ABSTRACT

For fashion, which is connected so intimately to our bodies, senses, emotions, and memories, value is more than a matter of cost. In order to illustrate the true value of fashion ‘radical transparency’ is framed as a tool through which brands can counter supply chain opacity and tell stories about the production of their garments. However, models of transparency often conceal more than they reveal. This article unpacks the concept of ‘radical transparency’ by exploring the differing approaches taken by three fashion brands: two large international brands and one boutique Australian label. It asks: how might radical transparency contribute to rethinking fashion value? By critically analysing the capacity for fashion businesses to communicate complex details of their supply chains to consumers who may suggest they want such information yet are also frequently overwhelmed by it, this article demonstrates the potential as well as the limits of transparency. It argues that while the degree to which models of transparency are ‘radical’ varies significantly, such methods of disclosure nevertheless introduce an important sense of openness to an industry otherwise defined by dislocated and difficult to trace modes of production.

摘要

对于与我们的身体、感官、情感和记忆如此密切相关的时尚而言，价值不仅仅是成本问题。为了说明时尚的真正价值，“彻底透明”被定义为一种工具，品牌可以通过它来应对供应链的不透明性并讲述有关其服装生产的故事。然而，透明度模型往往隐藏的多于揭示的。本文通过探索三个时尚品牌所采取的不同方法来解开“彻底透明”的概念：两个大型国际品牌和一个澳大利亚精品品牌。它问：彻底的透明度如何有助于重新思考时尚价值？通过批判性分析时尚企业向消费者传达其供应链的复杂细节的能力，消费者可能暗示他们想要此类信息，但也经常被它淹没，本文展示了透明度的潜力和局限性。它认为，虽然透明度模型的“激进”程度差异很大，但这种披露方法为一个行业引入了一种重要的开放感，否则该行业被定义为错位且难以追踪的生产模式。