Congratulations to GCNYC graduate Mollie Cline Shield for the successful completion of her thesis “Shades of Green: Unveiling the Structures and Processes of Greenwashing in Fashion.”
Mollie’s research investigates the inner workings of fashion organizations, exploring the underlying structures and processes that influence decisions associated with greenwashing. By illuminating these factors, the study seeks to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms contributing to the misleading portrayal of environmental practices within the industry. This research shows a need to adjust business structures and processes to avoid greenwashing practices in fashion organizations.
Through in-depth, qualitative interviews with industry experts, the consensus was made that these organizations experience greenwashing, mainly unintentionally, due to the misalignment of goals cross-functionally, lack of time to share knowledge, and a need for a shared definition of sustainability. This research concludes the importance of sustainable fashion advocacy organizations in driving policy forward to ensure universal definitions and standards are in place.
