Fashion Entrepreneurship
Principles and Practice
1st Edition
Published on 9. April 2026
376 pages
978-1-040-50052-1 (ISBN)
Description
This new book is designed to provide a practical and comprehensive guide to fashion entrepreneurship, empowering readers to transform their creative ideas into a viable fashion business.
Providing a comprehensive overview of both the commercial and creative aspects to building a fashion business, this textbook also incorporates perspectives on the major sustainability and ethical issues that are salient in the fashion industry today. Chapters cover a wide range of topics including customer discovery and validation, the Lean Startup approach and minimum viable products, research strategies, market and trend analysis, sustainable sourcing and ethical supply chains, branding and marketing, e-commerce, legal and financial considerations, leadership and organisational culture, performance measurement, and strategies for global expansion. Each chapter includes pedagogical features such as learning objectives, summaries, discussion questions, and suggested further reading lists, which help to reinforce these key concepts. Case studies, learning activities, and real-world examples are also featured throughout the book, allowing students and practitioners to apply these concepts to their own businesses.
This textbook provides key reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying fashion entrepreneurship, fashion business, fashion management studies, and related disciplines. It is also suitable for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs and professionals within the fashion industry seeking to learn about new business models, sustainability, and innovation in the fashion and textile industry.
Online resources for this textbook include slide decks, instructor manuals and a test bank for each chapter, as well as course guides for the entire book.
Providing a comprehensive overview of both the commercial and creative aspects to building a fashion business, this textbook also incorporates perspectives on the major sustainability and ethical issues that are salient in the fashion industry today. Chapters cover a wide range of topics including customer discovery and validation, the Lean Startup approach and minimum viable products, research strategies, market and trend analysis, sustainable sourcing and ethical supply chains, branding and marketing, e-commerce, legal and financial considerations, leadership and organisational culture, performance measurement, and strategies for global expansion. Each chapter includes pedagogical features such as learning objectives, summaries, discussion questions, and suggested further reading lists, which help to reinforce these key concepts. Case studies, learning activities, and real-world examples are also featured throughout the book, allowing students and practitioners to apply these concepts to their own businesses.
This textbook provides key reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying fashion entrepreneurship, fashion business, fashion management studies, and related disciplines. It is also suitable for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs and professionals within the fashion industry seeking to learn about new business models, sustainability, and innovation in the fashion and textile industry.
Online resources for this textbook include slide decks, instructor manuals and a test bank for each chapter, as well as course guides for the entire book.
Reviews / Votes
"Carol Tan has assembled a crack team of fashion sector experts and drawn on her own extensive knowledge to produce a masterclass in fashion entrepreneurship. The book takes you from founding through to growth, from strategy to execution, and covers everything from planning, innovating, branding, legal, ethics and sustainability and more. If you're teaching or working in the business of fashion, Fashion Entrepreneurship: Principles and Practice is a foundational source."Michael Beverland, Professor of Brand Management, University of Sussex Business School, UK
"This comprehensive fashion entrepreneurship textbook makes even the toughest concepts easy to understand. With practical tools for instructors and clear, insider knowledge for students, it's destined to be a classroom favorite."
Lynn M. Boorady, Ph.D., Professor and Department Head in the Department of Design and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, USA
"For real-world wisdom on driving success that benefits people, profit, and the planet, this book is the gold standard. Filled with invaluable case studies and thought-provoking questions, it's an essential guide for any entrepreneur or educator looking to stand out and lead change in the ever-evolving fashion industry."
Kylee Mitchell, Academic Course Manager, Bachelor of Design, Box Hill Institute, Australia
"Fashion Entrepreneurship: Principles and Practice brilliantly bridges the gap between fashion creativity and business acumen. Its comprehensive coverage from customer discovery to global scaling, combined with dedicated chapters on sustainability and ethics, provides aspiring entrepreneurs the essential toolkit to build profitable, responsible fashion ventures in today's competitive marketplace."
Abdullah Abo Milhim, Fashion Business Academic and External Examiner, UK
"The rapid rise of technology coupled with increasing pressures around sustainability makes launching and running a fashion startup more demanding than ever before. This textbook is an essential guide for fashion students and lecturers, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to gain a head start in the industry."
Jye Marshall, Lecturer in Fashion Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
"This book highlights the critical roles of customer discovery, research-driven strategy, and the global network of supply chain, addressing the realities of fashion. It provides a practical guide for emerging entrepreneurs to innovate responsibly and scale sustainably. A must-read for the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs seeking real impact."
Natasa Pitra-Grbic, Founder of PITRA, Fashion Entrepreneur & Academic Mentor, Australia
More details
Series
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
38 Tables, black and white; 2 Line drawings, color; 4 Line drawings, black and white; 54 Halftones, color; 3 Halftones, black and white; 56 Illustrations, color; 7 Illustrations, black and white
File size
23,63 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-040-50052-1 (9781040500521)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 04/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€92.70
Not yet published
Book
approx. 04/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€240.50
Not yet published
Persons
Caroline Swee Lin Tan is an award-winning educator and Senior Lecturer at RMIT University.
Saniyat Islam is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, specialising in Fashion Enterprise and Sustainable Innovation.
Saniyat Islam is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, specialising in Fashion Enterprise and Sustainable Innovation.
Content
Part 1: The Entrepreneurial Foundation & The Big Idea 1. Introduction to Fashion Entrepreneurship 2. Customer Discovery and Validation Part 2: Understanding the Fashion Landscape 3. Research Strategies for Fashion Ventures 4. Analysing the External Environment 5. Fashion Forecasting and Analytics Part 3: Product, Sourcing & Sustainable Operations 6. Building a Sustainable Product: Materials, Sourcing and Manufacturing 7. Ethics, Sustainability: An Intertwined Fashion Systems Approach 8. Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Internal Analysis Part 4: Branding, Marketing & The Business Plan 9. Building a Fashion Brand 10. Entrepreneurial Marketing: The Interplay Between Fashion Entrepreneurship and Marketing 11. E-commerce for Fashion 12. Developing Your Fashion Business Plan Part 5: Launching, Leading & Scaling the Venture 13. Legal Issues and Intellectual Property 14. Financing and Raising Capital for Entrepreneurial Fashion Ventures 15. Leadership, Human Resource Practices, and Organisational Culture 16. Measuring Performance for Entrepreneurial Fashion Ventures 17. Going Global
