Preface

We approached the editing of this book on the fashion industry with a clear vision, formalized in the invitation to contribute.

Fashion is a lot more than providing an answer to primary needs. It is a way of distinction, of proclaiming a unique taste, and/or expressing the belonging to a group. Sometimes to an exclusive group. Currently, the fashion industry is moving towards hyperspace, to a multidimensional world that is springing from the integration of smart textiles and wearable technologies.

It is far beyond aesthetics, though new properties of smart textiles have allowed designers to experiment with astonishing forms and expressions. There are new functionalities made possible by the interactions between wearable technologies, fabrics, and the wearer.

There are also surprising contrasts and challenges: a new life for natural fibers, fabrics, and dyeing techniques, environmental friendliness, rediscovered by ecofashion, and "artificial apparel," made of microprocessors, sensors, and actuators. A movement begun by makers, startups, and microcompanies that today solicits the interest of famous fashion makers. Is the fashion industry taking profit from this revolution? How is this revolution affecting the strategies of the fashion industry?

With this spirit, we have selected scientific works capable of composing the multifaceted world of fashion in a single design.

Now, the outcome of the process is in your hands.

The theme of sustainability takes to the stage and becomes the protagonist of the first part of the book. Very complex issues, involving economic, social, and environmental aspects, are dealt with in two phases: initially, through three contributions on tools that allow companies to collect and provide evidence of their environmental motivation; therefore, through effective examples of the application of technologies and methodologies aimed at improving communication with consumers and eco-compatible solutions.

Chapter 1 discusses "Sustainability initiatives in the fashion industry," by Li Li, and proposes an itinerary in four steps: an overview of the most concerning environmental impacts caused by the fashion industry; current leading collective sustainability campaigns mobilizing the fashion industry; current available benchmarks and tools for measuring environmental impact of the textile lifecycle; and examples of how companies in the fashion industry are executing sustainability initiatives in their products or processes.

The goal of the second chapter, written by D.G.K. Dissanayake, is to provide a detailed and robust answer to the question that stands also as the title of the chapter: "Does mass customization enable sustainability in the fashion industry?" The starting point is the consideration of the dimension, in environmental form, of the evolution of the fashion industry, in particular due to the diffusion on fast fashion. The search for new business models seems to be the only way out. A promising consideration is the mass customization strategy and the author discusses the potential of this alternative, considering seven key elements that could possibly enhance sustainability. Innovation drives industry to ever cleaner and more efficient technologies. It's a matter of ethical management and of being able to provide evidence to clients and stakeholders.

Chapter 3, "Exploration of bamboo fabric with natural dyes for sustainability," by Kavita Chaudhary, shows the opportunity of bamboo viscose, a regenerated cellulosic fiber. The competitive advantages of bamboo as a provider of fiber, compared to other natural fibers, are described in terms of physical and chemical properties that contribute to the performance characteristics of fabrics. The chapter makes a comparative study of natural-dyed, printed bamboo, and cotton fabrics; it shows through a sequence of duly illustrated experiments the developing process of garments and natural-dyed bamboo fabric, thus providing an environmentally friendly and aesthetically challenging proposal.

The second part includes three chapters: two of them are focused on counterfeit. Pernicious behaviors, which are recorded with increasing concern, cause damage to consumers and to companies producing goods, in the parcel of luxury goods. Counterfeits are harmful both to the manufacturers of authentic products and to the buyers. The economic damage suffered by the company is direct, but it is only a small percentage of the reputational damage. The damage suffered by buyers is direct, when they believe they are buying a genuine product, and indirect for the problems that may be caused to their health when dangerous (and forbidden) substances have been used in the making process.

"The counterfeit market and the luxury goods," the fourth chapter, by Amélia Brandão, focuses on the counterfeit market, its influence on luxury consumption, and consumers' drivers for the counterfeit. The chapter also discusses innovative ways by which authenticity of luxury goods can be verified.

Erica Varese and Anna Claudia Pellicelli explore "The RFId technology for monitoring the supply chain and for fighting against counterfeiting. A fashion company case study" in Chapter 5. Their study involves an Italian company, Oscalito, which has adopted RFId technology as a valid support not only to monitor the supply chain, especially with reference to inventory management, waste disposal, logistics, and transport, but also to protect the Italian origin of production.

