Chapter 5: The ‘Whatever’ Phenomenon: Investigating Indifference to Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to

No matter how glamorous the fashion industry may portray itself to be, it has a dirty secret: it is one of the most wasteful and energy intensive industries in the world. Although sustainability has emerged as an industry priority in recent years, with commentators suggesting initiatives may be accelerated through the COVID-19 pandemic, meaningful change towards a more sustainable fashion future remains elusive. Indeed, despite the existence of myriad fashion pacts, accords and commitments, a business-as-usual approach continues to dominate much of the industry. We take on a critical stance towards sustainability and highlight key challenges and opportunities that emerge in the twenty-first century, where digitalisation and new business model innovations are starting to impact the way consumers consume and organisations operate. Drawing on various international research projects, we question whether sustainability is ever going to play a major driving role in the fashion industry, or will a ‘whatever, we have to do it’ approach continue to prevail.