ABSTRACT

Companies ranged from large fashion retailers in Western countries to companies that work at farm, fabric mill and manufacturing level in developing countries. A zigzag stitch is mostly used for stretch fabrics allowing the fabric freedom to move, while interlock is a stitch used for garments that will see a lot of tear and wear such as towels and jeans. This chapter presents the umbrella term 'strategic alliance' when referring to the different kinds of collaboration formed by companies, non-profit organisations and universities such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Since fashion is in the end a reflection of society. Several studies on alliance networks have explored how the structure and partner substitutability or diversity of an alliance affect the economic performance of the individual firms. The chapter introduces the research question, the literature review problematises the relevant discourse around strategic alliance networks and is followed by a short explanation of the methodology and analysis and a presentation of the findings.