Financial Times recognises ‘Just’ fashion research with Responsible Business Education Award
5 February 2025
Professors Donna Marshall and Hakan Karaosman, project leads for Fashion’s Responsible Supply Chain Hub (FReSCH)
A UCD research project driving a much-needed shift towards equity and sustainability in the world of fashion has been awarded a prestigious Financial Times’ Responsible Business Education Award.
(opens in a new window)Fashion’s Responsible Supply Chain Hub (FReSCH), based at the UCD College of Business, is pioneering a just transition for fashion supply chains by tackling human rights abuses and environmental challenges in the industry.
The project is led by Professors (opens in a new window)Donna Marshall and (opens in a new window)Hakan Karaosman, and has already influenced major global policies, including the Welsh government’s Just Transition Framework, the European Commission’s sustainable textiles strategy, and the UN’s push for greater transparency in fashion supply chains.
The Financial Times praised the winning project for demonstrating the “contradictions in the fashion industry’s approach to sustainability, where efforts to address environmental issues, such as reducing carbon emissions or water usage, are often pursued in isolation, overlooking harm to worker rights.”
“Ultimately, FReSCH shows that true sustainability goes hand in hand with justice for workers,” it said.
(opens in a new window)FReSCH was one of five projects to receive a Responsible Business Education Award, which recognises academic research that drives real-world change - shaping policy, equipping industry with practical tools, and improving societal outcomes.
Professor Donna Marshall
“Many brands focus solely on carbon reduction and water efficiency, often overlooking worker exploitation and human rights violations,” said Professor Marshall, who was until recently the President of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA).
“FReSCH exposes these contradictions and provides an evidence-based framework for brands to implement holistic sustainability practices.”
“Sustainability has been reduced to an accounting tool and failed to create real change,” added Professor Marshall. “Our research shows decarbonization is impossible unless the industry shifts towards being more people- and planet-friendly.”
For UCD Visiting Professor Hakan Karaosman, the recognition by the FT is deeply personal.
“Donna and I were born into fashion supply chains, as we were both raised by garment worker mothers,” said the associate professor, who is currently based at Cardiff University.
“We have been observing complex fashion supply chains over the years, and we are thrilled that our lifelong observations and evidence-based research findings have received this recognition. FReSCH is dedicated to every supply chain worker, including our mothers, so thank you all for allowing us to bring some of these silenced voices into the spotlight.”
Associate Professor Hakan Karaosman
Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research programme, FReSCH has already collaborated with 50+ fashion brands, NGOs, and media platforms, providing them with actionable strategies for fairer supply chains.
“We make sure our findings are embedded in industry and multi-stakeholder initiatives,” added Professors Marshalls and Karaosman, who join a distinguished list of winners from the world’s top business schools, including MIT Sloan, Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), Northwestern Kellogg, Edinburgh Business School, and UC Berkeley.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Beth Gormley, UCD College of Business)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
