Debunking the digital product passport saga in fashion: Who is doing what, why, how and for whom?

Amid escalating ecological crises, geopolitical instability, and economic uncertainty, global supply chains are facing intensified scrutiny for their fragility, opacity, and embedded inequalities. Recent disruptions, ranging from wildfires and pandemics to trade tensions, have exposed the structural dependencies and asymmetries that underpin transnational production systems. As new legislative measures such as Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are introduced, it becomes increasingly important to examine how supply chain dynamics engage with this regulatory transformation, raising critical questions about power, behavioural responses, and inter-organizational collaboration. Drawing on evidence from multiple luxury fashion supply chains, this research presents preliminary findings from ongoing multiple case study research that investigates the behavioural and relational dimensions of the DPP implementation. By foregrounding actor relationships rather than focusing solely on compliance and technological capabilities, the study offers a nuanced understanding of how regulatory shift can be a real transformative power to foster supply network legitimacy and inclusivity.