This thesis proposes the use of seashells and their behaviours to create a methodological framework for designing wearable knitted sculptures for the body. The behaviours of exposure, protection, growth, and constriction are used to map out the cyclic life pattern of the woman's body and explore its growth. This cyclic view of the woman's body is rooted in re-imagined storytelling of classic myths, continuing the traditional practice of retelling stories to fit or change the perception of current social constructions. The mythology of maiden-mother-crone is aligned with seashell growth cycle, creating a conceptual dialogue between the two. This creates a dynamic storytelling within the research which informs the behaviour and look of the individual pieces. The work used a methodology that explored how digital tools can be incorporated into the sketching process. Experiments, digital and physical, were conducted to support and deepen the exploration of the concept regarding seashells growing on human bodies in both the metaphorical and physical sense. The methodology included the notion of Tableau vivant, a tableau-like performance by the model that is captured as a still image to convey the design expression. The collection tells a story where each piece is a point in the lifespan of shells and humans, drawing parallels between the individual growth cycles and establishing meeting points through body characteristics and social symbolism. This makes the textiles not only an extension of the body with transcribed feelings and personalities but also a representation of it. This thesis presents a twofold result, the five-pieced collection of wearable garments and a series of photographed images that contextualize the collections’ interaction with the woman's body.

Denna forskningsstudie är en kvalitativt undersökande studie av svenska modeföretags hållbarhetskommunikation utifrån en utvärdering av konsultmodellen The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. Studien ämnar att undersöka hur The Seven Sins of Greenwashing fungerar som ett verktyg och ramverk för att analysera svenska modeföretags hållbarhetskommunikation samt om greenwashing förekommer i deras gröna marknadsföring med hjälp av The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. Studiens teoretiska perspektiv ämnar att på ett holistiskt sätt bemöta de forskningsbegrepp och studier som relaterar till greenwashing e.g legitimitet, isomorphism och decoupling. Föreliggande studie har valt att flytta fokus från kunden och kundens relation till hållbarhet för att istället kritiskt granska och analysera modevarumärkens gröna marknadsföring och kommunikation av modeprodukter. Därmed utgör organisationer studiens analytiska perspektiv, eftersom att allt fler modeföretag använder sig av grön marknadsföring som ett sätt att visa sig hållbara gentemot konsumenter. Vi har identifierat ett forskningsgap för kvalitativa studier som undersöker greenwashing utifrån ett organisatoriskt perspektiv, och med användandet av The Seven Sins of Greenwashing som ett analytiskt redskap inom modebranschen. Studiens syfte är att granska information och kommunikation som görs genom modeföretags hållbarhetsrapporter utifrån modellen The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. För att studera undersökningens syfte ställs följande frågeställningar; (RQ1) Hur fungerar The Seven Sins of Greenwashing som en teoretisk modell för att analysera stora kommersiella företag inom modebranschen? och (RQ2) Hur uttrycker svenska modeföretag sitt hållbarhetsarbete genom deras hållbarhetsrapporter? Förekommer greenwashing utifrån modellen The Seven Sins of Greenwashing? För att besvara studiens syfte och forskningsfrågor har studien utgått ifrån kvalitativa innehållsanalytiska metoder och tematisk kodning utifrån ett på förhand givet kategoriseringssystem av innehållsliga områden kopplade till The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. Studiens resultat kunde identifiera greenwashing i företagens hållbarhetsrapportering utifrån The Seven Sins of Greenwashing främst genom otydliga, vaga och irrelevanta påståenden som användes i hållbarhetsrapporterna för att uttrycka och beskriva företagens hållbarhetsarbete. Slutsatser dras om att TerraChoice (2009) konsultmodell The Seven Sins of Greenwashing fungerar som ett analytiskt verktyg och ramverk för denna typ av akademiska studier. Slutsatser kan också dras, genom användandet av modellen, att samtliga företag som ligger till grund för undersökningen på olika vis greenwashar i sin hållbarhetskommunikation. / This research study is a qualitatively investigative study of Swedish fashion companies sustainability communication based on an evaluation of the consulting model The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. The study aims to investigate how The Seven Sins of Greenwashing works as a tool and framework for analyzing Swedish fashion companies sustainability communication and whether greenwashing occurs in their green marketing with the help of The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. The theoretical perspective of the study aims to respond in a holistic way to the research concepts and studies that relate to greenwashing, e.g legitimacy, isomorphism and decoupling. In our study, we have chosen to shift the focus from the customer and the customer's relationship to sustainability to instead critically examine and analyze the fashion brands' green marketing and communication of fashion products. Thus, organizations constitute our analytical perspective, as more and more fashion companies use green marketing as a way to prove themselves sustainable towards consumers. We have identified a research gap for qualitative studies that examines greenwashing from an organizational perspective, and with the use of The Seven Sins of Greenwashing as an analytical tool within the fashion industry. The purpose of the study is to examine information and communication made through fashion companies sustainability reports based on the model The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. To study the purpose of this study the following questions are asked; (RQ1) How does The Seven Sins of Greenwashing work as a theoretical model for analyzing large commercial companies within the fashion industry? and(RQ2) How do Swedish fashion companies express their sustainability work through their sustainability reports? Does greenwashing occur based on the model The Seven Sins of Greenwashing? We have addressed the study's purpose and research questions with qualitative content analytical methods and thematic coding based on a pre-given categorization system of content areas linked to The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. The results of the study were able to identify greenwashing in the companies sustainability reporting based on The Seven Sins of Greenwashing mainly through unclear, vague and irrelevant statements that were used in the sustainability reports to express and describe the companies sustainability work. Conclusions are drawn that TerraChoice (2009) consulting model The Seven Sins of Greenwashing serves as an analytical tool and framework for this type of academic study. Conclusions can also be drawn, through the use of the model, that all companies that form the basis of this study in different ways greenwash in their sustainability communication.

