# Fast fashion and sustainability: Can fast-fashion become sustainable? The manufacturers’ viewpoint in Pakistan

Sultan Shaked Khan, Carole Poirel

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Sultan Shaked Khan, Carole Poirel. Fast fashion and sustainability: Can fast-fashion become sustainable? The manufacturers’ viewpoint in Pakistan. PROLOG Project Logistic, 8th edition of the International Conference on Project & Logistics, "Supply chain and Project management in the New Normal", Université de Lorraine; IAE Metz School of Management, Apr 2025, MARRAKECH - MO-ROCCO, Morocco. hal-05516611

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# Fast fashion and sustainability: Can fast-fashion become sustainable?

## The manufacturers' viewpoint in Pakistan

Sultan Shaked KHAN, docteur en Sciences de Gestion, ATER à l'Université de Cergy Est Créteil, LIPHA

Carole POIREL, professeure en Sciences de Gestion, Aix-Marseille Université, Cret-Log

## Summary

Fast-fashion is accused of being a particularly polluting industry, with little respect for social rights. Relocated to Asian countries, it is constantly bringing out new models of low-cost clothing under the stewardship of major Western brands, which consumers are still crazy about. Is fast-fashion capable of sustainable development?

This article takes up the challenges of sustainable development in this industry, situating them within a supplychain approach that takes account of relationships between customers and suppliers. It is original in that it adopts the point of view of manufacturers working in Pakistan on behalf of major Western brands. The aim of the research is to identify the sustainable practices put in place by the latter and to pinpoint their specific features.

Using a qualitative approach based on 27 semi-structured interviews with Pakistani manufacturers, three main findings were uncovered: manufacturers' awareness of sustainable development, the weight of the economic costs of sustainability, and the importance of vertical partnerships with brands. These results are part of a neo-institutional problematic centered on the duality between profit logic and sustainable logic. The main lesson to be learned from this work is to highlight a certain form of reconciliation of these two logics, driven by manufacturers' economic efforts, which principals are demanding but probably not yet supporting sufficiently.

**Keywords:** fast-fashion, sustainable fast-fashion, supply-chain, sustainable supply-chain, Pakistan

## Introduction

The textile industry, and even more so fast-fashion and ultra-fast-fashion, has been identified as one of the world's most polluting industries. With brands such as Primark, H&M and Zara, or Kiabi, Auchan and Leclerc, new clothing models are constantly being brought to market, creating a high level of consumer dependency and a particularly high ecological and social cost. Manufactured at low cost in developing countries, mainly in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China), they are
sold at low prices in Western economies. Popularized in the 2000s by Zara, fast-fashion continued its development, becoming ultra-fast-fashion a decade later with Asos and BooHoo. In just a few years, Shein has become a global fashion giant, putting new products online every day in small quantities (around 100 to 200 units) before increasing production of such and such references according to real-time customer feedback. In this way, the textile industry produces more and more clothing, in total disconnection with the economic, social and ecological needs of society as a whole. How can we reduce the environmental impact of fast-fashion? This article aims to make a modest contribution to this important social issue. It looks specifically at the sustainable development practices adopted by Pakistani manufacturers working for major Western brands within globalized supply-chains. These practices are subject to a dual injunction - that of profitability and that of sustainability - which is contradictory in many respects: how can we succeed in producing so many products at controlled costs while polluting less and guaranteeing basic social rights for workers? As Elkington (1998) points out with his famous Triple Bottom Line, sustainable development calls on players to take steps that combine environmental, social and economic considerations. But it is often difficult to reconcile them, and fast-fashion is a case in point. The perspective adopted in this article focuses on the productive dimension and the relationships between manufacturers and customers within the supply chain.

To understand sustainable practices in international fast-fashion garment factories, we first present the theoretical positioning of our research within neo-institutional theories (1). Next, the methodological approach (2) is outlined, based on semi-structured interviews with managers of these workshops in Pakistan. Finally, the results (3) are discussed, before moving on to the contributions and limits of the work carried out in conclusion.

