Threads & Tensions: Managing Sustainability Paradoxes in Swedish Fashion Industry

Abstract

The fashion industry faces increasing pressure to transition towards more sustainable practices while maintaining profitability and consumer appeal. This study aims to explore how Swedish fashion companies manage material-related sustainability paradoxes throughout the fiber life cycle, from production and consumption to end-of-life. Drawing on Paradox theory, particularly the framework developed by Smith and Lewis (2011), the study identifies tensions between competing goals between such as longevity and recyclability, transparency and company image, and recycling practices and environmental impact. Through qualitative research including interviews with 13 Swedish fashion companies, 3 industry experts, and 4 consumers, the findings reveal how firms experience and manage learning, performing, organizing, and belonging paradoxes. Strategies used include acceptance, separation, and synthesis, often adapted to the company’s size, core product and brand identity. While sustainability is embedded in many company's values, the industry’s reliance on linear production and profit driven models poses significant challenges. The study highlights the complexity of sustainable material choices, the lack of infrastructure for circularity, and the role of consumer behavior. Ultimately, Swedish fashion companies are engaged in a dynamic balancing act, embracing contradictions and adapting continuously, pointing not to resolution, but to resilience in the face of systemic paradoxes.