Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2018

The fashion industry has a major opportunity to secure a prosperous future. The industry is facing a rapidly growing demand worldwide, and at the same time many companies are stepping up their work toward more environmentally and socially responsible practices. But this is not enough. To put fashion on a path to long-term prosperity financially, socially, and environmentally, much more must be done. 

The Pulse of the fashion industry is still weak. The global Pulse Score, a health measure for the Fashion Industry, is 38 out of 100. In the past year, the Pulse Score improved by six points, from 32 to 38. The Pulse Survey, covering the perspectives of decision makers from all industry segments, confirms that sustainability is rising on the corporate agenda. Of the executives polled, 52% reported that sustainability targets acted as a guiding principle for nearly every strategic decision they made—an increase of 18 percentage points from last year. While encouraging, these results also speak to the need for still more movement toward increasingly responsible practices.