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How many clothing companies use fast fashion in their products?

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https://brightly.eco/blog/fast-fashion-brands-sustainability
Many companies use sweatshop labor, a primary aspect of fast fashion, but not all companies using sweatshop labor are considered fast fashion. For example, Nike utilizes sweatshop labor to make products, but would not be considered fast fashion due to its use of more sustainable materials and improving working conditions. Another aspect of fast fashion is the low wages being paid to workers. A quote from the article about H&M states "The brand promised its workers better wages by 2018, but research found workers in India and Turkey earned about a third of the living wage." Notable fast fashion companies may be recognizable names to some, such as H&M and Zara. Other brands considered fast fashion are Fashion Nova, Shein, UNIQLO, and Forever 21. However, these are not the only fast fashion companies, and the list of companies in this demographic is much more extensive.

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Fast fashion is everywhere -from the daily deal dump in our spam folders to the targeted ads on our social media feeds. The speed and reach of today's clothing trends increasingly demand that we turn over our attention (and dollars) to keep up.

You've heard of fast fashion's major players. Brands like Shein, H&M, and Forever 21 have digital and in-person shoppers hooked. On average, people bought 60% more clothes in 2014 than they did in 2000, and that figure is steadily increasing. Unfortunately, people kept that clothing for half as long.

Consumers are also spending more on their wardrobe in the post-pandemic world: Clothing retailers saw sales rise by 18.3% earlier this year.

As expected, all that extra clothing isn't doing the planet any favors. Fast fashion has a major impact on the environment: It's responsible for about one-third of all microplastics found in the ocean and is producing 20% of global water waste. In addition, 85% of all textiles wind up in landfills every year. To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of one garbage truck loaded with clothes being dumped in a landfill every second.

But even though the truth about fast fashion is being brought to light, sparking important conversations on social media, it's easy to see why it's so popular. It's one of the most accessible and affordable ways to buy clothing. And we fully understand that most consumers are more apt to spend $10 on a fast fashion tee than $60 on a sustainable option made from organic cotton.

That's what these rankings are for. No fast fashion brand is truly eco-friendly, but we're here to provide conscious consumers with the information they need to shop as responsibly and sustainably as possible. That way, if you decide to consume fast fashion, you'll know which brands are taking steps in the right direction-and which have mastered the art of well-curated greenwashing.

The Brightly team compared eight popular fast fashion brands to see how they ranked from a consumer perspective. That includes researching everything from a brand's production rate (how often do they release new pieces?) to its sustainability initiatives (and if any progress has been made on these goals).

We scored the brands out of 25 points based on their production rate, efforts to reduce waste, use of sustainable fabrics, ethical labor practices, and commitments to a sustainable future. Each category is scored from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least eco-friendly and 5 being the most eco-friendly.

Though it operates on the traditional fast fashion model, UNIQLO's brand focuses on timeless basics that can outlast passing trends. The brand is relatively older, and it is actually one of the most committed to meeting its sustainability goals.

Unlike most of the other brands in this ranking, UNIQLO is intercepting its supply chain at multiple levels to reduce its overall waste. As of September 2019, the company has switched to FSC approved eco-friendly shopping bags in an effort to reduce single-use plastics in its supply chain. Despite this, the brand will only "consider" eliminating the use of single-use plastic in products like hangers and packing materials.

According to the H&M Foundation, the brand is working to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals. By 2030, H&M hopes to use only recycled and sustainably sourced materials, and its Re-Made collection currently upcycles old clothes to create new designs. In addition, the company now allows customers to buy secondhand pieces and sell old clothing and accessories online using H&M Rewear.

Despite prioritizing sustainability, H&M has yet to make a concerted move toward ethical labor. The brand promised its workers better wages by 2018, but research found workers in India and Turkey earned about a third of the estimated livable wage. In Cambodia, workers were earning less than one-half of the livable wage. Not only did the company not meet its commitment, but workers also cited fatigue, fainting, and wage-driven overtime within their facilities.

The H&M Group's commitments to a sustainable future are largely overseen by the H&M Foundation, a non-profit backed by $180 million gifted by the Persson family, who founded the chain. The foundation collaborated with scientists to create H&M's $100 million Green Machine. The machine uses hydrothermal technology to break cloth into fibers, and utilizes a closed loop system that doesn't contribute to water waste.