# 1. Theoretical perspective

## 1.1 Neo-institutional theories

The theoretical approach to sustainability falls broadly into two main paradigms, one stemming from contractual theories of the firm based on an economic approach to the organization as a nexus of contracts, and the other using the prism of neo-institutional sociological theories and conventions to shed light on the quest for conformity with society's dominant values and legitimization strategies. This article is positioned within this second paradigm. It considers that environmental conditions cannot be separated from the actors' representations of them, and that they incorporate the dominant values of the societal context in which corporate activities take place. Managers thus conform, consciously or unconsciously, to the rules, norms and values of the environment, under the pressure of various constraints imposed by law or regulation, or decreed by professional circles, or even as a kind of organizational model to be followed by mimetic behavior (Di Maggio and Powell, 1983).

In addition to rules and norms, neo-institutional theory also relies on power relations and, in particular, the notion of legitimacy as defined by Weber (1971). Legitimacy is based on actors' adherence to the rational-legal, traditional or charismatic nature of power. Neo-institutional theories draw particularly on the rational-legal dimension of legitimacy, based on the belief in the force of law and regulations, to assert the importance of institutions as stable systems.
Last but not least, there are interpretive schemas, understood as grids for reading the world that actors use to understand their environment. Thus, the adoption of sustainable practices by fast-fashion suppliers can be understood as the result of a combination of pressures from regulatory structures, government agencies, the courts, the professions, interest groups and public opinion (Scott, 1987). These actors act as stakeholders in Freeman's (1984) sense. Manufacturers comply with expectations out of legal compulsion or respect for the rules. If they fail to do so, they expose themselves to legal or reputational risk.

## 1.2 Sustainable practices and a sustainable supply chain

A practice is defined as a set of activities designed to achieve a goal and thus produce a result. It is also defined as a certain way of carrying out said activities and demonstrating know-how. In strategy, practice refers to policy in its various functional variations (pricing policy, product policy, etc.), as opposed to strategy, which takes a cross-functional, holistic approach. The practice is thus rooted in operational management. It takes on a sustainable character when it meets the objectives of sustainable development as defined by the United Nations in 2015, responding to human needs, respecting the conditions for the reproduction of ecosystems and fairness in social relations.

We situate manufacturers' sustainable practices within the framework of the supply-chain and, more precisely, the sustainable supply-chain as defined by Srivastasa (2007) among other authors (notably Zhu et al. 2005; Ahi and Searcy, 2013): "integrating environmental thinking into supply-chain management, including product design, material sourcing and selection, manufacturing processes, delivery of the final product to the consumers as well as end-of-life management of the product after its useful life" (p.54-55). Within the sustainable supply chain, sustainable practices particularly concern design, purchasing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, transport and return logistics. They include the social dimension of work, with human resources management sensitive to inclusion and diversity, which we have chosen not to develop in this article for lack of space.

Manufacturers' perception of the sustainable supply chain is a prerequisite for ensuring the sustainability of the entire fast-fashion industry. Indeed, no single member of a supply chain can be committed to sustainability alone. The success of the approach requires the involvement of all participants. This need for cohesion and cooperation was put forward by Cooper et al (1997) to define the essence of supply chain management, and it is even more important when it comes to a sustainable supply chain.

Finally, the supply-chain offers an inter-organizational analytical framework capable of accounting for the power relations dear to neo-institutional theories. In fast-fashion, manufacturers have little bargaining power vis-à-vis brands. There are two main reasons for this. On the one hand, the predominance of the downstream tends to confer a power advantage on customers in distribution channels generally speaking, whatever the sector of activity (Palmatier et al., 2019). On the other hand, the relationship between actors is expressed between suppliers from developing countries and Western brands in a way that is specific to fast-fashion. This is one of the foundations of sustainable development, as set out in the 1987 Brundtland Report, which calls for the countries of the North, largely responsible for the damage caused to nature, and the countries of the South, which remain the most economically and socially deprived, to think and act together (United Nations, 1987).
## 2. Methodological approach

A qualitative approach was chosen to identify the sustainable practices of fast-fashion manufacturers, as well as their drivers and inhibitors. Interviews with actors closest to the conditions and constraints of the clothing industry were required to develop an in-depth, comprehensive approach (Miles and Huberman, 1994). Following the literature review and synthesis of documents on the fast-fashion sector, an interview guide was designed, based on five main themes: the respondent's role and experience, the company's business activities and strategies, purchasing and supplier relationship management, the company's social policy and human resources management, and customer relationship strategies and commitment.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2024 with 27 managers from Pakistan's fast-fashion industry. These managers and their companies were identified through APTMA (All Pakistan Textile Mills Association), an association of over 200 Pakistani textile companies. Despite their intimate knowledge of the country and easy access to a number of garment factories, it wasn't easy to get appointments. The theme probably deterred a number of potential contacts. There is therefore a bias in the selection of respondents. However, we can assume that those who agreed to take part in the survey are aware of the sustainable development challenges facing their business, and are therefore representative of fast-fashion manufacturers involved in sustainable development initiatives.