Chapter 6 contains a proposal sprung from our research team, joined by the academic spinoff company of the University of Torino, "Lo Scatol8 per la Sostenibilità srl." It describes the integration among devices inspired by the Internet of Things technologies and garments. The lifecycle thinking approach is applied to the evaluation of alternative fabric upcycling scenarios. In addition, wearable technologies make up a new dimension in the field of awareness raising. People, through the application of Scatol8's system, are allowed to witness their environmental consciousness, wearing interactive garments that extend the life of used products, even improving them. In the meantime, they contribute to the construction of maps of environmental quality, depending on the sensors that are hand stitched on the new garments.

We trust that you will be able to find interesting topics and ideas to further explore what you are most passionate about. We express our gratitude to all the authors with

**V**

whom we have opened a collaborative and fruitful dialog, which we hope will meet

**Riccardo Beltramo** University of Torino,

**Annalisa Romani** University of Firenze,

**Paolo Cantore** University of Torino,

Torino, Italy

Torino, Italy

Lo Scatol8 per la Sostenibilità srl,

Lo Scatol8 per la Sostenibilità srl. Firenze, Italy

with the favorable opinion of the readers.

whom we have opened a collaborative and fruitful dialog, which we hope will meet with the favorable opinion of the readers.

> **Riccardo Beltramo** University of Torino, Lo Scatol8 per la Sostenibilità srl, Torino, Italy

**Annalisa Romani** University of Firenze, Lo Scatol8 per la Sostenibilità srl. Firenze, Italy

> **Paolo Cantore** University of Torino, Torino, Italy

**IV**

evolution of the fashion industry, in particular due to the diffusion on fast fashion. The search for new business models seems to be the only way out. A promising consideration is the mass customization strategy and the author discusses the potential of this alternative, considering seven key elements that could possibly enhance sustainability. Innovation drives industry to ever cleaner and more efficient technologies. It's a matter of ethical management and of being able to provide evidence

Chapter 3, "Exploration of bamboo fabric with natural dyes for sustainability," by Kavita Chaudhary, shows the opportunity of bamboo viscose, a regenerated cellulosic fiber. The competitive advantages of bamboo as a provider of fiber, compared to other natural fibers, are described in terms of physical and chemical properties that contribute to the performance characteristics of fabrics. The chapter makes a comparative study of natural-dyed, printed bamboo, and cotton fabrics; it shows through a sequence of duly illustrated experiments the developing process of garments and natural-dyed bamboo fabric, thus providing an environmentally friendly

The second part includes three chapters: two of them are focused on counterfeit. Pernicious behaviors, which are recorded with increasing concern, cause damage to consumers and to companies producing goods, in the parcel of luxury goods. Counterfeits are harmful both to the manufacturers of authentic products and to the buyers. The economic damage suffered by the company is direct, but it is only a small percentage of the reputational damage. The damage suffered by buyers is direct, when they believe they are buying a genuine product, and indirect for the problems that may be caused to their health when dangerous (and forbidden)

"The counterfeit market and the luxury goods," the fourth chapter, by Amélia Brandão, focuses on the counterfeit market, its influence on luxury consumption, and consumers' drivers for the counterfeit. The chapter also discusses innovative

Erica Varese and Anna Claudia Pellicelli explore "The RFId technology for monitoring the supply chain and for fighting against counterfeiting. A fashion company case study" in Chapter 5. Their study involves an Italian company, Oscalito, which has adopted RFId technology as a valid support not only to monitor the supply chain, especially with reference to inventory management, waste disposal, logistics,

Chapter 6 contains a proposal sprung from our research team, joined by the academic spinoff company of the University of Torino, "Lo Scatol8 per la Sostenibilità srl." It describes the integration among devices inspired by the Internet of Things technologies and garments. The lifecycle thinking approach is applied to the evaluation of alternative fabric upcycling scenarios. In addition, wearable technologies make up a new dimension in the field of awareness raising. People, through the application of Scatol8's system, are allowed to witness their environmental consciousness, wearing interactive garments that extend the life of used products, even improving them. In the meantime, they contribute to the construction of maps of environmental quality,

We trust that you will be able to find interesting topics and ideas to further explore what you are most passionate about. We express our gratitude to all the authors with

to clients and stakeholders.

and aesthetically challenging proposal.

substances have been used in the making process.

ways by which authenticity of luxury goods can be verified.

and transport, but also to protect the Italian origin of production.

depending on the sensors that are hand stitched on the new garments.

Section 1

Fashion and Sustainability

1

Section 1
