Sustainability Challenges in the Fashion Industry - Civilization Crisis, Decolonization, Cultural Legacy, and Transitions

Fashion, and the growth of fashion, are presented as the manifestation of a process of civilization, within a capitalist culture (capital understood as material possessions) that has become global and imperialist, of which - in an economic sense - the industry (or the fashion system?) functions as one of its main instruments of exploitation. And with respect to design, Arturo Escobar said:
'Can design detach itself from its roots in modernist practices of unsustainability and defuturization and reorient itself towards other commitments, practices, narratives and ontological enactions? Moreover, can design be part of the toolkit for the transition to the pluriverze (i.e. a world in which many worlds can fit)?'
This book presents the importance of cultural sustainability in the textiles and fashion industry, decolonizing fashion system and promotes the design for transitions.


Miguel Angel Gardetti (Ph.D.), founded the Centre for Sustainable Textile. He was guest co-editor for severals publications in journals and books and renowned professor at different Latin American universities. Between 2012 and 2015, he was also a member of the Consulting Board of the 'Future Fashion' Project of MISTRA (a Swedish government foundation that conducts research into environmental topics).  He participated in the activity 'Changing the World through Fashion,' organised by the United Nations for the 4th Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). He is an active member of the Global Compact in Argentina -which is a United Nations initiative-, and was a member of its governance body -the Board of The Global Compact, Argentine Chapter - for two terms. He was also part of the task force that developed the 'Management Responsible Education Principles' of the United Nations Global Compact. This task force was made up of over 55 renowned academics worldwide pertaining to top Business Schools.

Rosa Patricia Larios-Francia, PhD  in Strategic Management with specialization in Business Management and Sustainability by the Consortium of Universities, Master in Industrial Engineering by the Ricardo Palma University and Industrial Engineer by the University of Lima. With a specialization in innovation by the International Program of High Specialization in Innovation Management.  Researcher in the areas of innovation management, MSMEs management, cluster, biodiversity, sustainability, circular economy, humanitarian logistics, technology in the development of new materials and processes in the textile industry, fashion and handicrafts. She has been Director of the Textile Innovation Center of the University of Lima. Author of scientific articles and books on innovation, sustainability, fashion industry, handicrafts and small and medium enterprises. Professor at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering of the University of Lima. And at the Faculty of Design of the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. With more than twenty years of experience in executive positions in the textile manufacturing sector. Member ISO/TC 279 Innovation management /WG1 Innovation management System. ISO/TC 279/STTF Spanish translation task force innovation management Member ISO/TMBG/SAG_ESG Strategic Advisory Group on Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Ecosystem). Member ISO/TC 133 Clothing sizing system - size designation, size measurement methods and digital fittings. Chairman of the Technical Committee of Standardization - INACAL for Research, Technological Development and Innovation Management.  Secretary of the SC-CTN Apparel.   Member of the CTNs of MSMEs Management, Textiles and Apparel, and Quality Management and Assurance. Director of the Peru Chapter of the International Association of Innovation Professionals- IAOIP. Member of the Latin American Association of Technology and Innovation Management - ALTEC. Member of the Peruvian Association of Textile Technicians - APTT. Member of the Sustainable Fashion Cluster. Member of the Advisory Council of the Sustainable Fashion Association. Member of the International Alpaca Association.