In addition, these managers all have considerable seniority in their field, ranging from 7 to 55 years, with an average of 15 years. The interviews lasted 45 minutes on average. They were all transcribed in full for the purposes of thematic content analysis. N'Vivo software was used to analyze the data. Defined *a priori*, the themes were those of the interview grid, to which new themes were added (see appendix 1). These new themes come from the breakdown of themes present in the interview grid (for example, the theme of purchasing management and supplier relations). Or they are genuinely new, emerging from the data analysis, such as crisis management in a social sustainable perspective.

## 3. Research results

### 3.1 Widespread awareness, driven by brands

A first major finding is that almost all our respondents are familiar with sustainable development, and are able to give a definition or state the key elements, positioning themselves in the approach as responsible suppliers to a supply chain. "Responsibility for ecological and social effects within the fast fashion industry is a shared responsibility between manufacturers, buyers, customers and regulatory bodies ... While we can play a crucial role by implementing sustainable practices and reducing environmental impact" (respondent 22).

They report on a positive trajectory that has enabled them to adopt sustainable practices for several years in a variety of areas: decarbonization and use of alternative energies, waste management and recycling, improved working conditions, etc. (These practices are listed in Appendix 2 for what concerns the production dimension). But they are also aware of how far we still have to go, the efforts we need to make and the changes we need to make in the future. "It will never stop here, after that maybe anything new has to be done" (respondent 2).
Suppliers' approach to sustainable development is driven by brands. While they stress the importance of partnership and joint efforts in the success of this approach, they also emphasize the key role of customers, from whom they expect instructions and development guidelines. "*Buyer do educate you, and then you put your efforts to learn the new things. The role of buyer is very important, he brings the change, he teaches and informs you and it brings improvement* (respondent 1)". But suppliers aren't passive. They work on continuous process improvement and innovation. "*We continually evaluate our facilities and processes to identify areas for improvement and innovation [...] optimizing layout and work flow for better ergonomics and further enhancing safety measures to minimize risks and hazards*" (respondent 21)". "*We have worked on lean manufacturing, efficiency improvement ...*" (respondent 17).

A strong incentive to adopt sustainable practices comes from third-party audits. Customers commission experts to verify the manufacturer's production capacity and assess the quality of its operating standards. They make this a condition of partnership: "*Until or unless they don't get their assurances they do not proceed with partnerships. Only after they are satisfied, they buy from your company*" (respondent 1). However, the terms and conditions vary from one supplier to another. While some mention the trust their customers place in them once an annual audit has been carried out, others are subject to regular inspections of their production sites.

## 3.2 Sustainability in fast-fashion garment factories: a real boon for manufacturers!

Manufacturers consider sustainability to be particularly costly. That's why they prefer measures that are both sustainable and profitable. Sustainability increases the cost of chemicals used to dye or bleach fabrics, for example, without increasing profits. Some respondents pointed out that the additional costs of introducing sustainable practices were not shared by customers, and fell entirely on their shoulders. "*They don't share any kind of cost*" (respondent 17). "*Before, it was a shape of a premium but now by default it is a part of the contract*" (respondent 2). The power advantage enjoyed by brands thus penalizes manufacturers' operating conditions. Fearful of losing their market, they accept the costs and investments required, to the detriment of their margins and profits.

As one respondent put it: "*The brands are selling the slogan of being more sustainable and the customers are buying it. But he real picture is different. So, therefore I must recommend that brands must help their suppliers by giving the profit margin with which we can move forward and become more sustainable. This will help all the stakeholders, the brands, suppliers, customers and more importantly the earth system*" (respondent 4).

