Citation
Barnes, L. and Lea-Greenwood, G. (2013), "Fast fashion: a second special issue", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 17 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfmm.2013.28417baa.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Fast fashion: a second special issue
Article Type: Guest editorial From: Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Volume 17, Issue 2.
It is with great pleasure that we present the second special issue on fast fashion.
When we first started exploring and conceptualising the phenomenon of fast fashion back in 2004; when it was garnering academic and popular culture interest; which culminated in a very well received first special issue of the journal (2006), fast fashion was at its zenith.
The first issue had demonstrated the importance of fast fashion to the modern fashion industry and interest shown from academia is reflected in the download statistics of the first special issue, showing that it has been one of the most downloaded issues in the Journal's history and furthermore, downloads have increased over the last few years, highlighting the continued and growing interest in the subject.
We also noted that the adoption of the fast fashion business model was widespread throughout the fashion sector and that fast fashion, or focus on speed to market, and demand responsiveness are now considered the norm in the fashion sector. Indeed, in the UK the vast majority of fashion retailers have adopted business strategies aimed at reducing their lead times to be responsive to consumer demand and providing newness with in-season collections.
We highlighted and proposed an issue built on firm fast fashion foundations, which are now well established in the literature, and these were:
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fast fashion and marketing communication;
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supply-chain management/logistics strategies;
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ethical considerations in fast fashion;
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sustainability issues;
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product design/product development;
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fast fashion case studies;
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fast fashion in the branded fashion sector;
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luxury brand response to fast fashion;
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the role of social and other media in influencing demand; and
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manufacturing issues.
The papers we have selected reflect some, but not all of the themes, we had identified as ripe for exploration and in an era of global recession accompanied by growing concern for the provenance of our fashion goods, there is debate about the place and future of fast fashion in the marketplace.
This edition continues and builds on specialist research angles and debates, but also confirms that our establishing of a conceptual approach to fast fashion is still as relevant as ever in the dynamic arena of fashion.
Liz Barnes and Gaynor Lea-Greenwood