Stitching Sustainability: Exploring the Dynamics of Slow Fashion: A qualitative content analysis of how two Swedish fashion companies operate in practice in relation to a slow fashion framework

Abstract

Collective research indicates that the global fashion industry faces extensive challenges within the objective of a just and sustainable development and clarifies the need for slow production and consumption. Slow fashion is both a movement and a theoretical concept aiming to do this, where slow is not time- but quality-based. This study aims to analyze how Swedish fashion companies act in practice in relation to slow fashion as a framework, and further discusses and problematizes this relationship from a perspective of relevant theories: consumerism and green critiques of development. The study is conducted as a qualitative content analysis of two specific cases, where the empirical material consists of the two fashion companies’ publicly accessible sustainability reports. The findings of this study show a shared view between the two companies on sustainability as a fundamental part of their operation. Both companies express a concern for the industry’s impact on the environment and social conditions. Despite this, the analysis shows a significant gap between the slow fashion framework for best practices and the actual practice of fashion companies branded as sustainable. Finally, this study suggests that the barriers to slow fashion and sustainability identified in the previous research exist at a systems level and are not limited to the operation of individual companies. This study provides insight to a topical subject on a case-specific level, while also connecting the findings to a larger perspective on sustainability. The development of effective strategies to close the gap between words and deeds both at micro- and macro-level is needed for a just and sustainable development of the fashion industry. The thesis is written in English.