Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Luxury fashion and sustainability have long been seen as opposing forces: luxury is linked to exclusivity and excess, while sustainability emphasizes sufficiency and responsibility. However, sustainability can become the new luxury by embracing craftsmanship, durability, and ethical production, aligning with rather than contradicting luxury’s core values. The rise of slow fashion, reinforced by the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), presents a strategic opportunity to redefine luxury. Circular design, local sourcing, and advanced maintenance services allow brands to meet consumer demand for conscious consumption while positioning themselves as sustainability leaders within an evolving regulatory landscape. Although high-income consumers are associated with overconsumption, middle-income Millennials and Gen Z may drive the redefinition of luxury through intentional purchasing behaviors. These consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability and ethical craftsmanship, creating demand for high-end sustainable goods. However, challenges persist, including the perception of sustainability as a secondary purchasing motive. Slow fashion has the potential to disrupt traditional luxury paradigms, but success depends on brands fully integrating sustainability and sufficiency into their business models.
Author: Kim Sandy Eichler
Institution: The Chicago School
Language: English
Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4413499016