What do garments communicate about sustainability? Sustainability communication through hidden sustainability messaging in the context of Saudi Arabia

Sustainability has become an increasingly discussed topic within Saudi Arabia, especially after the Saudi Vision 2030, which supports the move away from the dependency on the oil industry, and towards fostering entrepreneurial ventures in diverse sectors. Simultaneously, the country is undergoing a cultural shift, with females becoming vital assets in the workforce. Increased independence and empowerment have led to the rise of female entrepreneurial ventures, especially in the luxury fashion sector. The purpose of the qualitative inquiry is to explore the motivations of Saudi female luxury fashion entrepreneurs that drive them to convey sustainability messages through their businesses. It also aims to understand the strategies adopted by them for communicating sustainability-related messages to their target audience. The research findings are based on interviews with eighteen Saudi female luxury fashion entrepreneurs. Symbolic interactionism theory is used to explain the strategies of ‘hidden messaging’ using symbolism, motifs and creative designs that have both shared cultural and unique personal meaning to the target the audience. Thus, this article contributes to knowledge by not only extending current discussions surrounding sustainability communications but also providing a contextual contribution based on exploring Saudi Arabia as a representative of the Middle East.