Custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise owners’ perspectives on sustainability: how higher education can contribute

Lorna Christie completed her Bachelor of Consumer Science in 2009, Masters’ in Consumer Science in 2012 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in 2018. Although the interdisciplinary nature of consumer science is vital in today’s academic field, her interest evolved and now encompasses teaching and learning and the associated pedagogies for open distance learning within the field of science. She completed a Masters’ degree in Open Distance e-Learning in 2020 and plan to undertake my future research endeavors within the scope of this field. Her interest is to combine opportunities in higher education with sustainability, specifically focussing on sustainable production and consumption.

Elizabeth Kempen has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Liverpool with a background in Home Economics and Consumer Science. Her research addresses consumer decision-making and purchasing behavior with current interests in sustainable consumer apparel behavior, including perception, values and attitudes toward sustainable clothing practices within a qualitative paradigm. She has developed a further interest in custom-made apparel and customers of small and medium apparel enterprises within a developing economy. She expands these research interests through her teaching and learning in a higher education setting in South Africa. She is the co-author of this article.

Mariette Strydom has a PhD in Consumer Science from the University of South Africa. She is a Lecturer in the Department of Life and Consumer Sciences at the University of South Africa. Her research focus is apparel product design and development, with a special interest in small-scale apparel design, product development and production, sustainable apparel entrepreneurship and related consumer behavior. She is passionate about empowering women for sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities in the apparel industry of emerging economies.