Unveiling Ecosystems of Sustainable Fashion Initiatives: A Visual Network Analysis Approach

This work employs data from previous research to inquire into sustainable initiatives of fashion retail and their providers using Visual Network Analysis. The technique is employed to highlight relationships and similarities among the offerings of these initiatives and to propose 12 clusters of interconnected services that address different aspects of clothes distribution, from pragmatic aspects of circular economy (e.g., repair, resell), to technological innovations (e.g., Digital Product Passports) and cultural and educational contributions (e.g., workshops and events). Additionally, it reflects on providers, discovering a number of stakeholders that do not correspond to fashion brands or fashion retailers but that play important roles in the innovation of garments distribution in a sustainable key. In conclusion it reflects on possible future scenarios in which retailers collaborate with other actors to implement sustainability practices at urban and systemic levels.