Caroline Swee Lin Tan

Associate Professor Caroline Swee Lin Tan

Associate Professor
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Details

  • College: School of Fashion & Textiles
  • Department: Fashion & Textiles
  • Campus: Brunswick Australia
  • caroline.tan@rmit.edu.au

Open to

  • Masters Research or PhD student supervision
  • Media enquiries
  • Industry Projects
  • Join a web conference as a panellist or speaker
  • Career advice
  • Collaborative projects

About

Associate Professor Caroline Swee Lin Tan (Carol Tan) is Program Manager of the Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) at RMIT University and a recognised expert in fashion entrepreneurship, fashion business strategy, sustainability, and SME growth. Her research focuses on the factors that drive entrepreneurial success, innovation, and competitiveness in the fashion industry, with particular interests in sustainable business models, consumer behaviour, and the future of fashion.

 

Since 2003, she has researched the success factors of fast-growth enterprises and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, industry reports, and edited volumes.

 

She is passionate about making entrepreneurship education accessible, practical, and industry-relevant.

 

Research and Impact 💡

 

Associate Professor Tan's research examines the drivers of entrepreneurial success, innovation, and competitiveness in the fashion and SME sectors. Her work is published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and industry reports, with publications appearing consistently in leading Q1-ranked journals.

 

A hallmark of her research leadership is her collaborative approach: she has a proven record of mentoring postgraduate students and emerging researchers to publish at the highest academic level. She has served as a Chief Investigator on competitive grants and major government-industry partnerships, notably with the Queensland Government and Kmart, as well as projects supported by the Australian Fashion Council.


PhD Supervision and Expertise 🎓

 

An experienced supervisor, Associate Professor Tan has successfully supervised eight PhD candidates to completion and currently supervises four more. Her doctoral supervision spans diverse interdisciplinary topics shaping the future of fashion and entrepreneurship, including:

 

  • Sustainable business model innovation
  • Heritage entrepreneurship
  • Blockchain adoption and supply chain transparency
  • Virtual luxury fashion
  • Consumer behaviour in second-hand luxury markets
  • Circular economy applications in fashion

 

Consultative Expertise and Industry Engagement 🤝

 

Beyond academia, Associate Professor Tan undertakes consultative work in customer insight and experience strategy. Her practice focuses on identifying target market segments, developing customer personas and journey maps, and analysing consumer pain points to guide business growth and brand positioning.

 

She is also the Lead Editor of the Routledge textbook Fashion Entrepreneurship: Principles and Practice (2026), leading the project from concept through to publication. She authored six chapters (including two co-authored chapters) and curated a network of expert contributors to bridge academic research with industry relevance.

 

Leadership and Teaching Excellence ⭐

 

Associate Professor Tan’s commitment to high-quality education is demonstrated through multiple institutional and national awards, including:

 

  • RMIT Program Award for Innovation in Curricula, Learning and Teaching
  • RMIT Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
  • Academic Staff Three-Minute Presentation Award

 

Under her leadership, the Master of Fashion Entrepreneurship program gained global recognition as the ICSB Global Entrepreneurship Education Excellence Award (Graduate Program Category) and was selected to represent RMIT in the AFR Higher Education Awards for excellence in industry engagement.

  

 

Selected Awards and Recognition 🏆

 

  • 2025 International Council for Small Business (ICSB) Global Entrepreneurship Education Excellence Award (Graduate Program Category, with Dr. Saniyat Islam)
  • 2025 RMIT Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (with Dr. Saniyat Islam)
  • 2024 School of Fashion and Textiles Student Experience and Engagement Award
  • 2017 School of Fashion and Textiles Award for High Good Teaching Scale (GTS) Scores
  • 2013 RMIT University Award for Innovation in Curricula, Learning and Teaching
  • 2013-2014 College of Business Award for High Good Teaching Scale (GTS) Scores
  • 2011 Winner of the RMIT Business College 3 Minute Project Presentation
  • 2011 RMIT College of Business Learning and Teaching Award (Program Category P5 - Innovation in Curricula, Learning and Teaching)
  • 2010 RMIT School of Management Nominee for the Learning and Teaching Award
  • 2007 Finalist - RMIT University Outstanding Thesis
  • 2005 Winner of Innovation Award (Student Category) RMIT Research Awards
  • 2005 Finalist - Mary Kay Doctoral Dissertation Competition (Academy of Marketing Science Conference)

