Title

Future scenarios. The new life of the fashion industry in the post-pandemic scenario

DOI

doi.org/ 10.19229/978-88-5509-291-3/6122021

Keywords

fashion, covid-19, sustainability, future studies, design

Abstract

Worrying about the future means worrying about changes, both present and future environmental changes. But how will dramatic changes and consumer behaviour in a post-coronavirus world affect the future of fashion? What assets can design provide to rewire a system that has faltered so much? This essay aims to give meaning to the Covid-19 crisis by placing it precisely in the clothing industry context. It investigates the complex fashion system and the dynamics that are currently shaping this sector, catalysing it towards a sustainable new life. The paper also analyses future scenarios existing in the fashion industry to define some guidelines for preferable post-pandemic future.

Section

Design | Essays & Viewpoint

pp. 212-223

Author(s)

Cristina Marino, Chiara L. Remondino

Author(s) Biography

Cristina Marino, Designer, is a PhD Candidate in Management, Production and Design at the Polytechnic University of Turin (Italy). She carries out research activities mainly in the field of systemic design applied to the fashion industry. Mob. +39 328/05.68.111 | E-mail: cristina.marino@polito.it

Chiara L. Remondino, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the Department of Architecture and Design of the Polytechnic University of Turin (Italy). She carries out research activities mainly in the field of communication of complex systems. Mob. +39 346/37.24.097 | E-mail: chiara.remondino@polito.it

References

Bell, W. (1996), “An overview of Future Studies”, in R. A. Slaughter (ed.), The Knowledge Base of Futures Studies, vol. 1, DDM Media Group, Hawthorn, Victoria.

Bistagnino, L. (2009), Design sistemico – Progettare la sostenibilità produttiva e ambientale, Slow Food Editore, Bra.

Candy, S. and Potter, C. (eds) (2019), Design and Futures, Tamkang University Press, Taiwan.

Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Forum for the Future (2020), Fashion Futures 2030. [Online] Available at: fashionfutures2030.com/scenarios/introduction [Accessed 24 June 2021].

Curry, A. and Hodgson, A. (2008), “Seeing in Multiple Horizons – Connecting Futures to Strategy”, in Journal of Futures Studies, vol. 13, issue 1, pp. 1-20. [Online] Available at: jfsdigital.org/articles-and-essays/2008-2/vol-13-no-1-august/ [Accessed 10 June 2021].

Eames, C. (1972), Q&A Design, short film. [Online] Available at: youtube.com/watch?v=bmgxDCujTUw [Accessed 24 June 2021].

Forum for the Future and Levi Strauss (2010), Fashion Futures 2025 – Global Scenarios for a Sustainable Fashion Industry. [Online] Available at: forumforthefuture.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=57bdd748-72cc-4183-bf33-7125fef3a664 [Accessed 24 June 2021].

Fractals LAB (2020), Trend Digest Homeleisure. [Online] Available at: fractals.it/cat/fashion-lifestyle/ [Accessed 24 June 2021].

Global Fashion Agenda (2020), CEO Agenda 2020 – Eight priorities for fashion executives shaping a sustainable fashion industry. [Online] Available at: globalfashionagenda.com/ceo-agenda-2020/# [Accessed 24 June 2021].

IndustriALL, (2020), “Covid-19 an existential crisis for the garment industry”, in industriall-union.org, 23/03/2020. [Online] Available at: industriall-union.org/covid-19-an-existential-crisis-for-the-garment-industry [Accessed 24 June 2021].

Maturana, H. R. and Varela, F. J. (1992), L’Albero della conoscenza – Un nuovo meccanismo per spiegare le radici biologiche della conoscenza umana, Garzanti Editore, Milano.

Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., Randers, J. and Behrens III, W. W. (1972), The limits to growth – A report to the Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind, Universe Books, New York. [Online] Available at: donellameadows.org/wp-content/userfiles/Limits-to-Growth-digital-scan-version.pdf [Accessed 11 September 2020].

Shahbandeh, M. (2020), “Coronavirus impact on textile industry in Europe Q2 2020”, in Statista, 23/11/2020. [Online] Available at: statista.com/statistics/1131136/coronavirus-impact-on-textile-industry-europe/#statisticContainer [Accessed 24 November 2020].

Simon, H. A. (1982), Models of Bounded Rationality – Economic Analysis and Public Policy, MIT Press, Cambridge (US).

Slaughter, R. A. (1996), The Knowledge Base of Futures Studies | Vol. 1 Foundations – Vol. 2 Organisations, Practices, Products – Vol. 3 Directions and Outlooks, DDM Media, Victoria.

Tham, M. (2016), “The Futures of futures studies in fashion”, in Fletcher, K. and Tham, M. (eds), Routledge Handbook of Sustainability and Fashion, Routledge, Oxon/New York, pp. 283-292.

Tham, M. (2008), Lucky People Forecast – A Systemic Futures Perspective on Fashion and Sustainability, Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London. [Online] Available at: research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/11301/ [Accessed 10 June 2021].

The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company (2020), The State of Fashion 2020. [Online] Available at: businessoffashion.com/reports/news-analysis/the-state-of-fashion-2020-bof-mckinsey-report-release-download [Accessed 10 June 2021].

Worker Rights Consortium (2020), Covid-19 Tracker – Which Brands Are Acting Responsibly toward Suppliers and Workers? [Online] Available at: workersrights.org/issues/covid-19/tracker/ [Accessed 18 December 2020].

Zargani, L. (2020), Giorgio Armani writes an open letter to WWD. [Online] Available at: wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/giorgio-armani-writes-open-letter-wwd-1203553687/ [Accessed 24 November 2020].