The challenge of “Depeche Mode” in the fashion industry – Does the industry have the capacity to become sustainable through circular economic principles, a scoping review

The fashion industry in its current linear business model of fast-fashion (“Depeche-Mode”) is one of today’s most unsustainable global businesses with textile production alone, significantly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions. This scoping review utilises systematic techniques to collect data that evidences research on environmental impacts of the fashion and textile industry. This review collates information on how a fashion industry that utilises circular economic principles, could influence behaviour towards reduced carbon emissions, energy consumption and pollution. This scoping review provides examples of how transitioning to a fashion industry using circular economic principles has potential to make the industry more sustainable. A circular fashion economy, its various models for regenerative design, leasing, recycling and repurposing of clothing and textiles along with innovations and strategies towards a circular fashion economy are considered via best practice examples in the review. This scoping review indicates that the future of fashion becoming circular can enable a low impact value chain; however, significant independent research into the fashion industry is required as most research to date is being conducted by the fashion industry itself. It concludes, on balance, that the fashion industry when utilising circular economic principles is capable of sustainable change, but further investigation is needed to fully elucidate how the fashion industry can meet key emissions targets, therefore reducing climate impact and enhancing sustainability. This scoping review paves the way for further independent research questions to be developed to determine if a new industry model can reach a specified target level of decarbonisation.