 

Public Scholarship & Authoritative Opinion ✍️

 

 

Media and Expert Commentary🎙️  

Carol is a recognised media commentator on fashion entrepreneurship, retail strategy, consumer behaviour, sustainable fashion, circular economy practices, and small business development. Her expertise is regularly sought by major Australian media outlets including ABC News, ABC Radio, ABC 7.30, 7NEWS, SBS, Yahoo News Australia, Daily Mail Australia, Ragtrader and News Corp publications, as well as international media in Japan, France, Italy, Denmark, Canada, India, New Zealand and Vietnam.

 

Through expert commentary, invited interviews and public scholarship, she translates academic research into accessible insights for industry practitioners, policymakers and consumers.

 

Research Media Impact 📢Women's Footwear Sizing Study (2026)

Research examining women's footwear sizing generated coverage across 39 media outlets nationally and internationally, including national newspapers, radio, television and syndicated international media. Coverage included The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, WA Today, Australian Women's Weekly, ABC Radio National, ABC Melbourne, 3AW, Fashion Journal, and more than 30 US media outlets.

 

Ultra-Fast Fashion Study (2026)

Research exploring consumer motivations for ultra-fast fashion purchasing generated coverage across 40+ media outlets nationally and internationally, including ABC News, 7NEWS, SBS, Herald Sun, Ragtrader, Power Retail, Mi3, Ecotextile News, Phys.org, Earth.com and Xinhua News Agency.

 

Australian Fashion Retail Commentary (2026) Commentary on Australian fashion retail, consumer behaviour and retail transformation has featured across national television, radio, business and industry media. Coverage included national television, syndicated newswire coverage reaching more than 30 publications, and extensive industry media engagement.

 

Highlights include:

  • ABC 7.30 – Featured expert television interview discussing structural changes reshaping Australian fashion retail, changing consumer behaviour and the future of retailers including Cue, David Jones and Myer (broadcast October 2026). 
  • Insolvency Insider Australia (2 October 2026) – Featured analysis on lessons arising from Cue's collapse for the Australian fashion sector.
  • ABC Melbourne 774, Drive with Ali Moore (24 September 2026) – Invited radio interview discussing Myer's financial results, department store strategy and changing consumer behaviour.
  • Ragtrader (22 September 2026) – Invited op-ed, Cue collapse exposes retail squeeze, RMIT expert says.
  • Australian Associated Press (AAP) (19 September 2026) – Commentary on Cue Clothing and broader retail transformation, syndicated nationally across 30+ publications.
  • Daily Mail Australia (18 September 2026) – Expert commentary on Cue store closures and Australian retail transformation.
  • ABC News (16 September 2026) – Invited live television interview discussing the administration of Cue Clothing and broader structural changes affecting Australian fashion retail, consumer behaviour and retail strategy. Broadcast nationally on ABC News

 

Print and Online Media (selected publications) 



Radio broadcasts (selected):

 

