Green threads: a bibliometric review of sustainable manufacturing practices in the fashion industry

The significance of sustainable manufacturing has increased, especially in the fast-fashion sector, amid the growing urgency of resource depletion, environmental degradation, and unsustainable industrial practices. To map the thematic and intellectual landscape of research in sustainable fashion and manufacturing, this study performs a thorough bibliometric analysis. This study uses quantitative and qualitative bibliometric techniques using Biblioshiny (R Studio) to identify important trends, powerful authors, high-impact publications, prestigious journals, and emerging research themes based on 194 research documents that were pulled from the Scopus database. The results show that scholarly interest increased significantly after 2015, with significant increases in publications from 2020 to 2023. Two prominent sources are Sustainability (Switzerland) and the Journal of Cleaner Production. Key motor themes like recycling, sustainable development, and the circular economy are highlighted by thematic mapping, and co-authorship networks show prominent collaborative clusters headed by writers like Shamsuzzaman M. and Islam M.T. There are still gaps in regional diversity, interdisciplinary integration, and real-world implementation studies, despite an expanding body of research. For academics, professionals, and legislators hoping to promote sustainable change in the global fashion manufacturing industry, this paper offers strategic insights.