Global Fashion, via the logic of high-speed, large-scale industrial production and anachronistic high-volume consumption habits, causes significant social and environmental damage. Local Fashion isunderstood as part of the Slow Fashion movement that aims to change the functions of fashion so that they support or lead the quest to flourish within known human and planetary boundaries.This Licentiate thesis examines, through an exploratory narrative based on new and existing research, two Local Fashionalities. Växbo Lin is a small linen manufacturer/brand in Hälsingland, Sweden, producing new heritage home textiles. WomenWeave is a handloom social enterprise inMadhya Pradesh, India, making naya khadi. Their approaches and practices are presented and discussed vis-à-vis notions of “globality”, “locality”, design management, and the quest for sustainability.The narrative aims to improve understandings of what Local Fashion is, and contribute to the effort to design new fashion systems grounded in logic relevant to contemporary human needs and aspirations.

This research explores one avenue for achieving sustainability within the fashion industry; which as it exists today is unsustainable. The Slow Fashion movement has an existing foundation in the larger fashion industry and is already making strides towards sustainability. The authors used this opportunity to examine a strategic approach, as its current approach is ad hoc. First, the authors assessed the Slow Fashion movement using the 5 level Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. To analyze the Slow Fashion movement further, the concept of Leverage Points was used to provide a focused lens to assist the author’s in navigating through the fashion industry’s complex system. Findings were synthesized into thirty strategic recommendations that target various players in the Slow Fashion movement. Three key recommendations will provide the most leverage in strengthening the Slow Fashion movement: 1) Co-create Slow Fashion Principles to represent the values of the movement and a shared definition of sustainability 2) Establish an overarching global network and local chapters for the Slow Fashion movement 3) Harmonize global garment and textile labelling initiatives under a Slow Fashion label.

Due to the adverse environmental impacts today’s clothing consumption behaviour is causing, it is necessary to accelerate the awareness of sustainable fashion among consumers. Fashion companies are facing difficulties, as sustainable consumption has not yet made an impact on consumers’ fashion purchasing decision. To accelerate the sales of newly produced sustainable fashion, the willingness to purchase has to increase. This study suggests that it through different factors is possible to influence consumers’ rational behaviour. It examines the gap between Swedish fashion consumers’ willingness to purchase sustainable fashion and their actual actions from data collected through focus groups. The difficulty to recognize sustainable fashion, as well as the limitations of product options, appealing aesthetic and design explains the emerged gaps. Consumers are also requiring a modified usage of the concept as sustainability today is used without a consistent meaning. Findings indicate that fashion consumers’ demands sustainable fashion with appealing design, high quality as well as varied product options. It also showed a request for a standardized, simple and easily accessible label, representing the idea of sustainability equally without any room for interpretation. A standardized label symbolized with a consistent meaning could also be apart of the development of making sustainability a sustained trend - making sustainability the ‘new black’. / Dagens klädkonsumtion innebär en negativ miljöpåverkan som kräver nödvändiga åtgärder såsom att öka medvetenheten av hållbart mode bland konsumenter. Eftersom hållbarkonsumtion hittills inte har någon större inverkan på modekonsumenter i deras köpbeslut står modeföretagen inför en utmaning. För att öka försäljningen av nyproducerat hållbart mode måste viljan att handla hållbara plagg öka. Denna studie föreslår att det genom olika faktorer är möjligt att påverka konsumenters rationella beteende. Den undersöker vad som påverkar gapet mellan svenska modekonsumterns vilja att konsumera och deras faktiska ageranden genom två fokusgruppsintervjuer. Svårigheter att identifiera hållbart mode, likväl som begränsningen av utbudet, tilltalande estetik och design förklarar hur gapen uppstått. Konsumenter efterfrågar dessutom en förändrad användning av begreppet hållbarhet eftersom det idag används utan en konsekvent innebörd. Resultatet i studien visar på att modekonsumenter kräver hållbart mode som har en tilltalande design, god kvalité liksom ett större utbud. Den visar också på att de efterfrågar en enkel, lättillgänglig och standardiserad märkning som bör användas av alla modeföretag och som tydligt förklarar innebörden av hållbarhet utan att ge rum för tolkning av begreppet. En standardiserad märkning kan också bli en del av en ihållande trend som gör hållbarhet till det nya svarta.

