RIGFB 2020 : Re-Imagining Global Fashion Business: New Models, Values and Ideas

Fashion is the world's second largest industry, a large-scale global employer encompassing agriculture, manufacturing, artisanal craftmanship, design, logistics and retail. Publicly considered and promoted as glamorously effortless, behind-the-scenes a large amount of preparation, planning and forecasting is made to engage global fashion consumers in the processes and culture of fashion driving desire and consumption. Increasingly, fashion is a global business sector, which is having to come up with answers and solutions for a range of challenges and opportunities; sometimes planned, sometimes spontaneously, often at a company rather than sector level. Yet is now the time to think, and act, more strategically? Are these now more a hindrance than a help to serving the needs and desires of fashion's consumers? What are the drivers behind fashion's challenges and opportunities? Does there need to be a full re-think of the processes and systems, which support the fashion sector? What new business models need to be evolved? What role does technology and sustainability play within this? Who are the new leaders and mentors to guide us in this?

Scholars and fashion business innovators are invited to submit applications for a 15-minute paper on the following key themes of the conference:

• New Fashion Retail Business Models and Strategies
• Modern Approaches to Fashion Marketing and Branding
• Local and Global Perspectives on Disrupting the Fashion Consumer
• Innovations in Fashion Technology and Digital
• Contemporary Innovations in Sustainability, Value Streams and the Circular Economy
• Culture, History and Artisanship in the Context of Global Fashion Business
• Leadership, Diversity and the Role of Mentors in Global Fashion Business Innovation

We invite proposals for 15-minute papers on the themes outlined here. Paper proposals should contain a short biography (max 60 words), extended abstract (max 1000 words) and up to 5 key words with full contact details including the email address(es) of the speaker(s). 

Proposals for A1-sized Poster Presentations to be exhibited during the conference focusing on fashion business ideas and innovations related to the same themes are also sought and should be outlined in a 500-word synopsis with biography and researcher/author details. 

Entries should be emailed as a Word.doc file to the conference organisers Nathaniel Dafydd Beard ([email protected]) and Ranjit Thind ([email protected]) by Friday 10th April 2020.