Although H&M offers eco-friendly and forward-facing proposals, the brand will need to implement more solutions to offset its incredibly large impact on the environment and its workers.

Deemed by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) to be one of the least sustainable fashion brands in the UK, Boohoo's commitments to a sustainable future are scarce. The brand has been labeled alongside Fashion Nova as an emerging "ultra-fast-fashion" brand by the New York Times. Plus, the Boohoo Group is expansive: It owns other fast fashion brands, including Nasty Gal, PrettyLittleThing, and MissPap.

Boohoo uploads 116 pieces to their site daily, or 772 pieces weekly -not the highest rate on our list, but exorbitant. The exact outputs are monitored by its Supply Chain Compliance Committee, created in 2020. Unfortunately, this in-house group reports to the company's board and Risk Committee, which are not public entities.

While the company acknowledges the "environmental and social cost" of its supply chain, little qualitative data can be found on how Boohoo has reduced its waste. According to Boohoo's sustainability plan, the company promises to work with its suppliers to ensure textile waste does not go directly to landfills by 2025. To do this, the brand will encourage using re-sale platforms, making donations, and upcycling old materials. However, there is little evidence to show where changes have already been made.

The company does have a sustainability plan called UP.FRONT, which states Boohoo will be transparent about the progress it makes. Boohoo's goals are threefold: The brand hopes to only use sustainably sourced cotton and polyester by 2025, to be open about relationships with suppliers, and to achieve a "52% reduction in emissions" by 2030. Currently, the brand claims its dispatch bags already contain 80% recycled plastic.

Like many other fast fashion brands, Boohoo has faced claims of unethical labor practices. Boohoo's factories are primarily located in Leicester, England, and workers there have reported low wages and poor working conditions. Employees at the Leicester facility earn about £3.50 ($4.40) an hour, which is below the £8.72 ($10.93) minimum wage in the UK. The Boohoo Group hasn't offered evidence of providing livable wages for its workers since.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff members were not given PPE or other hygienic protections, according to a report from Labour Behind The Label, a workers' rights group. The report found that "Leicester factories continued operating throughout the lockdown," and when employees tested positive for COVID-19, they were required to continue working.

Additionally, Labour Behind The Label found that it is "impossible to produce the units/garments requested by Boohoo" while only paying workers the national minimum wage. Boohoo's model relies inherently on cheap labor-a move toward ethical practice would require a complete change in the current system.

Zara is comparatively very transparent about its supply chain. It currently manufactures over 450 million items per year and 500 new designs each week. This fast turnover is the reason why it's recognized as one of the largest retailers in fast fashion. Unfortunately, that title also means the company contributes heavily to the global hyper-consumption of garments, hence the low score for its production rate.

There have also been repeated allegations filed against the brand for inhumane labor practices in numerous countries including Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and Myanmar. Myanmar's supply chain has been under particular scrutiny, with workers describing 11-hour shifts and unlivable wages.

Overall, Zara does offer more quantitative data than other fast fashion brands, but it's not transparent enough about its progress in meeting its sustainable and ethical goals.

Forever 21 is an (ironically) older name in fast fashion, but not a wiser one. The brand offers little reporting on its production rate, but in 2017, the Los Angeles Times found one worker could produce up to 700 shirts a day.

The social responsibility page also boasts 100% recyclable and reusable plastic and paper bags are used in "many" of its stores, but it doesn't cite how many. Forever 21 also says its shipment boxes are recycled daily at stores and distribution centers. The brand claims it is currently developing eco-friendly garment collections, but again, it doesn't provide details.

In 2016, the brand paid its workers an average of $7 and as little as $4 an hour at its garment factories in LA. While Forever 21 has been under investigation for its labor practices, the brand only selectively changed and kept manufacturers, regardless of violations.

Unfortunately, the low transparency ratings and the lack of information on the brand's social responsibility page makes it difficult to assess Forever 21's commitments to a sustainable future.

Nitin Passi, founder and CEO of Missguided, wrote a letter that states the brand does not have a "Corporate Social Responsibility" page. Instead, there is "no such thing as 'corporate'" at Missguided. Passi announces in his letter that the company's mission is to empower women to dream big. He says "dreaming big" is how the brand is able to bring new ideas to the table.

Additionally, Passi mentions the brand is working to create a "closed loop recycling process" for its stores. The letter also discusses the possibility of "partnering with others" to find ways for customers to recycle their used Missguided purchases. However, the letter does not go into detail about what those processes look like.

