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The Business of Responsible Fashion

Introduction

Chapters requested for three edited books; Expression of interest deadline 20 Dec 2025

INTEREST CATEGORY: SECTORS
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Other

Posted by: Suraksha Gupta

The Business of Responsible Fashion
Ethical and Sustainable Strategies for International Business

A De Gruyter Book
Edited by
Prof Suraksha Gupta and Dr Liang Lau

Invitation to contribute a book chapter

The responsible management of international business is crucial for the fashion industry. Businesses in the sector must develop their ability to prioritise ethical and sustainable practices over profitability by focusing on global challenges. Addressing global challenges can help international fashion companies efficiently and successfully manage their global operations in a responsible way by committing to transparent, ethical and sustainable practices that respect local culture. This edited book will feature:

  • Global perspectives on ethical fashion management
  • Focuses on cross-cultural and cross-border management
  • Actionable global strategies for managing complex supply chains
  • Case studies on international success stories

Call for chapters

As the fashion industry has globalised, its supply chains have become increasingly complex, and the production networks now pose new challenges and create new responsibilities. Managing international operations ethically and responsibly is now critical. This book will address the rapidly evolving managerial requirements of the by examining how global supply chains need to adhere to international standards on social, environmental and labour rights. It will contain 12-15 research chapters that directly relate to the below themes

  • Global supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing
  • Cultural sensitivity and local adaptation
  • International labour rights and fair wages
  • International brand reputation management
  • Partnerships and collaboration
  • Trade and tariffs in global fashion markets
  • Inclusive leadership and diversity in global teams
  • Global consumer behaviour and ethical consumption
  • Risk management and resilience in global fashion

This book will offer theoretical insights and practical cases that will be relevant to the academic community, practitioners and other stakeholders such as policymakers, NGOs and consumer groups and be a vital resource for those who are interested in ensuring that their engagement with the fashion industry is responsible, transparent, and sustainable.

All chapters will be subject to a blind peer review process. Chapters that are considered suitable to include in the book will be sent back to authors with revisions prior to acceptance.

Author Guidelines

Length and style

  • Chapter length maximum 6000 words (including references and case study)
  • Use Arial font size 12 and double line spacing
  • Use of headings encouraged to enhance clarity of presentation, headings should be bold and justified against left margin
  • Any figures or images should be provided as separate digital files, be of high quality (minimum resolution 1500 pixels in JPEG/PDF/ TIFF formats) and a callout should be inserted within the chapter to signify placement. Editable tables should be included within the chapter. If tables, images, figures are not your own work, permission must be obtained prior to usage from the copyright holder. It is the author’s responsibility to obtain this and provide permission evidence when submitting the chapter (e.g. letter, email etc.). No permission would result in non-inclusion.
  • Use of English spelling, punctuation and grammar conventions throughout
  • Use of Harvard Referencing style in citations and reference list

Chapter structure

  • Author biography (maximum 50 words)
  • Author name, affiliation and ORCID identification (if relevant)
  • Chapter title (short and concise)
  • Abstract (unstructured, max 200 words, must include purpose, literature review, methodology, key findings, implications and 5 keywords)
  • Chapter highlights (3-4 points)
  • Main text
    • Introduction
    • Literature review
    • Methodology and data collection
    • Findings / Discussion
    • Contribution, implications, limitations, future directions (i.e. research agenda or questions to prompt reader reflection and action).
  • Case study (maximum 700 words)
  • References (Harvard Referencing)
  • Acknowledgements (if relevant)

Important Dates

  • 20 December 2025: Expression of interest (about 50-100 words)
  • 15 April 2026: Submission of chapter drafts
  • 25 August 2026: Submission of first revision
  • 15 October 2026: Submission of second revision
  • Mid-2027: book published

Editors:

CALL FOR CHAPTERS

The Business of Responsible Fashion

The Role of Technology and Innovation

Volume Editors: Suraksha Gupta and Ryan Guan
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Overview

We are pleased to invite chapter proposals for “The Business of Responsible Fashion: The Role of Technology and Innovation,” a volume in the multi-volume book set “The Business of Responsible Fashion.” This volume explores how technology and innovation can drive sustainability, transparency, and ethical practices in the fashion industry.

At a time when climate change, environmental concerns, changing international business landscapes, rapid technological advancement, and labor rights issues are forcing the fashion industry to realign with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, this book aims to provide valuable insights and actionable proposals for both researchers and industry stakeholders.

