Creating Responsible and Inclusive Fashion Brand Narratives: Theory and Practice

This book introduces the theories and frameworks necessary to drive meaningful social change in fashion brand communication, illustrating their applications with examples of brands that prioritize social justice, decolonization, and environmental sustainability in their practices and communication strategies.

Drawing on social, consumer, and cultural theories--such as Indigenous dress theory, circularity, fat liberation, and social reproduction--this book encourages students to think critically about brand communication in ways that are relevant, impactful, and aimed at transforming discourse and ideologies, rather than focusing solely on products.

Through case studies ranging from Polo Ralph Lauren’s collaboration with Indigenous weaver Naiomi Glasses to material regeneration at Veja, the authors demonstrate how these narratives can be applied in practice while raising ethical questions about transparency and authenticity in fashion brand messaging. Readers will not only gain an understanding of why more inclusive and equitable brand narratives are essential but also develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to analyze, interpret, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of fashion brand storytelling.

Creating Responsible and Inclusive Brand Narratives will be of interest to advanced students of Fashion Communication, Marketing and Brand Management.

Emily Huggard is Assistant Professor of Fashion Communication at Parsons School of Design, New York, USA.