De Gruyter Handbook of Fashion Supply Chains and Operations

The topic of fashion supply chains and operations is dynamic and contemporary. It is a rapidly growing field of research that inspires new debates, opinions and approaches. In consequence, a handbook that synthesizes, challenges and moves forward current discourses is essential in advancing knowledge and understanding of this crucial area of research and practice. Unlike other collections, the handbook goes beyond existing works that are situated solely in the operations and supply chain domain by drawing on an international inter-disciplinary authorship. In doing so, it curates a state-of-the-art collection of important contributions that provides direction to scholars and graduate students in both teaching and research. Fashion supply chains and operations is an area of research and practice that has long inspired debate, being a critical business function responsible for getting products to consumers but often related to the challenges of sustainability, globalization, configuration and ethics. This handbook offers leading research findings that contribute to these debates and furthers the research agenda. Contemporary topics are debated, including the use of technology, blockchain and big data in fashion supply chains, reshoring, innovation and supply chain transparency. Other topics discussed include: entrepreneurship and management, including co-opetition, offering important insights in terms of how fashion supply chains are, and could be, operationalized. It also includes important debates around sustainability, and crucial topics including social and environmental sustainability, modern slavery, sustainability policy and ethics form a cornerstone of the inter-disciplinary dialogue that constitutes the handbook. This handbook offers an ambitious and stimulating range of chapters that include the works of leading international scholars, drawing on expertise and perspectives from the Global North and Global South.