The brand also confirms it is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and promises to denounce unethical working conditions. However, there is little evidence to confirm the brand offers its workers livable wages or ethical labor protections.

Missguided doesn't have a sustainability page-something other retailers have rushed to implement-and is vague about its sustainability commitments.

Shein was one of the first fast fashion brands to use TikTok to market its products, and it is widely popular among Gen Z shoppers. The company's goal is to ensure everyone can enjoy fashion at affordable prices. In a 2020 press release, the brand announced it adds about 500 products to its website daily. However, there is little information about its supply chain.

According to Shein's "Our Products/Our Planet" campaign, the online retailer claims to produce only 50-100 pieces per new product to reduce waste. However, when products are in demand, the brand implements large-scale production. There's a discrepancy between the brand's apparent outputs and its reported figures, which suggests Shein engages in large-scale production more frequently than it estimates.

To reduce waste and conserve energy, Shein says its warehouses are "kinder to the environment," as water and electricity automatically turn off when not in use. Shein's warehouses also use solar-powered vehicles, and the company has implemented a recycling program that allows customers to trade in their old clothes for Shein gift cards. The company says those clothes get donated or refurbished.

As for its use of sustainable fabrics, Shein says it "does its best to source recycled fabric, such as recycled polyester." But of the 70,372 women's tops currently for sale on its website, only 124 claim to be made from recycled polyester. This implies sourcing sustainable fabrics is yet to be a true commitment for the brand.

At this point, it doesn't seem as though Shein has made many concrete commitments to a sustainable future. The retailer has been vague about its environmental impact, offered up little about ensuring equitable labor practices, and has done little to enforce change.

Fashion Nova is one of the most popular brands among celebrities and influencers like Kylie Jenner and Cardi B. And with over 20 million followers on Instagram, the company's popularity continues to rise. Despite being active on social media, Fashion Nova is relatively silent about its production and sustainability aims.

Unfortunately, the brand does not go into detail about its production rate, efforts to reduce waste, or plans to use sustainable fabrics. Fashion Nova has earned the lowest score on the 2021 Fashion Transparency Index for withholding this information.

Like Forever 21, Fashion Nova's Los Angeles-based facilities have operated unethically. In 2019, the New York Times reported many Fashion Nova factory workers were being paid "illegally low wages" and working in poor conditions. The brand's commitments to ethical labor practices or regulatory unions appear to be nonexistent. The company also hasn't revealed the percentage of clothing manufactured in the U.S.

Fashion Nova's lack of sustainability goals and transparency puts the brand at the bottom of our list.

The TL;DR? By nature of the fast fashion model, none of the brands above can claim to be eco-friendly. The high-speed production rates and massive amounts of waste from the industry make it impossible.

Worldwide clothing consumption is predicted to rise by 63% by 2030, so there's no better time than now to rethink our habits and work on being more conscious consumers. Shoppers like fast fashion because it's affordable and accessible-but those items are low-quality and don't last long, resulting in more waste in landfills.

Fast fashion isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But if we vote with our dollars and opt for more sustainable options, fast fashion brands will eventually have to rethink their current business practices in favor of a system that supports people and the planet.

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The Most Popular Fast Fashion Brands, Ranked for Conscious Consumers

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Fast fashion is everywhere -from the daily deal dump in our spam folders to the targeted ads on our social media feeds. The speed and reach of today's clothing trends increasingly demand that we turn over our attention (and dollars) to keep up. You've heard of fast fashion's major players.

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The popularity of fast fashion has affected many, from the workers to consumers. The workers often have trouble with expenses due to the extremely low wages they are paid for their labor, as well as the working conditions possibly harming workers' health. Consumers who don't have much money to spend on clothes typically buy fast fashion, which often rips leading to the items being trashed. The nature of buying, wearing a few times, and trashing fast fashion items has a large impact on our environment. I focused on this topic because it is very difficult to find high quality clothing at an affordable price. By writing this piece, I hope to make people more aware of the severity of purchasing these items very frequently rather than spending their money wisely on a few comfortable and high-quality garments.

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In order to reduce fast fashion's presence in the clothing industry, consumers must buy responsibly from sustainable, recyclable brands and purchase clothing less often.

