Understanding fashion complexity through a systemic data approach

The role currently played by the fashion industry in contributing to the degradation of natural systems is increasingly being acknowledged. Acting, in terms of information flows, from a systemic perspective, not only represents a parametric adjustment, but also a reinforcement and a weakening of an existing cycle. This involves the generation of a new cycle, that is, of information, in a place where it was not previously present, and therefore induces different behaviour in people. The structure of information flows can act as an effective leverage in the fashion system if the information is delivered to where it was not available before, collected where it does not and used strategically to generate a change in people's behaviour. In the fashion system, where the information that circulates is sometimes unable to represent an ethical and social value, adding or restoring information can be seen as an important intervention, which is usually easier and less expensive than the reconstruction of physical assets. The aim of this paper has been to offer a perspective that deals with this complexity and aligns fashion with sustainability values through insights gained from data.