Internationalisation and growth of small sustainable fashion enterprises

Sustainability and globalisation are two major global phenomena that have shaped the world in the last few decades. This paper aims to explore the main drivers that trigger the international behaviour of small sustainable fashion enterprises (SSFEs), with a special focus on the characteristics of sustainable entrepreneurs, the characteristics of sustainable firms, the inter-firm global collaborations, and the institutional context. We draw on international and sustainable entrepreneurship research to explain what captures the drivers that affect SSFEs internationalisation. This paper analyses four different Dutch SSFEs through a cross-case study method. The findings show that the main drivers that affect the international growth of SSFEs in the Netherlands are the global partnerships with suppliers and local sales agents in foreign countries, the sustainable attitude and previous fashion experience of the entrepreneur and the product's ethical features.