The aim of this thesis “Deconstruction 3.0” is to show how the third wave of deconstruction in fashion is deconstructing the second [postmodern] French luxury fashion system. The deconstructionists of the post-Soviet collective – Demna and Guram Gvasalia, Gosha Rubchinskiy, and Lotta Volkova – question and deconstruct the established apparatus of the postmodern fashion system and its business model. With their business strategies and with help of demand by post-postmodern consumer culture proposed and predicted by Douglas B. Holt (2002), the post-Soviet collective constructs new business models and thus we are entering a post-postmodern fashion system. I have used a twofold methodology from the disciplines of business administration and humanities. In the literature review, I have aimed to close gaps between different scholars and made a concluding section of the postmodern fashion system and its business model, a synthesis that lies in parallel with Peter Drucker’s (1957) thoughts on postmodern organisational theory. Through the empirics and analysis with help of Jacques Derrida’s (1972) concept of deconstruction, I propose, in the end, a dialectic model between the established postmodern apparatus and the new and diametrically opposed post-postmodern apparatus operated by the post-Soviet collective.

Diploma thesis Fashion blogs and research on the phenomenon discusses a relatively new phenomenon of personal blogs with a focus on fashion and style. It presents fashion blogs in all their complexity, including the definition, classification, origin and evolution. The second section compares the descriptive way fashion blogs with thematically related fashion magazines and from various perspectives: formal characteristics, work organization, text, picture and graphic elements, audiences, the use of advertising and PR and representation of reality. The practical part is focused on qualitative research fashion blog - by a focus group interview with fashion bloggers and subsequently grounded theory method of analysis examines the various relationships, especially causal, which operate under the studied phenomenon. Through reveals further aspects of the fashion blogging such as motivation, fears, needs, dreams and ambitions of bloggers. The goal is to answer the question of how fashion blogs with its distinctive style and authors presentation define the fashion magazines and propose a basic theory of operation of the medium as yet not explored.

Modeindustrin karaktäriseras idag av fluktuerande efterfrågan och snabbt växlande trender, vilket gör att modeföretagens effektivitet ständigt sätts på sin spets för att möta marknadens förändringar. Förmågan att ta snabba beslut och anpassa sig till marknaden är idag avgörande för att vara konkurrenskraftig. Detta har bidragit till stora förändringar, inte enbart inom produktion och logistik, utan även inom inköp vilket har fått en allt mer viktig roll. Inköp och Supply Management är idag en vedertagen term i modeindustrin, inte bara på grund av sin finansiella inverkan utan även sin ökade strategiska roll i företaget. Enligt tidigare forskning kan en integrering av strategiskt inköp leda till konkurrensfördelar. Däremot har en brist i litteraturen gällande strategiskt inköp i fast fashion-företag identifierats. Syftet med denna studie var därför att undersöka inköpsfunktionens strategiska roll i svenska fast fashion-företag idag. Studien använder en kvalitativ forskningsmetod och resultatet baseras på empirisk data insamlad genom intervjuer. Intervjuerna har genomförts hos tre svenska fast fashion-företag med respektive fem respondenter vilka har omfattande kunskap och förståelse för företagets inköpsfunktion. Baserat på en analys av den empiriska datan gentemot insamlad sekundärdata från tidigare forskning drog slutsatsen att inköpsavdelningen i svenska fast fashion-företag har en viktig roll både ekonomiskt och strategiskt. Detta eftersom inköparnas beslut påverkar och kräver en kommunikation med stora delar av företaget. Vidare tyder studiens resultat på att strategiskt inköp faktiskt förekommer hos svenska fast fashion-företag, dock inte i sin helhet. Detta beror delvis på att strategiskt inköp såsom det definieras i litteraturen inte är ett vedertaget koncept hos de tre företagen. Avslutningsvis konstateras det att den tilltagande relevansen av strategiskt inköp kombinerat med den ökande globala konkurrensen tyder på att inköpsfunktionens strategiska roll kommer fortsätta växa. / Today’s fashion apparel industry is characterized by a volatile demand and fast trends. These toughened conditions have resulted in fashion companies constantly being put on their edge in order to follow the market changes. The ability to make quick decisions and adapt to the market is there fore crucial in order to stay competitive. This has led to extensive changes not only in production and logistics but also within purchasing operations, which in turn serve a more important role than ever. Purchasing and Supply management is nowadays an established termin the industry not only due to its financial effect but also its increasingly strategic role within the company. According to previous research, integrating a strategic approach towards the purchasing function might lead to competitive advantage. However, a shortage of research about strategic purchasing specifically in fast fashion companies has been identified. The purpose of this study was to examine the purchasing function’s current strategic role in Swedish fast fashion companies. The study uses a qualitative research approach and the result is based upon empirical data collected through interviews. These interviews have been conducted with five representatives of three Swedish fast fashion companies that have an extensive knowledge and understanding about the purchasing function. By analysing the empirical results in relation to secondary data obtained from previous research, it was found that the purchasing function in Swedish fast fashion companies holds an important role, both financially and strategically. This strategic importance is derived from the company wide impact of purchasers’ decision-making along with the need for communication between the purchasing function and other significant departments. Furthermore, the results indicate that strategic purchasing does in fact appear in Swedish fast fashion companies, although not to a full extent. This is partially due the fact that the concept of strategic purchasing, as the literature defines it, is not established within these three companies. At last it is concluded that the previously increased relevance of strategic purchasing combined with the cultivating globalisation indicates that the purchasing functions’ strategic role will continue to grow. The thesis is written in Swedish.

