Small, local, open, connected: exploring cosmopolitan localism in sustainable fashion design

Abstract

The fashion design sector stands to gain from embracing cosmopolitan localism (CL), allowing designers to merge global trends with local cultures. This strategy fosters distinct, sustainable identities that resonate with their communities. This literature review focused on sustainable fashion design practices, searching the literature in databases that included Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, SpringerLink and ScienceDirect. The review emphasizes the relationship between traditional craftsmanship, innovation and minimizing environmental impact through global and local collaborations. Of 169 articles that met the basic eligibility criteria—focusing on sustainable practices such as ethical sourcing and consumer engagement— only five authors discussed CL. This reveals a notable gap in the literature regarding the in-depth application and evaluation of CL in sustainable fashion design. Nonetheless, key principles are apparent, such as strengthening supply chain connections to promote ethical practices, fair wages and sustainable sourcing; fostering meaningful consumer relationships through narrative-driven brand communication and values-based messaging to build brand loyalty and encourage lasting purchasing behaviours; and participating in global sustainability initiatives while remaining informed about best practices and industry standards. This clarifies how supply chain dynamics and consumer engagement impact sustainable fashion. This review examines recent applications of small, local, open, and connected (SLOC) principles in sustainability research, emphasizing their role in adapting global influences on local cultures and values. Furthermore, it emphasizes the interrelations among supply chain dynamics, consumer engagement and global sustainability frameworks in promoting a more sustainable fashion industry.