Sustainable competitiveness in the relational production network of London’s Savile Row tailors

Abstract

Slow production methods are gaining ground based on the concept of slow fashion. Slowness assumes that specialised clothing production remains local, and consumption is centred on the superior quality which often involves craft production. Competitiveness represents a major challenge in slow manufacture, as highly specialised clothing companies may need to be viable within the high salaries labour ecosystem of developed economies. The study proposes a model based on the theories of relational production networks, coopetition and sustainable competitiveness in urbanisation economies. It attempts to explore empirically how slowness in high-end clothing production can be competitive. A single case study is adopted to investigate the production network of the Savile Row tailors, where tailoring firms have demonstrated a remarkable resilience for nearly two centuries. It appears that in the flat and self-reliant tailoring network, the participant firms have managed to acquire capabilities and specialised knowledge, and transformed them into core competences, thus generating sustainable competitiveness.