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Introduction
The global fashion industry, a giant driven by lifestyle symbolism and innovative design, exerts significant pressure on natural resources and fuels rampant consumerism through its emphasis on mass production and affordability. The relentless consumer pursuit of fast, accessible fashion has resulted in a list of negative consequences, including pollution, water overuse, carbon emissions, and human rights violations. Furthermore, the low perceived value of clothing among consumers perpetuates a disposable culture, exacerbating the industry's environmental impact through the generation of vast quantities of textile waste. The fashion industry is under growing examination within the sustainability framework, especially regarding its environmental impact and labour conditions.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of the world's largest fashion markets. Several Asian economies have built strong garment, textile, and footwear (GTF) manufacturing sectors that make significant contributions to both their GDPs and the global apparel market (Statista, 2024b). The fashion industry plays a pivotal role in Asian countries, with revenue projected to grow at a fast pace in the coming decade. Globalisation has created distinctive sustainability challenges that exist within the supply chain of fashion brands due to the shift in manufacturing to Asia for cost efficiency. As a result, fashion brands now face public scrutiny, and stakeholders demand for transparency and accountability of environmental and social sustainability. The assumption is that social and environmental practices are mostly ignored by partner firms in emerging markets. A shift in consumption towards sustainable fashion products has become essential to combat these challenges for the wellbeing of stakeholders. It is important to push a consumer culture that is characterised by excessive consumption and materialism towards a minimalist movement driven by environmental concerns, economic uncertainty, and a desire for greater well-being. Promoting reuse using technological tools necessitates a deeper understanding of emerging fashion consumption models and their implications. Simultaneously, public-private partnerships, global collaboration, technological integration, and cultural preservation have become important for sustainable fashion. This special issue of the Journal of Asia Business Studies invites academic scholars to engage in redefining current knowledge by adopting multi-disciplinary perspectives and integrative frameworks to push the agenda of sustainable fashion.
List of topic areas
- Use of sustainable materials in production, such as fabrics and colours for dyeing
- Sustainable finishing techniques for eco-friendly production
- Sustainable fashion design integration into circularity
- Textile recycling technological innovation for circular business models
- Transparency in Fashion technology with traceability
- Transparency in Fashion supply chains for social challenges such as child labour
- Promoting slow fashion with innovative longevity designs
- Consumer awareness and attitude towards dark side of fast fashion
- Consumer education and promotion of slow fashion
- Use of fashion for engagement of generations into sustainable behaviours
- Sustainable delivery models within logistics of fashion supply chains
- Sustainable packaging for reducing waste created by fashion industry
- Barriers to digital transformation for sustainable fashion
- Ethical issues related to sustainable fashion
- Geopolitical challenges for sustainable fashion
- Technological advancements and innovation for sustainable fashion
- Global partnerships, collaborations and policy for sustainable fashion
- Traditional craftsmanship with modern design for sustainable fashion identities
- Colonial impact on indigenous knowledge for sustainable fashion
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key deadlines
Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 07/07/2025
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 06/02/2026
Email for submissions: [email protected]
Guest Editors
Suraksha Gupta, University of the Arts, London, United Kingdom, [email protected]
Kaouther Kooli, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom, [email protected]
Shahpar Abdollahi, University of the Arts, London, United Kingdom, [email protected]
Arnab Banerjee, University of the Arts, London, United Kingdom, [email protected]
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