Luxury fashion: A thematic analysis of environmental sustainability communications on U.S. retail websites

This study examines the current state of internet-based sustainability communication from leading luxury fashion brands. Corporate responsibility for sustainability is a growing concern for consumers and world organizations alike, as the impacts of corporate practices continue to contribute to a declining ecosystem. Sustainability communication is a relevant topic for practitioners and researchers who need to understand the state of the sustainability conversation within different industries. While the body of research into sustainability communication is growing, there is a lack of literature exploring web-based sustainability communication within the fashion industry, a leading industry in negative ecological impacts. This research employs a thematic analysis of textual-based content available on six leading luxury fashion brands’ U.S.-based corporate websites. Through repetitive thematic analysis, this research identifies key sustainability subject matter and communication approaches within the luxury fashion brands’ communications and explores how the subjects and themes interact. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on fashion sustainability communications and offers insights into what subjects luxury fashion brands value in sustainability and whether they effectively communicate their commitments and values. The research has practical implications for fashion communicators and marketers while advancing scholarly understanding of sustainability communication within the fashion industry.