Background - The textile and fashion industry is paving the way towards the circular economy to achieve economic and environmental value. Today the industry is mainly dependent on the linear production model of the take-make-dispose system. This linear model excels in making waste out of virgin raw materials that can utilize several lifetimes. In light of generating a wave for the future with the circular economy, the textile and fashion industry is implementing circular economy, business models. The organizations’ cascade use ability of recurrent and abundance resources leads to the circular economy future. Although the circular economy is rich in concept, academia and practitioners sense a lack of implementation of business models. Therefore, the organizations require to develop a unique set of capabilities to harness the benefits from circular economy business models. Purpose - To achieve successful circular economy business models, the organizations should develop capabilities that reinforce them to innovate their business models. Therefore, this study investigates the dynamic capabilities to gain competitive advantage while utilizing resources by cascade use to achieving economic and environmental values. This study provides the practitioners and academic guide to be a part of the wave of the circular economy. Methodology - This research conducts multiple case studies with an abductive reasoning approach to extend the theory of dynamic capabilities for cascade use in circular economy business models within the textile and fashion industry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather primary data with three companies that practice cascade use in their businesses while strengthening the data gathered by reviewing company documents. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings - Results revealed dynamic capabilities facilitate cascade use in the circular economy business models. These dynamic capabilities undergirded by unique microfoundations. Sensing capability undergirded learning and knowledge creation on resources, information search on competencies, and market sensing to achieve the circular economy. Seizing undergirded microfoundations of business model innovation, collaborations, investments in innovations, and take-back systems. Transformation capability undergirded stakeholder engagement, revitalizing internal organization and transparency. The organizations gain maximum resources utility by these dynamic capabilities. Practical implications and research limitations - This thesis creates new insights on cascade use in circular economy business models facilitated by dynamic capabilities. The study assists the practitioners to understand and manage organizational activities to leverage cascade use in the circular economy business models to gain competitive advantage. The study limits by the selected interviewed companies with cascade use strategies implemented in their businesses, representing retailers in Sweden.

Le Nazioni Unite hanno espresso la necessità che aziende e consumatori si orientino ad una maggiore sostenibilità. Questa tesi parte da tale constatazione e analizza l’impatto che la sostenibilità ha sulle strategie aziendali, sull’orientamento all’innovazione di prodotto e processo e, infine, sulle relazioni che si sviluppano nella filiera produttiva. Inoltre, viene analizzata la relazione tra le strategie di marketing e le scelte di consumo sostenibili. Vengono analizzate, innanzitutto, due aziende di moda. L’analisi qualitativa mira a definire cosa sia per loro la sostenibilità, in che modo questa le metta alla prova e cosa possa garantire il successo duraturo di una strategia sostenibile. Viene successivamente analizzato un campione di 1104 intervistati per comprendere come le aziende di moda dovrebbero comunicare il loro impegno nella sostenibilità, attraverso mezzi di comunicazione specifici e ben definiti, soprattutto a quei consumatori che sono propensi - ma non del tutto convinti - ad acquistare abbigliamento sostenibile. Infine, viene analizzato un campione di 99 aziende vinicole a cui è stato sottoposto un questionario per capire se esiste una relazione tra la collaborazione tra i partner lungo la filiera produttiva e la performance sostenibile dell’impresa. I risultati evidenziano i fattori che orientano le strategie sostenibili delle aziende vinicole e della moda, e il comportamento dei consumatori. Vengono evidenziate soluzioni pratiche che possano accompagnare le aziende verso un crescente orientamento alla sostenibilità. / This doctoral thesis aims at shedding light on the United Nations’ call-to-action for producers and consumers who, jointly, have to contribute to sustainable development. The aim is to investigate the impact of sustainability on companies’ strategies by exploring their orientation towards process and product innovation, and the consequent business relationships that develop along the supply chain. Furthermore, the thesis seeks to investigate the role of some marketing strategies and the consumers’ sustainable attitudes. Two fashion companies are analyzed to explore what sustainability is for them and how they are challenged by sustainability concerns. Propositions are formulated that can help companies define long-term and effective sustainability-oriented strategies. A sample of 1104 respondents is then analyzed to understand how sustainability-oriented fashion companies should communicate their commitment, through specific and well defined communication tools, to those consumers who are positively disposed towards sustainable clothing but are still afraid of these “new” products. Lastly, a sample of 99 wine companies is analyzed. They were asked to answer a questionnaire whose purpose is to understand if there is a relationship between collaboration among partners along the supply chain and sustainable performance. Results allow for a better understanding of the factors driving sustainable strategies of fashion and wine companies, and consumer behavior. Practical solutions are highlighted.