• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.16-29
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• 2022

Environmental problems increasingly serious, and sustainability in the fashion industry has become an essential factor. Nowadays, numerous brands are engaging in sustainable fashion activities, such as recycling, vegan, fair trade, etc., which have not been done before. However, there are limited studies about sustainable fashion activities focusing on luxury brands. The purpose of this study is to establish the current status of luxury brands' sustainable fashion activities based on the macro trend of Todeschini et al(2017)'s thesis. This study selected six global luxury fashion brands Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Burberry, and Stella McCartney. Data were collected from the brand's websites and reports, fashion magazines, and Google. As a result of the study, the following adjustments are being implemented; first, efforts are being made to reduce the consumption of natural resources. Second, transparency on working conditions is provided in various ways. Third, luxury brands' awareness of the sharing economy was not opened. Fourth, efforts are being made to develop eco-friendly materials and technologies to minimize wastage. Based on these research results, if applied as basic data for the development of Korean fashion brands and start-up companies, it will help establish directions of sustainable fashion strategies.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.538-553
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• 2021

As interest in the sustainable fashion industry continues to increase along with climate issues, it is necessary to identify research trends in sustainable fashion and seek new development directions. Therefore, this study aims to analyze research trends on sustainable fashion. For this purpose, related papers were collected from the KCI (Korean Citation Index) and Scopus, and 340 articles were used for the study. The collected data went through data transformation, data preprocessing, topic modeling analysis, core topic derivation, and visualization through a Python algorithm. A total of eight topics were obtained from the comprehensive analysis: consumer clothing consumption behavior and environment, upcycle product development, product types by environmental approach, ESG business activities, materials and material development, process-based approach, lifestyle and consumer experience, and brand strategy. Topics were related to consumption, production, and education of sustainable fashion, respectively. KCI analysis results and Scopus analysis results derived eight topics but showed differences from the comprehensive analysis results. This study provides primary data for exploring various themes of sustainable fashion. It is significant in that the data were analyzed based on probability using a research method that excluded the subjective value of the researcher. It is recommended that follow-up studies be conducted to examine social trends.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.815-829
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• 2020

The aim of this study is to investigate fashion activism that supports sustainability by pursuing social transformation through social media. This is achieved by publicizing the environmental and labor problems of the fashion industry. For this study, a literary survey and netnography were conducted from January 2017 to November 2020. We classified and analyzed environmental and labor issues that could be considered fashion activism on social media. The results are as follows. First, movements for conscious consumption appeared as #haulternative, #fashionourfuture, #SecondHandSeptember, and #wornwear projects. These movements are concerned with buying used goods, re-dressing clothes owned by individuals, and transforming and wearing them with new methods. Second, activism for environmental protection includes #fashionOnclimate by Global Fashion Agenda and Sustainable Fashion Matterz' #Watermatterz. These movements are directly involved in learning about the seriousness of environmental destruction caused by the fashion industry and participating in environmental protection with critical awareness. Third, the #whomademyclothes and the Clean Clothes Campaign are activism for improving the working environment, and are playing a role in publicizing labor issues by informing the general public about inadequate working conditions linked to the fashion industry. Thus, fashion activism on social media examined in this study can contribute to visualizing chronic problems that hinder sustainable development within the fashion industry.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.421-433
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of consumer's ethical consumption consciousness and lifestyle on sustainable fashion. The data was analyzed by reliability analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, Duncan's multiple range test, and multiple regression. The major results of this study were as follows. First, three factors of sustainable fashion were identified: eco-friendliness, recycling, and safety. Second, three factors of ethical consumption consciousness were identified: social ethics, environmental ethics, and public ethics. Based on these factors, the subjects were categorized into three clusters (high, middle, and low ethical consumption consciousness group). Third, four factors of life style were identified: pursuit of brand, appearance, cautiousness, and information. Based on these four factors, the subjects were categorized into three clusters (brand/appearance, cautiousness/information, and unconcerned group). Fourth, three factors of ethical consumption consciousness significantly influenced eco-friendliness factor of sustainable fashion. Also, the recycling factor of sustainable fashion was influenced by social ethics, environmental ethics, pursuit of brand, and pursuit of information. The safety factor of sustainable fashion was influenced by environmental ethics, public ethics, and pursuit of information. The results of this study suggest that practical and various environmental education need to be provided to consumers, because high environmental ethical consciousness consumers evaluated sustainable fashion positively. Additionally, accurate information on eco-friendliness, recycling, and safety of clothing products would need to be provided by fashion businesses through various routes, because those with information-pursuing lifestyle were found to have deep interests in sustainable fashion.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.181-191
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• 2020

