Jayani Rajapathirana: Transforming Fashion Business Models Toward Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

A sustainable transition in the fashion industry requires firms to rethink the entire business system, beginning with the business model that underpins how value is created, delivered, and captured. To move beyond incremental improvements, companies must redesign key business model elements so that environmental and social considerations are embedded within the core logic of the organization. sustainability must be embedded into the design of the business model itself, influencing the value proposition, supply chain configuration, customer relationships, revenue mechanisms, and partnerships. This perspective positions business model transformation as a critical mechanism for enabling sustainability in the fashion industry. This study explores how fashion companies transform their business model architecture to integrate sustainability principles. Drawing on Dynamic Capability Theory and sustainable business model innovation literature, the research adopts a qualitative multiple case study approach using semi-structured interviews and secondary data from leading fashion firms. The findings are expected to identify how business model elements are reconfigured and which organizational capabilities enable sustainable transformation.