Sustainability in Textiles and Fashion – The Current Challenge

This paper is concerned with sustainability in textiles and fashion and identifies the problems and challenges faced by the international textile and fashion industry. Traditional product end uses as well as novel applications associated with the minority natural fibres such as jute, ramie and hemp are identified, and the potential advantages of focusing on developing the applicability of such in fashion applications is assessed. A series of strategic proposals, aimed at gaining attention in global textile and fashion markets, is presented.