Be stubborn with your goals, but flexible with your methods : Paradoxical phenomenon within the fashion industry

Abstract: Seeing as fashion companies today have a proclaimed desire to act sustainably, we wanted to explore their explanations regarding the paradoxical phenomenon which is based on having CSR strategies, yet still advocating for consumption. The consumption rate in today’s society is not sustainable, and it appears that it has lead to some confusion regarding where to start or how to handle the paradoxes. Massive amounts of wastage, environmental pollutions and social issues in the supply chain are only a few components in the fashion industry which is full of paradoxical phenomena and tensions. This study aims to explore companies who have well established CSR principles, yet still contribute to mass production within the supply chain which consequently leads to overconsumption. Paradox perspective acknowledges tensions between and among various desirables, yet interdependent and at times conflicting sustainability objectives. In this study we look at the three aspects of CSR, and the tensions that exists when competing demands and goals of these aspects needs to be considered by the fashion companies. By viewing the three aspects of CSR through three dimensions (rearward, nearby and forward), we have analyzed our interviews and identifying different paradoxes that existed. The paradox of need for profit, the paradox of sustainability communication and the paradox of sustainable consumption. Conclusions drawn from these existing paradoxes are that fashion companies might be using more sustainable materials, but that the massive volumes of garments remain. Fashion companies are flexible with their goals of CSR, but stubborn with their methods of doing business, when the opposite is in fact required in order to improve the three aspects of CSR in various dimensions.