While suppliers bear the full economic (and social) cost of sustainability, they also face other obstacles to progressing towards more virtuous practices. First and foremost, one of our respondents confided in us that he had marketing studies on consumer fashion preferences, but he was the exception in our sample. Most manufacturers design and produce garments without a strategic vision of consumer expectations. Secondly, access to technology and new production processes is not easy in a developing country like Pakistan. And when manufacturers do innovate, they are not always in a position to effectively protect their discoveries with patents. Last but not least, staff turnover can be a handicap in maintaining sustainable production efforts within a company, and this can affect both workers on the shop floor and managers who have instilled a dynamic of change.
### 3.3 Brand partnerships drive manufacturers' sustainable practices

Interviews with manufacturers don't just paint a negative picture of their relationships with brands! The reality of business within the supply chain is marked by duality, made up of both cooperation and conflict. A positive image of these relationships is given by manufacturers when they talk about partnerships with their customers. These are long-term partnerships, ranging from 10 to 25 years depending on the case, with beneficial effects on the long-term viability of the companies and the growth of their markets.

"The influence of our buyers on our business extends mere transactions. Their engagement impacts our recruitment, operations and distribution strategies. For instance, understanding their needs helps us tailor our recruitment efforts to attract talent aligned with our buyer's expectations. Operationally, their demands shape our production processes and supply chain logistics (respondent 16)". Contracts contain specific clauses on sustainable development and environmental protection, linked to the certifications that manufacturers must obtain at the request of their customers (ISO 140001, 90001, OEKO-TEX, CTPAT or WRAP for Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production, one of the world's largest factory certification programs for manufacturers of garments, footwear and other sewn products). As this manufacturer notes, brands have a wide perimeter of observation of their partners' activities: "Our buyers are concerned about almost everything. What we do, how we do and where we do and the materials and labor rights, everything (respondent 15)".

The partnership takes place against a backdrop of other stakeholders, which suppliers were quick to mention during our interviews. Consumers, for example. "Fashion has become sustainable fashion and even customers are more aware which was not the case in past (respondent 17)". They see stakeholders as supporters in their efforts to achieve greater sustainability. "In addition to our sustained efforts, we advocate for industry-wide collaboration, regulatory support, and heightened consumer awareness to expedite progress toward a more sustainable future for the fashion industry" (respondent 24)".

### Conclusion

The neo-institutional approach sheds light on how fast-fashion manufacturers are responding to the various pressures associated with sustainable development. They are committed to production practices that comply with the standards and requirements prevailing in the sector, and which are driven within the supply chain by the brands. The latter implement codes of conduct, supplier auditing systems and ecological initiatives to meet society's expectations and gain legitimacy. The partnership between manufacturers and brands takes place in the inter-organizational context of the supply chain over the long term, enabling practices to be assessed together and helped to evolve towards greater sustainability. Despite these encouraging signs, research reveals that the economic costs of sustainability are borne primarily by the latter. The predominance of brands over manufacturers is an important explanatory factor. At the time the interviews with manufacturers were conducted (first half of 2024), Pakistan was experiencing political instability and economic crisis, which probably played an aggravating role in the responses obtained. Despite this context, serious progress can still be seen in the adoption of sustainable practices in Pakistan's fast-fashion industry. What remains to be done is to cover the social aspect of sustainable development, in addition to the economic and productive aspects discussed in this article.
## References

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## Appendix 1: List of topics - Research results

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## Appendix 2: Details of Production processes and practices - Research results

<table><thead><tr><th>Category</th><th>Sub-category</th><th>Concepts</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="11">Production Practices</td><td rowspan="5">Processes and Resourcing and Procurement</td><td>Raw material vendors</td></tr><tr><td>Sourcing criteria</td></tr><tr><td>Warehouse management</td></tr><tr><td>Material quality and quantity management</td></tr><tr><td>Systematic process of material utilization</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Manufacturing Process</td><td>Material hording</td></tr><tr><td>Manufacturing units</td></tr><tr><td>Units management</td></tr><tr><td>Knowledge sharing from managers to labor</td></tr><tr><td>Labor hierarchy</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Operation Management</td><td>Labor and machine handling and Supervisions</td></tr><tr><td>Quality controls</td></tr><tr><td>Process mapping</td></tr><tr><td>Capacity planning</td></tr><tr><td>Inventory management</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Distribution and Logistics</td><td>Production scheduling</td></tr><tr><td>Cost management</td></tr><tr><td>Risk management</td></tr><tr><td>Distribution channels</td></tr><tr><td>Transportation responsibility</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4"></td><td>Order fulfillment duration</td></tr><tr><td>Supply chain coordination</td></tr><tr><td>Risk responsibilities</td></tr><tr><td>Decision authority</td></tr></tbody></table>