Navigating the Sustainability–Luxury Paradox: Bibliometric Insights and Research Directions.

01 Why it matters.

The most current systematic overview of where academic research on the sustainability-luxury paradox stands as of 2025. The paper maps 15 years of research across 300+ studies, identifies the dominant theoretical frameworks, and — most valuably — flags the open questions that remain unresolved: how luxury brands can communicate genuine sustainability without greenwashing perception, and how the paradox shifts across cultural contexts.

For The Codes of Luxury, this paper functions as a compass for the research field. It confirms what our own analysis suggests: the sustainability challenge in luxury is not primarily operational but communicational — brands that have genuinely good practices still fail to communicate them credibly, while brands with less rigorous practices sometimes succeed through alignment of sustainability messaging with their founding codes.

02 Key takeaways.

1. 01 The sustainability-luxury paradox is the central unresolved tension in luxury brand research as of 2025.
2. 02 Consumer skepticism of luxury sustainability claims is structural, not marginal — it requires active communication strategy to address.
3. 03 Cultural context moderates the paradox: sustainability awareness varies significantly by market, affecting how sustainability claims land.
4. 04 The most promising resolution to the paradox involves anchoring sustainability in craft and longevity — luxury’s existing codes — rather than environmental messaging.
5. 05 Research gaps remain in how younger consumers (Gen Z) navigate the paradox — a significant open question for luxury strategy.

03 Used in our research.

1. 01 InsightSustainability in Luxury: Paradox, Promise, or PR?
2. 02 InsightCarbon Credits and Circular Fashion: Is Vestiaire’s Bet the Future?Coming soon
3. 03 Case StudyVestiaire Collective: Making Resale Feel Like Luxury