Scope and Topics

We welcome original research contributions, case studies, and conceptual papers that address the responsible use of technology in the fashion industry. The volume will focus on how technological innovations can address environmental and social challenges while fostering operational efficiency, sustainability, and transparency.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Sustainable Fashion Technology Innovation
  • Fashion Supply Chain Transparency and Traceability
  • Data-Driven Decisions for Sustainable Fashion
  • Circular Fashion and Recycling Technologies
  • Ethical AI and Machine Learning in Fashion
  • Fashion Technology for Engagement and Education
  • Fashion Technology for Ethical Labor Practices
  • Fashion Tech for Waste Reduction
  • Fashion Personalization and Customization with Technology
  • Fashion Technology for Environmental Impact Reduction
  • Virtual Fashion and Digital Fashion Platforms

Chapter structure

  • Author biography (maximum 50 words)
  • Author name, affiliation and ORCID identification (if relevant)
  • Chapter title (short and concise)
  • Abstract (unstructured, max 200 words, must include purpose, literature review, methodology, key findings, implications and 5 keywords)
  • Chapter highlights (3-4 points)
  • Main text
    • Introduction
    • Literature review
    • Methodology and data collection
    • Findings / Discussion
    • Contribution, implications, limitations, future directions (i.e. research agenda or questions to prompt reader reflection and action).
  • Case study (maximum 700 words)
  • References (Harvard Referencing)
  • Acknowledgements (if relevant)

Important Dates

  • 20 December 2025: Expression of interest (about 50-100 words)
  • 15 April 2026: Submission of chapter drafts
  • 25 August 2026: Submission of first revision
  • 15 October 2026: Submission of second revision
  • Mid-2027: book published

Submission Procedure: Please submit your abstract as a Word document using the submission link given below:

Contact Information

For inquiries regarding this call for chapters, please contact:

Suraksha Gupta: s.gupta@fashion.arts.ac.uk
Ryan Guan: y.guan@fashion.arts.ac.uk

The Business of Responsible Fashion

Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals

A De Gruyter Book Edited by Prof Suraksha Gupta and Gabriela Daniels

Invitation to contribute a book chapter

The Book Series

The Business of Responsible Fashion is a multi-volume book set that explores the critical role that fashion and its related sectors must play in creating resilient, sustainable, and ethical business models. At a time when pressing grand challenges such as climate change and other environmental issues, the present reconfiguration of international business and trade, the rapid emergence of AI and other new technologies, and concerns about labor and human rights are forcing companies to re-orientate their practices to align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, fashion is at the center of many debates in both academia and business.

The book set will delve into issues like fast fashion, ethical sourcing, the circular economy, the use of sustainable materials, fair labor practices such as eradicating modern day slavery, carbon emissionsand the excessive use of natural resources such as water, providing clear and actionable proposals for future research while offering tools and indicators to enable businesses to transition from traditional and exploitative practices to responsible and sustainable models that engage multiple stakeholders. The emergence of new technologies such as AI will open new doors and create new spaces for creativity by removing the hurdles at the intersection of innovation and economic growth in the fashion and its related sectors. It is now important to rethink and create new business models that incorporate responsibility from the bottom up rather than simply bolting on sustainability when this is forced on companiesby regulatory frameworks.

This book series is a call for managerial action that aims to redefine the fashion industry through innovation, technology, and stakeholder partnerships, while supporting the preservation of culture and heritage through branding, reputation, and identity. With contributions from world-class academics that are thought leaders in their specific fields, this multi-volume book set will provide highly valuable insights for researchers, while addressing stakeholder concerns and real-life issues.

The Current Book

This volume aims to raise awareness amongst the fashion related sectors and its stakeholder community about the wide-ranging sustainability challenges the industry creates and faces. Enabling stakeholder understanding will empower businesses to develop norms, policies and best practices in addressing the SDGs. The fashion industry can play a significant role in addressing many of the challenges posed by the SDGs has been highlighted by many scholars and practitioners. Considering the impact that the industry has, disparate stakeholders advocate that the fashion related sectors should integrate many of the SDGs into their strategies and practices. These include: Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12(, Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).

This book will offer theoretical insights and practical cases that will be relevant to the academic community, practitioners (particularly supply chain managers), and other stakeholders such as policymakers, NGOs and consumer groups and be a vital resource for those who are interested in ensuring that their engagement with the fashion industry is responsible, transparent, and sustainable.

Both scholars and practitioners have highlighted the role that the fashion industry can
play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Considering the impact
that the fashion industry has, many stakeholders are demanding the adoption of
responsible business practices that align with the SDGs. Integrating these goals into
practice can enable managers to contribute to the achievement of SDGs and reduce
the social and environmental impacts of their activities for global stakeholders.

Following list is indicative of topics this volume aims to include, but not restricted to:

  1. Health and Well-being (SDG 3)
  2. Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)
  3. Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)
  4. Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
  5. Climate Action (SDG 13)
  6. Life on Land (SDG 15)
  7. Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS
Word count per chapter: about 5,000-6,000 (including abstract and references)

We encourage chapters that present original research that contributes to knowledge, supports research-oriented teaching, and is relevant to policymakers. Empirical research and case studies, using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods as well as research based on secondary data is welcome. We will not accept literature reviews.

Figures and tables will be printed in greyscales; colours may be included for the
electronic book version

Suggested chapter structure:
– Title of chapter
– Abstract (100 words)
– Key take-away points (about 3-5)
– Main text (5000 words), with a suggested typical structure of:
o Introduction
o Related work
o Methodology
o Findings and results
o Discussion and conclusion
– Case study (800-1000 words) (Preferred but Optional)
– References
TIMELINE

  • 20 December 2025: Expression of interest (about 50-100 words)
  • 15 April 2026: Submission of chapter drafts
  • 25 August 2026: Submission of first revision
  • 15 October 2026: Submission of second revision
  • 2027: book published

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