There is no doubt that the textile industry - the production of clothing, fabrics, thread, fibre and related products - plays a significant part in the global economy. It also frequently operates with disregard to its environmental and social impacts. The textile industry uses large quantities of water and outputs large quantities of waste. As for social aspects, many unskilled jobs have disappeared in regions that rely heavily on these industries. Another serious and still unresolved problem is the flexibility textile industry companies claim to need. Faced with fierce international...

The fashion industry has not traditionally been associated with definitions of sustainable development and sustainability. The social and environmental challenges faced by the fashion industry concern the entire supply and demand chain, propped up by a throwaway consumer culture.

In response to these sustainability challenges, some fashion companies have developed innovative social and environmental initiatives. While many of these initiatives are sympathetic, resourceful and hold real potential for generating social and environmental improvements, greater scale and scope is needed...

Luxury products are now seen by a growing number of global consumers as an important and more widely available way of expressing personal aspirations and values. Most consumers of luxury products and services use them as status symbols and symbols of success. However, the definition of success--and the way it is perceived by others--is changing. Many of these successful consumers now want the brands they use to reflect their concerns and aspirations. Such products come with a heavy social and environmental cost. Sustainable luxury is about rediscovering the old meaning of luxury--a considered...