  • Tan, C.S.L. (2026, August). Most Australian women wearing shoes that don't match their feet, study finds [Radio Interviews]. Invited expert commentary following RMIT Media Release: 2ST Radio, Mornings with Graeme (31 August, 11:10 AM); ABC Canberra, Afternoons with Emma Bickley (31 August, 01:10 PM); ABC Melbourne, The Conversation Hour with Mary Gearin (1 September, 11:20 AM)
  • Tan, C.S.L. (2026, June). Glue, Lincraft closures spell major retail shift [Radio Interviews]. 
    Invited expert commentary syndicated nationally across multiple networks following RMIT Media Expert Alert:
    • ABC Gippsland, Breakfast with Mim Hook (24 June, 05:30 AM – 05:33 AM) | Title: "Three retailers permanently close their doors in Australia" 
    • smoothfm 91.5 Melbourne, smoothfm Drive (19 June, 10:01 AM – 10:01 AM)
    • 3AW 693 News Talk, Footy Nightline (19 June, 09:00 PM – 09:01 PM)
    • GOLD 1242 (ACE Radio Network), The Morning Rush (19 June, 09:05 AM – 09:15 AM) 
  • Tan, C.S.L. (2026, 3 June). Is vegan leather better for the planet? JOY Drive, JOY 94.9FM. [Radio Interview]. Interviewed by Warren Andrew. 5:45PM. Available at https://joy.org.au/joydrive/2026/06/14/associate-professor-caroline-swee-lin-tan-is-vegan-leather-better-for-the-planet/

 

Research fields

  • 350704 Entrepreneurship
  • 350716 Small business organisation and management
  • 3506 Marketing

UN sustainable development goals

  • 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Supervisor projects

  • Research proposal for Sustainable Transformation of Unreal Fur
  • 2 Mar 2026
  • Building resilient and future proof business models in technology SMEs
  • 29 Sep 2025
  • The Development of a Heritage Entrepreneurship Model for the Preservation of Indonesian Javanese Batik
  • 26 Aug 2025
  • Drivers of Generation Z's Online Second-hand Luxury Fashion Consumption in China
  • 19 Feb 2024
  • An Exploratory Investigation into Waste Management in the Fashion and Textile Industry of Bangladesh through a Circular Economy Perspective
  • 31 Jul 2023
  • Virtual Consumption in Luxury Fashion Brands: Consumer’s Purchase Intention of Virtual Fashion in the Virtual World
  • 15 Dec 2021
  • Blockchain Adoption for Circularity: Transforming Fashion Supply Chains through Traceability and Transparency
  • 5 Aug 2021
  • Mapping the Fashion Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia: Impacts on Entrepreneurial Orientation and Business Performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
  • 8 Oct 2019
  • An Empirical Investigation of the Antecedents and Outcomes of the Customer Experience for Consumers Purchasing Fashion Products from Social Commerce Platforms in China
  • 21 Aug 2019

Teaching interests

Dr. Tan teaches within the Master of Fashion Entrepreneurship program, which is designed to interrogate and challenge the fashion system by grounding students in practical, strategic, and innovative business principles.

 

She leads two key courses in the program:

 

1. Fashion Entrepreneurship (Introductory): This foundational course helps students cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, equipping them with the tools to evaluate and seize new business opportunities in the fashion industry. Students gain essential networking skills by engaging directly with established fashion entrepreneurs across diverse sectors.

 

2. Fashion Venture Creation (Capstone): This course is the program's capstone experience, requiring students to synthesise theory and practice by developing and critically analysing their own fashion venture. Students must develop a comprehensive venture launch plan, focusing on critical analysis of growth opportunities, market entry strategies, and testing the feasibility, viability, and desirability of a new brand, product, or service in the global fashion business environment.

 

Research interests

Dr. Tan's research is broad and interdisciplinary, focusing on the future and strategy of the fashion industry:

 

  • Fashion Entrepreneurship & Business Strategy: Fast-growth Companies, Fashion Business, Circular Economy in Fashion, Strategic Orientation, Marketing Strategy, Competitive Advantage.
  • Market Dynamics & Consumer Behaviour: Fashion Consumption, Luxury Fashion, Entrepreneurial Marketing.
  • Methodology & Analysis: Qualitative Research, Multi-variate Data Analysis, Mixed Methods.

Initiatives and links

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