Connect Project: A Global Learning Experience on Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

Hall, NA, Boorady, LM, Ledbury, L, Webster, K and Emerson, G (2015) Connect Project: A Global Learning Experience on Sustainability in the Fashion Industry. In: ITAA 2015 International Conference.

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Abstract

The challenge of understanding fashion supply chains, their operations, components, inter-connections and networks is a complex subject, further complicated by the current system, which creates over-consumption. Students must critically evaluate fashion businesses in the contexts of sustainability and social responsibility, which is a greater challenge still. The Connect project enabled participants to learn about the multifaceted apparel system first hand and report information and experiences to their peers through multimedia channels. Thus, it is connecting experiences and the opportunity for knowledge exchange by reflecting on lessons learned and sharing experiences collectively that becomes important to broadening students’ understanding of the fashion industry’s “big picture”. Connect provided a collaborative educational experience that debated the challenges of environmental impacts, over-consumption and ethics in the global apparel industry. It had the following objectives: 1. To generate interest and enquiry surrounding the issues which affect the global apparel industry, the environment in which we live and our future. 2. To better understand the scope and scale of the problems and challenges that face the apparel industry in creating a global sustainable future. 3. To encourage students to become active in the campaign for a sustainable future.