The fashion industry has faced environmental, social, and ethical issues due to increased interest in ethical consumption. Numerous ethical studies have been conducted in the fashion industry. This study looked at the current state of research by year, academic journal, and detail in major related papers published in Scopus, KCI and KCI between 2009 and 2019. Ethical fashion studies began to appear in 2009 and were concentrated in certain academic journals and focused on fashion marketing and fashion design. Topics in ethical fashion were terms such as sustainable, eco-friendly, up-cycling, recycling, eco, zero-waist, and organic. In ethical fashion studies, environmental studies were conducted most often; in addition, the terms used along with ethical fashion tend to be frequently used for each particular major. Looking at key words used in research by period, the study showed that research was most diverse between 2016 and 2019. In particular, environmental and social issues of ethical fashion and convergence with animal protection, new distribution, science and technology sectors were newly added between 2016 and 2019. This study used text mining and network analysis to understand the overall trends of ethical fashion studies in Korea. In conclusion it is important to realize the relationship between the main words along with the current status analysis.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.59-76
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• 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about environmental severity and new social, economic, and cultural changes. Conscious fashion, which is oriented to sustainable and valuable consumption, has become a trend to consume products produced using eco-friendly and ethical processes, from the selection of the product materials to the manufacturing process. The purpose of this study is to identify the concepts and characteristics of conscious fashion and zero waste, and to explore design trends of zero wastein the new normal era of conscious fashion through the analysis of various cases. The research method is a literature review on conscious fashion based on relevant professional and academic books and articles, designer collections, and campaigns from 2010 to the present, when conscious fashion as eco-friendliness and sustainable fashion became a trend. The concept and characteristics of conscious fashion were examined them in terms of environmental, ethical, social, and cultural aspects and the concept and characteristics of zero waste through previous studies and case analysis. Through this, the trends of zero-waste design in conscious fashion were categorized into: first, an eco-friendly design orientation that utilizes reuse and reduce methods of clothing and fabric; second, a variable design orientation that practices zero waste designs by using diversity of patterns through deconstruction, disassembly, and various cutting methods. Third, long-term circulation of design through the recycling of resources by second-hand trade, the utilization of stock clothing, resale, and availability of eco-friendly materials through the development of new technologies. As an active practice for the sustainable fashion industry expands, it is expected that continuous research will be conducted as a future core value to realize the possibility of long-term circular zero-waste design through social responsibility and conscious recycling, reuse, and reproduction.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was first, to examine the causes for the recent acceleration in the increase of textile/apparel waste and the current practices for reducing waste in the global textile and apparel industry; and second, to explore the influence of sustainability and social responsibility on fashion trends. Extensive literature on sustainable apparel and sustainable and socially responsible practices by global textile and apparel firms was reviewed in conducting this research. First, an accelerated fashion diffosion speed due to fast fashion was focused on as a cause for the increase in textile/apparel waste whereas mass customization was focused on as a potential solution for reducing waste. Then, the influence of the social trend toward sustainability and social responsibility on fashion trends was discussed, particularly the trends toward green products and recycled fashion, the trend against using real for or leather, and minimum-fabric-waste fashion in design and product development. This study furthers consumers' understanding of sustainability and social responsibility related to fashion trends and hopefully increases their consciousness in becoming socially responsible consumers. This study will also contribute to better decision-making in apparel and textile firms to produce sustainable fashion products.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.88-107
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• 2023

This study aimed to understand the current status of practice for sustainability in luxury fashion brands. A total of five luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci, Burberry, and Prada) were selected. Each company's official website, sustainability reports, and articles on sustainability practices were compiled. In addition, analysis was performed based on criteria of sustainability such as environmental, social, economical, and cultural dimensions. As a result, the biggest commonality of the five brands was that they promoted the most active change in the environment. These brands tried to reduce energy consumption in materials and production processes. Among them, Burberry, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton had their own departments for sustainability. However, there were differences in strategies of activities between brands for social, economical, and cultural sustainability. Among the five companies, Burberry and Gucci pursued sustainability strategies the most aggressively. They separated their sustainability strategies in terms of environmental, social, economical, and cultural aspects and shared them with consumers. A set of outcomes for the plan were provided as objective data. The sustainable management strategy has become a key strategy for long-term growth of the luxury brand market. To survive in the market, luxury brands should elaborate sustainable management strategies and actively share them with consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.984-1003
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• 2020

The global fashion industry produces significant carbon emission and micro-plastics in oceans. Studies on sustainable design methods as such environmental issues in fashion are becoming intensely problematic. This study conducted a case study on 100 upcycle fashion brands to propose strategical upcycle fashion designs to compete in a sustainable fashion market. A literature review indicated that 3 types of textile wastes are generated as upcycling materials: post-producer, pre-consumer and post-consumer. Wastes are categorized together with 3 types of techniques: redesigning, reconstruction and handcrafting. This research derived 7 types of upcycle fashion designs that have the following features: to make luxury upcycle fashion products, to make sustainable grunge looks, to re-evaluate deadstocks, to recover vintage clothes, to convert waste into craft-arts, to offer solutions for damaged products, and to make zero-waste small fabric waste. The study results show that key drivers in the upcycle fashion design are the redesignability of materials and technique-related costs. This study implies that adopting appropriate design features can be a useful strategy for designers. New technologies will solve current problems and encourage them to design products in a new circular value system.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.121-144
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• 2022

This study analyzed the effects of fashion creators' innovativeness and attractiveness on consumer response and orientation toward a sustainable relationship in personal media. A survey was conducted with consumers aged in their 20s and 30s who had experience in sharing video content or writing comments and participating in fashion creators' real-time broadcasting of personal media. The results show that the innovativeness of fashion creators was classified into originality, opinion leadership, variety, and adventurous spirit, while attractiveness was classified into physical, social, and professional attractiveness. Consumer responses were classified into either emotional or cognitive responses, and sustainable relationship orientation was classified into communication, sharing, and relationship sustainability. The originality and variety of the fashion creators positively affected the emotional and cognitive responses of consumers. Adventurous spirit positively affected emotional response, whereas opinion leadership positively affected cognitive response. In addition, the social and professional attractiveness of fashion creators positively affected consumers' emotional and cognitive responses. Emotional and cognitive responses positively affected consumers' sustainable relationship orientation. The originality and opinion leadership of the fashion creators positively affected the three factors of sustainable relationship orientation, while variety positively affected communication and relationship sustainability. Fashion creators' social and professional attractiveness positively affected the three factors of sustainable relationship orientation, and physical attractiveness positively affected relationship sustainability. The results of this study are expected to provide useful data on the direction of fashion startups using personal media and marketing as well as distribution strategies in the fashion industry.