About this Course

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Sometimes when we say we work with sustainable fashion people look at us like... "Mmmm, is it really possible for something like fashion to be sustainable?" And let's face it, people are right being suspicious. If anything the fashion industry has become increasingly unsustainable over the last decades, using more and more natural resources and creating more and more waste. 
In this course, we provide an overview of business model theory and discuss business models as essential tools in the transformation towards more sustainable businesses. Throughout the course, we will use business model theory as a foundation to look at how real-world fashion brands are adopting more sustainable ways of doing business. We will provide you with a rich opportunity to examine their efforts and consider strategies for your own organisation. Hopefully, you can also enlighten us with some local examples in your own countries for us to discover together new ways of dealing with sustainability. 

By the end of the course, you have an understanding of the overall challenges and potential solutions for businesses to become more sustainable. You will learn about the challenges and opportunities of implementing circular business models and we will introduce various tools that companies use to measure and report about sustainability. You will be able to think about business model theory in new ways and apply strategies to manage business model innovation towards sustainable practices. 

This is a very exciting time to be working in the fashion industry, so let's get started!

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Beginner Level

Approx. 5 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

You will broaden your knowledge on sustainable fashion, sustainable business models, circular economy and related concepts.
You will understand the challenges and opportunities brands face when they try to create or transition into sustainable business models.
You will learn the basic vocabulary and tools to discuss sustainable business models’ ideas and concepts in the context of fashion.
You will be inspired by case examples from the fashion industry, and learn the details of their innovative and sustainable business models.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 5 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.83/5 (248 Ratings)

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(6,102 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Introduction

We often meet people who love fashion! We also meet people who say they couldn't care less about fashion. Or people who find one pair of pants that they really like and then buy 10 pairs to make sure they have pants to wear for a few years. The fascinating thing about fashion is that everybody uses clothes every day. No matter where you live or how much money you have. It is something we all share. Therefore clothing is also an incredibly interesting starting point for a discussion about sustainability. It is something we can all relate to in one way or another. And as clothing is something we all wear, imagine the impact it could have if the fashion industry was to become more sustainable. In the last several years consumers have become increasingly aware of the unsustainable social and environmental practices of the fashion industry. To respond to this increase in critical consumers and survive as a business - also in the long term - fashion companies need to find more sustainable ways of doing business. In this module, you will meet representatives from the industry who will briefly introduce you to some of the fundamental challenges and opportunities for practicing sustainability. Moreover, you will meet us, Ana and Kirsti, who have the extreme pleasure of guiding you throughout this course.

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 3 min), 3 readings

Week2

Week 2

24 minutes to complete

Three Key Concepts

24 minutes to complete

3 videos (Total 14 min)

Week3

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Sustainable Business Models in Fashion

This module introduces you to a few inspirational brands and companies that work hard to create more sustainable business models. It will also provide a broad theoretical framework for sustainable business models and the differences between these models and traditional business models. At the end of it, you will hear the opinion of Elena Salcedo, a sustainable business model expert working for one of the biggest fashion brands in the world.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 13 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Circular Economy in Fashion

In this module, you will be introduced to the basic concepts that define the circular economy in general, and circular fashion in particular. You will be presented with the challenges that the fashion industry faces when trying to go circular. Following this introduction you will hear from our colleague Dr Kerli Kant Hvass, an expert on circular fashion. Finally Kirsti will introduce you to some pretty fascinating examples of circular companies in the fashion industry and you will meet MUD Jeans who is making a business of leasing and recycling jeans. We hope you will have fun!

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 24 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

Reviews

4.8

228 reviews

5 stars
82.72%
4 stars
14.84%
3 stars
1.81%
2 stars
0.30%
1 star
0.30%

TOP REVIEWS FROM SUSTAINABLE FASHION

by KBJun 29, 2022

I overall loved the detailed inforamtion and lectures provided in the course. I only would suggest there were more feedback regarding projects from instructors.

by DKFeb 5, 2020

very beneficial,

learnt a lot from the lecturers, also students reviews helps so much in getting an idea on different views about sustainability.

by DGJun 18, 2020

I loved this course and my only feedback would be that I wish it were longer. I wanted to keep learning and getting deeper fashion and sustainability.

by TCMay 27, 2020

A great insight for a beginner learning more about sustainable fashion. I truly enjoyed learning about ways that I can move forward with ethical and sustainable purchasing.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Sustainable Fashion