability by reducing waste and carbon emission in the fashion industry. However, even though virtual prototypes are proven to make the industry more efficient, there have not been many researches that explore from the users’ point of view. This research aims to identify the perceptions of 2 users groups, Academic Users and Independent Users towards digital prototypes in the fashion industry, including the opportunities, challenges, and barriers that need to be dealt with in order for digital prototypes to help increase the efficiency of the fashion industry on an integrated basis. The finding implicates that there are 4 aspects that influence users’ perceptions towards digital prototypes: Functional Aspects (Visualization, Experimentation, Time ), Financial Aspects (Cost , Materials , Time), Social Aspects (Decision Making, Access, Social Adaptation), and Psychological Aspect ( Self-Efficacy, Confidence, Communication, Impression). Based on the answers of the users, functional aspect plays the most important and crucial role of the users’ perception, whether from academic users or independent users’ point of view.