Sustainable Design Narratives in Copenhagen's Circular Fashion Industry

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates how sustainable design narratives shape consumer perceptions, brand legitimacy, and uptake of circular fashion practices within Copenhagen’s contemporary fashion ecosystem, addressing the gap between aspirational sustainability messaging and measurable circular outcomes. The problem centers on whether narrative strategies used by fashion brands, designers, and municipal initiatives translate into tangible circular behaviors and policy-compatible practices, or whether they primarily bolster reputational capital without substantive systemic change. The aim is to elucidate how design storytelling, material innovation, and lifecycle thinking interact to influence consumer choices, producer practices, and governance within a dense urban milieu renowned for sustainability experimentation. Specific objectives are (1) to map the dominant sustainable design narratives deployed by Copenhagen-based fashion brands and municipal actors; (2) to examine the relationship between these narratives and consumer attitudes toward circular practices using a structured survey; (3) to evaluate the alignment between narrative claims and actual product lifecycle trajectories through case studies of at least four brands; (4) to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the translation of narrative sustainability into verifiable circular outcomes; and (5) to develop a conceptual model linking narrative constructs, consumer behavior, and policy mechanisms to improve the effectiveness of circular fashion initiatives. The research adopts a mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative strands. The population includes Copenhagen-based fashion brands engaged in circular practices, municipal sustainability agencies, and consumers within the greater metropolitan area. A purposive sample of 12 brands will be selected to reflect varied approaches to circular design (e.g., rental, repair, upcycling, and material innovations), complemented by interviews with 12-16 industry and policy stakeholders and a random sample of 600 consumers for the survey. Data collection instruments comprise semi-structured interviews, focus groups with consumers, brand documentation analysis (design briefs, lifecycle assessments, and marketing materials), and a structured questionnaire capturing attitudes, willingness to pay for circular products, and perceived credibility of sustainability narratives. Validity will be enhanced through triangulation across sources, member checking with interviewees, and pilot testing of the survey instrument. Reliability will be ensured via test-retest procedures for the survey and inter-coder reliability checks for thematic analysis of interview data. Analytical procedures integrate multiple techniques. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke’s approach, with coding conducted in NVivo to derive narrative typologies and cross-case patterns. A content analysis will quantify the frequency and framing of sustainability claims in brand materials, enabling a narrative-to-claims alignment assessment. Quantitative data from the consumer survey will be examined using confirmatory factor analysis to validate the proposed narrative credibility constructs, followed by structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized pathways among narratives, perceived credibility, attitudinal outcomes, and reported circular purchase intentions. Descriptive statistics will profile sample characteristics, while regression analyses will explore social and demographic moderators of narrative impact. Lifecycle assessments (LCA) data provided by brands will be synthesized to appraise the extent of circularity and identify gaps between stated narratives and actual environmental performance. Key expected findings include (a) a typology of sustainable design narratives with varying degrees of credibility and aspirational content; (b) evidence that credible, materially anchored narratives (e.g., demonstrable LCAs, repairability indices, and rental case performance) correlate more strongly with positive consumer attitudes and higher intention to engage in circular purchase behaviors; (c) identification of misalignment where marketing claims outpace lifecycle improvements, revealing “greenwashing risks”; and (d) an integrated model illustrating how narrative credibility, consumer trust, brand legitimacy, and policy incentives jointly influence circular fashion outcomes. Contribution to knowledge encompasses bridging design communication with empirical lifecycle performance in a European city known for circular innovation, refining theories of sustainability marketing and design activism, and offering a validated framework for assessing narrative effectiveness in translating policy goals into measurable circularity. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for brand managers, municipal actors, and designers to co-create credible narratives that align with verifiable circular practices, propose indicators for ongoing monitoring, and suggest policy instruments to incentivize substantive improvements over rhetorical appeal.