Changing the Rules of the Game: Sustainable Product Service Systems and Manufacturing in the Fashion Industry
Abstract
The fashion industry is based on a bygone era in which time is linear and place is specific. This lack of relevancy results in global apparel production that is increasingly inefficient and destructive. The harmful practices of fashion manufacturing industry are no longer permissible in an age that has the knowledge capacity and technological innovations to avoid environmental damage and human inequalities. The deleterious manufacturing practices performed in developing countries contribute to the industry being under continued scrutiny, yet intensifying expectations for fast-paced delivery are at the root of these harmful practices. There is a tacit acknowledgement among fashion industry pundits that historical examples of manufacturing and commerce in the United States do not meet the demands of a society accustomed to instant access, constant change, and low prices. These slower and more traditional models of manufacturing and commerce will increasingly impede profitability in the contemporary marketplace as environmental and social issues continue.
Thus, the fashion industry is in a state flux. Simultaneously, it must decrease destructive practices within the life cycle of clothing while remaining financially sustainable. This binary relationship elicits key questions that can help direct the industry toward a better future. What are the possibilities of domestic apparel manufacturing that utilizes innovative production methods, communication technology, and service systems that, in turn, encourage holistic, sustainable practices? What are the possibilities for and needs of designers who want to take full advantage of an evolving relationship between consumers and designers? In this study, particular attention is paid to new systems of production and distribution that will change the role of fashion designers for the future.
References
Agid. S. (2008, fall). Re: Imagining Parsons--How Parsons’ new academic structure is shaping design education in the 21st century. Re:D, 26(2), 10-15.
Amed,I., Berg, A., Brantberg,L., Hedrich, S., Leon, J., & Young, R. (2016). The state of fashion. The Business of Fashion. Retrieved from https://www.businessoffashion.com/site/uploads/2016/11/The_State_of_Fashion_2017.pdf
Armstrong, C., Niinimaki, K., Kujala, S., Karell, E., & Lang, C. (2014). Sustainable product service systems for clothing: Exploring consumer perceptions of consumption alternatives. Journal of Cleaner Production, 97, 30-39.
Augé, M. (2008), Non-places: An introduction to supermodernity, New York: Verso.
Ceschin, F. (2013). Critical factors for implementing and diffusing sustainable product service systems: Insights from innovation studies and company’s experiences. Journal of Cleaner Production, 45, 74-88.
Chaudhry, H. & Hodge, G. (2012). Postponement and supply chain structure: Cases from the textile and apparel industry. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,16(1), 64-80.
Clifford, S. (2013, September 19). U.S. textile plants return with floors largely empty of people. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/business/us-textile-factories-return.html?
Christopher, M. (2000). The agile supply chain: Competing in volatile markets. Industrial Marketing and Management, 29, 37-44.
Craik, J. (2009). Fashion: The key concepts, New York: Berg.
Fiksel, J. (2003). Designing resilient, sustainable systems. Environmental Science & Technology, 37(23), 5330-5339.
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. London: Earthscan.
Florida, R. (2002). The learning region. In Gertler, M.S. & Wolfe, D. (Eds.), Innovation and social learning: Institutional adaption in an era of technological change. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Gelbmann, U. & Hammerl, B. (2015). Integrative re-use systems as innovative business models for devising sustainable product-service-systems. Journal for Cleaner Production, 97, 50-60.
Glasmeier, A. (1988). Factors governing the development of high tech industry agglomerations: A tale of three cities. Regional Studies, 22.4, 287-301.
Jacob, F. & Ulaga, W. (2008). The transition from product to service in business markets: An agenda for academic inquiry. Industrial Marketing Management, 37, 247-253.
Hagerty, J. & Magnier, M. (2015, January 13). Companies tiptoe back towards ‘made in the USA. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from www.wsj.com/articles/companies
Joy, A. Sherry, J., Venkatesh, A., & Chan, R. (2012). Fast fashion, sustainability, and the ethical appeal of luxury brands. Fashion Theory, 16(3), 273-296.
Jung, S. & Jin, B. (2014). A theoretical investigation of slow fashion: Sustainable future of the apparel industry. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38, 510-519.
Kunz G. & Garner, M. (2011). Going global: The textile and apparel industry (2nd Ed.). New York: Fairchild.
Labrianidis, L., Kalantaridis, C., & Dunford, M. (2011). Delocalization of economic activity: Agents, places, and industries. Regional Studies, 45.2, 147-151.
Lee, C.K.C., Levy, D.S., & Yap, C. S. F. (2015). How does the theory of consumption values contribute to place, identity, and sustainable production? International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39, 597-607.
Lu,C. (2014). Zara supply chain analysis: The secret behind Zara’s retail success. Retrieved from www.tradegecko.com/blog
Martinez, V., Bastl, M., Kingston, J., & Evans, S. (2009). Challenges in transforming manufacturing organizations into product service providers. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, (21)4, 449-469.
McRobbie, A. (2013). Fashion matters Berlin; City-spaces, women’s working lives, new social enterprise? Cultural Studies, 27(6), 982-1010.
Meyer, A. (2001). What’s in it for the customers? Successfully marketing green clothes. Business Strategy and the Environment, 10, 317-330.
Mudambi, R. (2008). Location, control, and innovation in knowledge intensive industries. Journal of Economic Geography, 8, 699-725.
Muratovski, M. (2010). Design and design research: The conflict between the principles in design education and practices in industry. Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, 4(2), 377-386.
The Neilsen Company. (2017, May 15). The state of the U.S. beer market. Retrieved from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2017/the-state-of-the-us-beer-market.html
Novellino, T. (2015, July 2). Made in the USA clothing: Rare but worth it. New York Business Journal. Retrieved from www.bizjournals.com/newyork/.../made-in-the-usa-clothingrare-but-worth-it.html
Partington, A. (2014). Class, clothes, and co-creativity. Clothing Cultures, 1(1),7-21.
Pink, D.H. (2005). A Whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books.
Rexfelt, O. & Hiort af Ornäs, V. (2009). Consumer acceptance of product service systems: Designing for relative advantages and uncertainty reductions. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, (20)5, 674-699.
Shah, D. (2013). Happy-nomics. In Brand, J. & Vos, M. (Eds.), A fashion odyssey: Progress in fashion and sustainability. Arnhem, The Netherlands: ArtEZ Press.
Soper, K. (2008). Alternative hedonism, cultural theory and the role of the aesthetic revisioning. Cultural Studies, 22(5), 567-587.
Van Zandt, D. (2011). Inaugural address. Retrieved from http://www.newschool.edu/leadership/president/installation/
Vezzoli, C., Ceschin, F., Diehl, J.C. & Kohtala, C. (2015). New design challenges to widely implement sustainable product service systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 97, 1-12.
Wolff, L. & Rhee, J. (2009, May). Is design the new liberal arts? Re:D (Regarding Design),(26)6, 9-13.
Zimmerman, E. (2003). Creating a culture of design research: methods and perspective. B. Laurel (Ed.). Cambridge: MIT Press
Los autores/as que publiquen en esta revista ceden los derechos de autor y de publicación a "Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación", Aceptando el registro de su trabajo bajo una licencia de atribución de Creative Commons, que permite a terceros utilizar lo publicado siempre que de el crédito pertinente a los autores y a esta revista.
