Fashion & Textile Research Journal (한국의류산업학회지)

The Society of Fashion and Textile Industry (한국의류산업학회)
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Sustainability Practices and Implications of Fashion Brands at the Vegan Fashion Week

  • Jeong, Jiwoon (Dept. of Textile, Merchandising and Fashion Design, Seoul National University) ;
  • Chun, Jaehoon (Dept. of Textile, Merchandising and Fashion Design, Seoul National University/The Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2022.07.26
  • Accepted : 2022.08.19
  • Published : 2022.08.30
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Abstract

With the expansion of the vegan fashion industry and increasing consumer interest in vegan goods, the first inaugural Vegan Fashion Week was held in LA in 2019. However, there are no studies examining the sustainability of vegan fashion brands; this study underlines the necessity to close this research gap. This study aimed to ascertain how these issues are handled by vegan fashion brands. Using the "sustainable criterion of fashion brands," we investigated the companies that participated in Vegan Fashion Week. This study analyzed the featured brands, conducted case studies, and examined each brand's sustainability strategies and procedures. Press releases, news articles, official websites, and web magazines served as raw data for this study. Analyses of individual networks were performed and brands' approaches to veganism and sustainability were evaluated; eco-friendly material, fair trade, local production, and vegan inspiration were among these techniques. Every brand had put at least one of these requirements into practice for their business, with vegan inspiration being the most popular approach. Additionally, it was discovered that vegan fashion brands deliberately employed vegan messaging that aligns with their corporate values. After its initial launch, VFW continues to advance the discourse on vegan fashion both within the industry and with the general public. The study's implications include the analysis of vegan fashion brands' ethical manufacturing, environmental practices, and overall sustainability.

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