ABSTRACT
Research at the intersection of institutional and value chain analysis has begun to differentiate between societal dynamics and those at the level of specific value chains. These themes are addressed in this chapter in relation to the growth of UK apparel manufacturing over the last ten years, specifically driven by fast fashion. The specific focus is an analysis of two political ‘projects’ in Leicester and Manchester, two key sourcing hubs for fast fashion. This renewed growth of apparel manufacturing provides the context for three steps in the analysis. First, the authors argue that in order to understand how local and global dynamics of restructuring interact, it is crucial to differentiate regions and industrial sub-sectors. Second, they then investigate to what extent the fruits of this growth in apparel manufacturing have been shared. Third, these developments reveal the underlying politics of these processes.
