Sustainability and the Social Fabric: Europe’s New Textile Industries

Description

Book blurb: While the topic of sustainability in textile manufacture has been the subject of considerable research, much of this is limited to a focus on materials and practices and their ecological impact. Padovani and Whittaker offer a unique exploration of the textile industry in Europe from the perspective of social sustainability, shifting the focus from the materiality of textile production to the industry’s relationships with the communities from which the products originate. Featuring six in-depth case studies from design entrepreneurs, artisans and textile businesses around Europe, from Harris Tweed in Scotland to luxury woollen mills in Italy, Sustainability and the Social Fabric explores how new centres of textile manufacturing have emerged from the economic decline in 2008, responding creatively and producing socially inclusive approaches to textile production. Case studies each represent a different approach to social sustainability and are supported by interviews with industry leaders and comparisons to the global textile industry. Demonstrating how some companies are rebuilding the local social fabric to encourage consumer participation through education, enterprise, health and wellbeing, the book suggests innovative business models that are economically successful and also, in turn, support wider societal issues. Essential reading for students of textiles, fashion, design and related subjects, this book will demonstrate how a business ecosystem that focuses on inclusive growth and social innovation can lead to sustained mutual benefit for textile industries and their local communities. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Figures List of Contributors Preface Acknowledgments Introduction The challenges of a socially sustainable textiles and fashion industry Plustex: An evidence-based approach Chapter structure Notes 1. Museums and the knowledge economy: Developing competitive advantage for the future Museums and the manufacturing regions: Culture, tradition, and heritage Museums as knowledge transfer hubs Innovation hubs and museum leadership Conclusion: Knowledge hubs, networks, and social sustainability Interview with Eulalia Morral i Romeu, CDMT, Terrassa, Spain, November 25, 2014 Interview with Filippo Guarini, Museo del Tessuto, Prato, Italy, October 29, 2015 Notes 2. Weaving a social structure: Achieving specialist distinction Social responsibility as a driver of economic and social development Rethinking authenticity as a commercial value through the narrative of a community’s special labor Innovation, the narrative of making, and a shared understanding of value Product narrative and socially sustainable enterprise Conclusion: Authentic narrative, economic value, and an industry sensitive to social sustainability Interview with Jordi Purrà, manager, and Sofi a Agerberth, export manager at Teixidors, Terrassa, Barcelona, November 25, 2014 Notes 3. Collaborative leadership, provenance, and the power of place Social sustainability: Importance of leadership, the value of the network, and mutual recognition of authentic experience Harris Tweed as a weaving cluster: The provenance, the history, and the product Planning a shared vision for Harris Tweed Collaboration and leadership as tools for the empowerment for socially and economically fragmented textile manufacturing communities The innovation gap or Valley of Death: The US and the European Union’s challenges in translating knowledge base into marketable goods and services Conclusion: Value of the network and value for the community Notes 4. Enterprise and social value: Responsible innovation in the denim industry The drive for innovation and the value of the workforce Optimization and the duty of care The added value of innovation Conclusion: Creating shared value and societal benefi ts Interview with Vasco Pizarro, director of marketing, Pizarro, Guimaraes, Portugal, September 9, 2014 Notes 5. Social enterprise, creative arts, and community development for marginal or migrant populations The knowledge exchange initiative and incubating start-ups Empowerment and the value of social capital Empowering niche communities: Fashion Enter Business-driven, policy-driven, skill set initiatives Smart specialization: How the creative sector can have a positive social impact Social enterprise, creative arts, and community development as knowledge ecologies Conclusion: Social bricolage Interview with Jenny Holloway, CEO, Fashion Enter, London, March 11, 2016 Notes 6. Made in Italy: Reclaiming social heritage and artisan know-how Community know-how: Futuro Artigiano Social heritage: Sarti Forging a uniquely valuable identity: The value of community know-how to business Conclusion Interview with Roberto and Monica Sarti, Faliero Sarti, Prato, Italy, April 4, 2014 Notes Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index