Sustainable Apparel Product Development: In Search of a New Dominant Social Paradigm for the Field Using Sustainable Approaches

Abstract

The apparel industry is complicit in the current ecological crisis. Since the Industrial Revolution, the industry's impact has grown unceasingly and there are now social, environmental, and economic consequences that must be addressed. Though the fashion industry has begun its move toward sustainable strategies, opportunities remain. Design and product development processes represent a key inception point for a multitude of impacts. Thus, it is imperative to identify the points on which those processes may be enhanced or revolutionized by approaches used in other industries leading innovation for sustainability. In this article, the authors commence an exploration of these other industries in search of a new dominant social paradigm, a more sustainable pattern of practice, for the apparel industry as well as education. The findings indicate that costing strategies, collaboration and cooperation in the supply chain, and tools for decision making represent the primary components of the transition to a sustainable paradigm. Additionally, the authors argue that industry proclivities such as economies of scale, implacable competition, and the use of the concept of fashion must now be scrutinized and reconciled to better support quality of life.