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This photo showcases an estimate of fast fashion growth from 2009 to 2029. This data helps us understand the immense increase in popularity this industry has seen as of recent. If we do not make an attempt to prevent fast fashion's growth, we may see increases in pollution directly caused by the disposing of these items.

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The data above is based on the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh, a large garment factory. The numbers show that this specific garment factory incident has harmed the health of many of its workers, which is true of other incidents in garment factories across the globe. Many incidents have been caused by faulty and dodgy equipment, demonstrating the extremely dangerous nature of these factories.

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"The one I most dislike is the rude scolding and shouting of the supervisors. They physically abuse us by hitting or slapping us. They slap us to force us to work." By purchasing from retailers in the fast fashion industry, we aren’t only filling more and more landfills with garbage, we’re hurting humankind. Buying less often from these retailers can reduce the amount of clothing ending up in trash around the world, while also helping to prevent the overworking of these sweatshop laborers.

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© AP/Shutterstock

A Scots professor, inspired by witnessing the suffering endured in the sweatshops of Bangladesh as a boy, reveals how the sudden cancellation of orders by UK firms because of Covid has worsened violence and exploitation faced by workers earning a pittance to provide the world with the latest styles at bargain prices
The actions of UK firms meant violence and exploitation suffered by girls as young as 13 working in the global fast fashion industry escalated during the pandemic, researchers fear.

Professor Muhammad Azizul Islam, inspired by his childhood experiences witnessing harsh conditions in sweatshops in Bangladesh, has led a team exposing how orders suddenly cancelled by firms in the UK worsened conditions for garment workers in countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia during lockdown.

The academic at Aberdeen University found a culture of violence against women, with many fearing being assaulted on the way to work or facing abuse in order to meet unrealistic production targets.

He said: "I grew up in Dhaka city in Bangladesh in the 1980s and '90s in an area which was surrounded by garment factories.

"I saw how women workers got into the factories in the morning very early and then at night if I went out at 9pm for walk I would see the lines of workers coming out.

"I used to see them and how their lives were. It struck me at that time when I studied accounting, that my subject was talking about how to make profit and maximise profit but not about workers.

"Suppliers and manufacturers are concerned with profit, not workers. I wanted to think about responsible profit mechanisms. One must not make profits at the expense of human rights."

Islam, professor in sustainability accounting and transparency at the university's business school, said the actions of many high street retailers, based in the UK or with operations in the UK market, had led to factory closures and job losses, leaving around 2.8 million workers facing poverty and hunger in Bangladesh.

He added: "Our research found that UK retailers' unfair practices, including cancellations of orders during the pandemic, stimulated exploitation and forced labour of women workers.

"The retailers' cancellation of orders exacerbated vulnerabilities in economic security, job security, food security, housing security and health and wellbeing, resulting in women workers struggling to support themselves and their families.

"We have also found that there was an increase in sexual and verbal abuse and symbolic violence, mainly from line supervisors pushing women to work faster to meet unrealistic production targets.

"We hope it propels governments, fashion brands and garment manufacturers to do more to fulfil their responsibilities to protect workers' rights and improve gender equality in the garment production in Bangladesh and across the world.

"Some workers we interviewed were appointed to their jobs at the age of 13 and 14. We asked how they got jobs as there is a rule that factories can't employ at this age. It's easy to get a birth certificate there to fake your age. Some of the workers are children."

Islam recently showcased his team's work to Scottish MPs at Westminster when they backed his calls for a watchdog to tackle unfair and abusive buying practices in the industry.

The MPs were shown video testimony of garment workers in Bangladesh and spoke to researchers investigating the impact of Covid on female garment workers in both Bangladesh and Cambodia, two of the world's top locations for garment manufacturing.

MPs were shown evidence of workers going hungry, experiencing sexual harassment and being forced to work longer hours for no pay. They heard many fashion brands behaved unethically towards suppliers in the wake of Covid, including failing to pay for goods already made, paying late, and demanding discounts.

Unfair purchasing practices, which are often unlawful, were common even before Covid disrupted trade, he found.

Also, despite many retailers returning to profitability last year, these practices are still continuing.

He added: "We focused on women workers who were particularly vulnerable. They were not able to find alternative employment. They had to take loans from friends and relatives and eventually they were not able to pay back the money because they could not get jobs.

"The worst scenario was in May 2020. Around 25% of the workers we surveyed lost their jobs as many retailers cancelled orders.

