The global fashion market has changed profoundly, moving towards a trend of overproduction; this is among other factors in the development of the fast fashion industry which has had significant growth over the last two decades. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the fashion industry had a global revenue estimated between 1.7$ trillion and 2.5$ trillion with an evaluated decline around the 18 and 20 percent after the pandemic.[1] The rise of these particular market segments has changed the dynamics of the fashion market, including the massive use of low labor costs, poor quality of materials, and thus low selling prices. The market of fashion is highly competitive, showing the tendency to the shortened life cycle of a product and have a higher margin from sales[2]. Hence, the mass-production of clothing has led to the increasing production of waste creating an ambiguous supply chain with intensified pollution, productivity and low salaries as the driver of success. Thus, the fashion industry generates up to 10% of global climate impact, this industry alone accounts for 6.7% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. 

The necessity of having a more sustainable fashion market combined with the need to create an inclusive policy of integration into the labour market is the heart of the case study we are going to analyze.

This paper illustrates the innovative “Progetto Quid”, an Italian-based social enterprise in the Fashion industry.

[1] Euromonitor International, a market research provider & McKinsey report 'State of Fashion 2022: An uneven recovery and new frontiers'. Source: McKinsey analysis 2019

[2] Bhardwaj V. & Fairhurst A., Fast fashion: response to changes in the fashion industry, The international review of retail, Distribution and Consumer research, Vol. 20, No. 1, February 2010.