The purpose of this thesis ‘Sustainable conscious fashion consumption from the perspective of Generation Z - With a focus on motivations’ is to provide the reader with deeper knowledge about Generation Z’s perception of sustainable conscious fashion and what motivates them to choose sustainable consumption. Further, this research gives insight into the decision process among Generation Z regarding fashion apparel. The thesis is based on two research questions which are (1) What are the motivations to consume sustainable conscious fashion among Gen Z and (2) How do psychological factors influence Gen Z decisions to consume sustainable conscious fashion? To be able to complete this thesis and answer the research questions, relevant theories have been analyzed and incorporated to create an understanding when analyzing the empirical data. The thesis was conducted using a deductive approach and a qualitative research method to acquire primary data. The data collection has been accumulated by doing semi-structured interviews with the aim to gain in-depth knowledge about Gen Z motivations to consume sustainable conscious fashion. The literature review includes theories that are in relation to the topics of (1) Sustainability, (2) Generation Z, and (3) Psychological Factors such as self-image and cognitive dissonance. Based on the literature review a conceptual framework (Figure 2.1) was created in which the liaisons between the different theories have been presented. The interview guide was created in accordance to the operationalism in order to present the empirical data in chapter 4, ‘Empirical findings’.Thereafter, an analysis based on the empirical findings are discussed in relation to previously presented theories in the literature review. It is concluded that the primary motives for purchasing apparel among Generation Z are to strengthen their self-image, whether it is to fit in or stand out. The generation cares about sustainability, which is expressed by purchasing eco-friendly foods and by considering their choices of transport. The findings show there is a lack of information provided by retailers and authorities, which translates into the consumers not being able to make sustainable choices regarding fashion consumption.

Both the fashion magazine and the fashion exhibition are powerful and authoritative sites for the representation, interpretation, and construction of fashion. Despite various intersections between the two, their relationship has remained relatively unstudied. This thesis aims to reveal and problematize the relationship between leading institutions in the United Kingdom: British Vogue and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). An analysis of British Vogue’s content and the V&A’s fashion exhibitions of Vivienne Westwood: 34 Years in Fashion (2004) and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (2015) is employed in order to unpack how these institutions are involved in defining and institutionalizing what fashion is in a national context. This institutional analysis considers the wider implications of the conception of British fashion produced by these institutions in regard to class, race, and gender, as Great British fashion is dependent on a system of representations that reveals hierarchies and exclusions.