"Many of them were not re-employed. There would be violence in the factories with abuse directed by managers at workers for them to meet unrealistic production targets.

"No one followed rules during the pandemic. Retailers stopped monitoring and auditing."

Fast fashion has increasingly come under the spotlight. In May, the online fashion retailer Missguided collapsed, leaving workers in Pakistan destitute and hungry. The firm's suppliers are expected to be paid less than 2% of the £30m owed to them by its main trading entity after the company shut down.

A recent survey in Leicester - where several factories depended on Missguided for work - also found poor conditions among garment workers. In Cambodia, 63% of the garment workers surveyed had been forced to take out loans to supplement their poor wages even before the pandemic.

Trade justice charity Traidcraft Exchange collaborated on the research. Fiona Gooch, of Traidcraft Exchange, said: "It's not fair or realistic to expect consumers to clean up the exploitative fashion industry by changing where they shop.

"Voluntary schemes haven't worked either, because it's more profitable for fashion brands to dump inappropriate risks and costs on to suppliers.

"The only way we'll stop appalling working conditions is by regulating fashion retailers so they can no longer get away with abusive, cost-cutting purchasing practices which impact manufacturers not only in Bangladesh and Cambodia but here in the UK.

"It's high time for a fashion watchdog, like the one we already have for the supermarket sector, to end the harm and bring the garment sector up to the same standard we have for groceries.

"Researchers at Aberdeen University have done excellent work revealing impacts on workers and suppliers in Bangladesh.

"We are delighted that Scottish MPs are supporting the call for a fashion watchdog to get change, as part of a determined and growing cross-party coalition."

The testimony

The research team spoke to female workers in Bangladesh to hear their experience of abuse and exploitation.

There are many things I dislike about the factory. The one I most dislike is the rude scolding and shouting of the supervisors. They physically abuse us by hitting or slapping us. They slap us to force us to work.

If I go to the toilet and the supervisor sees that I am not working, they deduct the time from my salary. They even deduct the time from salary if I drink water other than during the lunch break.

There are female workers in the ready-made garment industry that suffer from undernutrition. They cannot eat properly, and this reduces their productivity.

I often have to work for 14 hours a day. They don't feed us or let us have a rest. I have to stand on my feet all the time and do the work. It impacts my health significantly. I get headaches and neck pain, and I also have problems with my eyesight.

Management can dominate female workers more easily; they are a soft target, but it is difficult for them to abuse male workers.

Workers who have been doing the job for a long time are the ones most likely to be terminated.

They don't pay us fairly; They force us to do overtime without pay.

Because of pregnancy, I had to give up my job, pregnant workers get fired.

Fast fashion and the damage done

Fast fashion revolutionised the clothing industry, boosting the growth of some of the high street's best-known brands.

The pace of production has ramped up in recent years with the turnaround of designs offering cheaper versions of catwalk trends becoming ever faster.

Fuelled by the internet, globalisation and technological innovation, fast fashion operates on a far faster product turnover than traditional garment manufacturing. Usually retailers would offer new clothes lines every few months but fast fashion brands now offer them every few weeks. Constant turnover and affordable prices are designed to lure shoppers at all income levels. In past years, factories made roughly 40,000 garments across four different styles in 20 weeks.

Now, suppliers have to manufacture four styles at 500 garments per week for five weeks. The use of cheap labour in poorer countries allows firms to increase production speed and volume.

The industry has other negative impacts. Fast fashion is reportedly responsible for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Water and microplastic pollution is caused by the industry's synthetic materials and toxic chemicals - some 2.5 billion gallons of textile waste contaminate around 70% of Asia's waters.

Last month, images emerged of the damage done by the industry after piles of unwanted clothing washed up on beaches in Accra, Ghana.

Ghana is one of the main recipients of the UK's used clothing but nearly half of the imported clothes there cannot be resold because they are either of low quality or are one-off items that no one wants such as hen party T-shirts or novelty sports kit.

These unwanted items are dumped in landfill sites or end up polluting rivers, beaches and the sea. Each year, an estimated 39,000 tons of clothes from developed countries are also being dumped in Chile's Atacama Desert.

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From bad to worse in fast fashion's global sweatshop

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A Scots professor, inspired by witnessing the suffering endured in the sweatshops of Bangladesh as a boy, reveals how the sudden cancellation of orders by UK firms because of Covid has worsened violence and exploitation faced by workers earning a pittance to provide the world with the latest styles at bargain prices

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Why aren't ethical clothing brands more common?

