Sheng Lu

Fashion and Apparel Studies

Sheng Lu

Professor
Director of Graduate Studies

shenglu@udel.edu

Resources and Links

Sheng Lu's FASH 455 Website

Biography

Dr. Sheng Lu joined the department in 2015. Dr. Lu's research focuses on the economic and business aspects of the global textile and apparel industry, including international trade, apparel sourcing, fashion supply chains, and trade policy. Dr. Lu also studies social responsibility and sustainability issues related to apparel sourcing and trade and the implications of big data and related digital technologies on the fashion industry, particularly from a supply chain perspective.

Dr. Lu received the 2014 Rising Star Award and the 2019 Mid-Career Excellence Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) to recognize his research and teaching excellence. He is also the multiple-time recipient of the Paper of Distinction Award at the ITAA annual conferences. He was also invited to serve as a consultant for the International Trade Centre (ITC), co-run by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN).

Dr. Lu has achieved over 80 publications in leading academic and trade journals in the textile and apparel discipline. His works were cited by government reports such as the Congressional Research Service (CRS) studies prepared for members of U.S. Congress, U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) official assessment on the economic impacts of free trade agreements as well as the World Bank, International Labor Organization, and the United Nations research publications. Dr. Lu and his work were also regularly featured by media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC World News (UK), Bloomberg, Nikkei Asian Review (Japan), Associated Press, the Economist (UK), South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), and Business of Fashion.

Degrees

Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia

M.S., Donghua University

B.S., Donghua University

Courses Regularly Taught

Global Textile and Apparel Trade and Sourcing

Socially responsible apparel and global policy

Sustaining global apparel supply chains

Recent Publications

Lu, S., & Delaye E. (2026). 2026 fashion industry benchmarking study. Washington, DC: United States Fashion Industry Association.

Lu, S. (2026). Are China’s Apparel Imports a Growing Opportunity for Asian Developing Countries (ADCs)?. Journal of Chinese Economic and Foreign Trade Studies. https://www.emerald.com/jcefts/article/doi/10.1108/JCEFTS-01-2026-0007/1368974/Are-China-s-apparel-imports-a-growing-opportunity

Hansen, A., & Lu, S. (2026). Exploring U.S. Retailers’ Merchandising Strategies for Upcycled Clothing: A Product Level Analysis. International Journal of Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, 5(1),7–25.

Lu, S. (2026). U.S. Fashion Companies’ Evolving Sourcing and Business Practices. Global Textile Academy, International Trade Centre (ITC). Geneva, Switzerland.

Lu, S. (2026). US Apparel Import and Sourcing Patterns in 2025. Global Textile Academy, International Trade Centre (ITC). Geneva, Switzerland.

Lu, S., & Mullen, N. (2025). Does Shein Redefine Fast Fashion Merchandising Strategies? A Product-Level Analysis in the U.S. Retail Market. Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, 29 (4), 790–803.

Lu, S. (2025). Is Sub-Saharan Africa ready to serve as an alternative apparel sourcing destination to Asia for U.S. fashion companies? A product-level Analysis. Competitiveness Review. 35 (1), 119–136.

See more about Sheng Lu's publications

Marsh, L., & Lu, S. (2024). Importing clothing made from recycled textile materials? A study of retailers' sourcing strategies in five European countries. Sustainability, 16(2), 825.

Laurits, H., & Lu, S. (2023). Exploring U.S. Retailers' Merchandising Strategies for Adaptive Clothing: A Focus on Product Assortment and Pricing Practices. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. ahead of print. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17543266.2023.2288124

Keegan, M., & Lu, S. (2023).Can garment production survive in a developed economy in the 21st century? A study of “Made in Ireland". Research Journal of Textile and Apparel. (ahead of print) https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-09-2022-0113

Lu, S. (2024). Impact of textile raw material access on CAFTA-DR members' apparel exports to the United States: A quantitative evaluation. Journal of the Textile Institute,115(4), 544–552.

Lu, S. (2023). Explore U.S. retailers' sourcing strategies for clothing made from recycled textile materials. Sustainability, 15(1), 38.

Botwinick, A.,& Lu, S. (2023). Explore U.S. retailers' merchandising strategies for clothing made from recycled textile materials. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 16 (2), 131–140.

Lu, S. (2023). 2023 fashion industry benchmarking study. Washington, DC: United States Fashion Industry Association.

Lu, S. (2022). Apparel Sourcing in the Shadow of the US-China Tariff War. In Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases. London: Bloomsbury Academic. DOI: 10.5040/9781350928503.010

Merryman, L., & Lu, S. (2021). Are fashion majors ready for the era of data science? A study on the fashion undergraduate curriculum in U.S. institutions. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education,14(2),139–150.

See less about Shen Lu's publications

Honors and Awards

UD Honors College Faculty Fellow (2026–2027).

Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware.

Mid-Career Excellence Award, International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA).

Rising Star Award, International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA).

Paper of Distinction Awards, International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA).

Research Interests

Global textile and apparel industry, international trade and trade policy.

Fashion apparel companies' sourcing and supply chain strategies.

Sustainability and social responsibility issues related to the textiles and apparel industry.

Media mentions

'Subtle changes pointing to consumer fatigue' a challenge for fast-fashion retailers

October 06, 2026 | Video by FRANCE 24 English

Fashion and apparel studies professor Sheng Lu speaks with France 24, a French public broadcast service, about whether a fee on fashion imports will have an impact on fast fashion companies like Shein in European markets.
Is made in USA clothing more ethically made?

October 03, 2026 | Video by Morning Brew and Macy Gilliam

Sheng Lu, professor of fashion and apparel studies, is interviewed by Macy Gilliam of the show Morning Brew, for a segment about supply chains and whether Made in the USA clothing is actually more ethical.
Are China’s apparel imports a growing opportunity for Asian developing countries (ADCs)?

June 01, 2026 | Written by CAS Communication Staff

Examining patterns of apparel imports