Modeindustrin är en stor miljöbov som genererar utsläpp från fabriker, långa transporter och från en påtaglig överkonsumtion. I ett modesamhälle med trender i fokus kommer behovet av nyproducerade plagg alltid att finnas kvar. Men cirkulära affärsstrategier, såsom olika typer av delningsekonomier, kommer att spela en avgörande roll för modebranschens framtidaöverlevnad. Om ett plagg används under tre gånger så lång tid som de används idag kan det minska plaggets klimatavtryck med hela 65%, vilket påvisar vikten av cirkulära strategier, där konceptet hyrkläder är en av dessa. Denna studie syftar att kartlägga vilka sociodemografiska faktorer som påverkarkonsumenters hållbara attityd samt viljan att hyra kläder. Vidare undersöks sambandet mellankonsumenters hållbara attityd samt dennes vilja att hyra kläder och ingå i delningsekonomi. Detta för att komma närmare lösningen på problemet om vem den potentiella hyrkunden är och bana väg för företags anpassning av hyrkonceptet. För att besvara frågeställningarna har data samlats in via en kvantitativ online-enkät där en sluten grupp på Facebook fått besvarafrågor kring deras sociodemografiska status, attityd till miljö och hållbarhet samt frågor om benägenheten att hyra. Svaren har sedan sammanställts och ligger till grund förhypotesprövningar som genomförs. Resultatet av studien påvisar inga samband mellan sociodemografiska faktorer gällande varken hållbar attityd eller viljan att hyra kläder med undantag för svag korrelation mellangeografisk plats och viljan att hyra kläder. Däremot visas ett samband mellan konsumenters hållbar attityd och deras vilja att hyra. / The fashion industry has a big impact on our environment and generates emissions from transports, factories, and a significant overconsumption. Studies show that by extending the life of a garment three times longer than its average lifetime today, its climate impact can be reduced by 65%. For this reason, circular business models have grown in importance since they can have a major positive impact on our challenge to decrease our emissions. One answer to this is sharing economy and collaborative fashion consumption, which aims to lengthen the life of a product and ensure a more frequent use. Previous studies have identified both drivers and barriers for consumers to take part in collaborative fashion consumption but not yet described the customer who rents. In this study, attention is therefore paid to collaborative fashion consumption and the customer who wishes to take part. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on the consumer's attitude to environmental sustainability and on the willingness to rent clothes. Further, the study aims to investigate whether there is a connection between an environmentally sustainable attitude and the willingness to rent clothes. Data were collected via a quantitative online survey where members in a closed group on Facebook were able to answer questions about their socio-demographic status, attitude to sustainability as well as questions about the propensity to rent. The results of the study show no correlations between socio-demographic factors regarding neither environmentally sustainable attitude nor the willingness to rent clothes. However, a connection is shown between geographic location and willingness to rent as well as between consumers' environmentally sustainable attitude and their willingness to rent. This study is written in Swedish.

Introduction: Gen-Z are emerging as new consumers in the market, with more demands on brands than previous generations. Despite studies have showcased that brands can be perceived as cool by Gen-Z consumers, there is so far no research investigating what drives a brand to be perceived as cool by Gen-Z consumers. Furthermore, there is no research so far which has explored Gen-Z men in relation to fashion apparel consumption. This research hence seeks to gain a better understanding of Gen-Z men and their perception of cool fashion apparel brands.  Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore what factors drive fashion apparel brands to be perceived as cool by Gen-Z men, and how these factors drive fashion apparel brands to be perceived as cool by Gen-Z men. Method: This study uses a qualitative methodology, consisting of 11 semi-structured interviews on Gen-Z men. An abductive thematic analysis complimented with a theoretical model was used to analyse the interviews, the theoretical model was adapted as a result of the findings.  Conclusions: The conclusions are that 7 different factors drive fashion apparel brands to be perceived as cool by the Gen-Z men in this study. It was found that the factors drive a fashion brand to be cool due to inheriting specific themes, in total 23 different themes were found across the 7 factors, hence the themes are how the seven factors drive a fashion apparel brand to be perceived as cool by the Gen-Z men in this study.