Refreshing Roles
Refreshing Roles refers to the process of reevaluating and redefining the roles and responsibilities to adapt to changing market dynamics, technological advancements, and user demands. It involves a strategic approach to reassessing job functions, hierarchies, and skill sets to ensure they align with the evolving needs of the business and the industry as a whole. Job Function Evaluation: The first step in refreshing roles is to evaluate the existing job functions within the organization. This involves analyzing the tasks, responsibilities, and skill requirements of each role to determine their relevance and effectiveness in the current fashion landscape.
Skill set assessment
As the fashion industry evolves, new skills and competencies become essential for success. Refreshing roles requires identifying the skills gaps and assessing the capabilities of the workforce. This assessment helps in understanding whether the current skill sets align with the organization’s goals and future needs. Role Redefinition: Based on the evaluation and assessment, roles may need to be redefined or redesigned. This may involve redistributing responsibilities, combining or splitting roles, or creating entirely new roles to address emerging needs and opportunities in the fashion industry.
Agile workforce
Refreshing roles often involve adopting a more agile workforce structure. This means fostering a flexible and adaptable organizational culture that enables employees to take on multiple roles, work collaboratively, and quickly respond to market changes. It may also involve promoting cross-functional collaboration and encouraging employees to acquire new skills through training and development programs.
Technology integration
Refreshing roles also requires considering the integration of technology. As technology continues to play a significant role in the industry, roles may need to be updated to incorporate digital skills, data analytics, e-commerce expertise, and other emerging technological trends. By refreshing roles, fashion companies can optimize their operations, enhance employee productivity and satisfaction, and effectively navigate the challenges and opportunities of the ever-changing fashion landscape. It enables organizations to align their workforce with the evolving needs of the industry and position themselves for long-term success.
Case studies
Gucci – École de l’Amour and ArtLab training programmes
Gucci’s École de l’Amour, integrated with Gucci ArtLab in Tuscany, provides structured training pathways for leather goods and shoe artisans, combining classroom learning with hands-on prototyping and production. By formalising craft education and opening new progression paths, Gucci actively refreshes roles in its value chain, ensuring that traditional métiers evolve with new technologies and sustainability expectations.
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H&M Foundation and partners – Oporajita: Collective Impact on the Future of Work
Oporajita is a multi-stakeholder initiative in Bangladesh led by H&M Foundation and local partners that equips women garment workers with skills for an automated, climate-impacted future of work. Through training, career coaching, and pathways into new functions, the programme explicitly focuses on transitioning workers into safer, higher-value roles as the apparel sector digitalises.
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Zalando – do.BETTER Diversity & Inclusion strategy
Zalando’s do.BETTER strategy embeds diversity and inclusion targets into leadership, recruiting, and progression processes across the company. By redefining expectations for managers, creating new ERG-linked responsibilities, and tying inclusion outcomes to performance, the programme reshapes roles and decision-making structures to better reflect Zalando’s diverse user base.
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PVH Corp – PVH University global learning platform
PVH University (PVH U) is PVH Corp’s internal corporate university, offering academies in leadership, digital skills, supply chain, and professional capabilities for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. Positioned as a way for associates to “design their futures,” PVH U supports role transitions, reskilling, and leadership pipelines, aligning evolving job profiles with the company’s digital and sustainability strategies.
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LVMH – INSIDE LVMH Certificate and learning ecosystem
LVMH’s INSIDE LVMH initiative combines an open online certificate with internal learning journeys that introduce students and employees to the Group’s métiers, from creative roles to supply chain and retail. The programme builds transversal skills, supports mobility between houses and functions, and prepares talent for newly emerging roles in luxury, particularly around client experience, omnichannel retail, and sustainable innovation.
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References
Almond, K., & Rainton, S. (2025). Future fashion factory: Developing an ecosystem to support sustainable change. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2025.2454669
Gangoda, A., Krasley, S., & Cobb, K. (2023). AI digitalisation and automation of the apparel industry and human workforce skills. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 16(3), 319–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2023.2209589
Monteiro, R. A., Guimarães Junior, D. S., Sobral, E. F. M., de Barros Falcão, P. H., de Melo, F. J. C., & Bastos-Filho, C. (2024). Global trends and practices of Industry 4.0 applications in the clothing sector: A systematic literature review. Administrative Sciences, 14(10), 258. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14100258
Morea, C. (2023). Upskilling future workers in the fashion sector: An educational toolkit for sustainability assessment. Fashion Highlight, 1(1), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-2259
Sun, X. C., & Ha-Brookshire, J. E. (2025). Drivers and enablers of digital readiness in the fashion industry: A systematic literature review. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X241311027