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Why are working conditions so poor in the fast fashion industry?

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"With about 750,000 workers, the garment industry is the biggest employer in the Southeast Asian nation."

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Cambodia: Over 130 garment factories suspend their operation & lay off around 100,000 workers; workers raise concerns over livelihoods & lack of support from brands - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

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“Coronavirus brings trouble to Cambodia’s garment industry”, 30 April 2020

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Why has fast fashion become so prevalent in the last 50 years?

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To run a clothing brand that can profit while providing acceptable conditions, you must give customers a good reason to spend extra on your product, however, many consumers only buy clothes with a nice design and fail to analyze why a piece they desire is so expensive. In the article, the author states "Sadly, since we are all accustomed to shopping online, many of us tend to not think past the pretty images we see on the website. We are so far removed from the way things are made, it desensitizes us." If consumers take the correct steps to find good, high-quality brands, many will be satisfied by the endurance and lifetime of these articles. Sustainability is completely attainable if consumers are willing to sacrifice a little bit more for a much longer lifetime on their clothes.

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It's not uncommon to find an ethical fashion brand you love, to then discover 2 years later it has disappeared. It's the same saga over and over again. Or at least that's been my experience since I launched Ethical Brand Directory in 2016/17.

We see so many creative founders exploding onto the scene with an interesting product and/or fantastic giving back story, we all get excited, they exceed their crowdfunding target on Kickstarter and everyone is enthused. It seems there's no stopping this brand.

They go all in at the start, full of passion, seizing every opportunity. They make it into a mainstream paper, a glossy magazine and even get featured on TV!

It's a beautiful firework display of intention and goodwill that eventually, in many cases, sadly just burns out.

The frustration of finding brands that I loved, only to discover 2 years later they had disappeared is what prompted me to set up the Ethical Brand Directory in 2017. To help people like me and you, find beautiful brands that didn't compromise on aesthetics for ethics. But that wasn't enough - I realised Directory members needed a community too. After talking first hand to brands and seeing their struggle it inspired me to set up the Academy in 2018, as I was frustrated at seeing good businesses fail and passionate entrepreneurs burn out and give up.

In this article I share my experiences over the years and the top 10 reasons why ethical fashion businesses fail.

Why do Ethical Fashion Businesses Fail?

Sadly 50% businesses fail in the first year, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Not just ethical ones. The odds are not in your favour as a new business owner. But there are things you can do to help ensure your success.

Doing things the ethical way and operating sustainably is without a doubt a lot harder. Profit margins are lower, and production costs are higher. That's the reality and price an ethical business owner pays for doing things right by people and the planet. It's about the long game, not short sighted gains. The challenge is being able to last it out to reap the benefits.

Why is an Ethical Fashion Business More Expensive To Run Than a Fast-Fashion One?

There are a few models out there that can be very profitable. When people export goods from China for example, the individual unit price at wholesale could be as low as £2.50* and the RRP could be anything from £9.99* to £29.99* or more. With profit margins over 100%* of the cost price, you can see why the temptation to buy in bulk and sell cheap is too much for some people to resist, rather than stocking items that cost £15.00* per unit for the same item, which are ethically made.

The reality is, in fashion, garments are made by people - not robots. When products are ordered at mass, the price is driven down which also means the people making the items get paid less too.

In ethical production the emphasis is on fair labour, producing less and ensuring the livelihoods of the people who make the clothes. This means the cost to create a garment is higher, even when outsourced to another country where the cost of living is much lower and the pound is strong.

When a brand operates ethically, they tend to also pay attention to sustainability too (not in all cases, as I've seen with many vegan brands, sustainability is an often an afterthought). When you factor in the cost of ethical production (up to 60% higher than using fast and exploitative methods) and the cost of a sustainable supply chain (which can undoubtedly eat into profitability) it's no wonder that ethical businesses go bust. There's very little money left for marketing and getting those all important sales!

However, that's a very shortsighted view, and we do need to work on changing the status quo. All businesses should be thinking about the long term impact they are having. Redefining what success looks like, has to change. A good business should give back, not just take. Operating ethically and sustainably is something we want to normalise at Ethical Brand Network.

In the meantime, we are doing what we can to help small independent ethical brands to thrive.

E-Commerce & Exploitation in Fast Fashion

Exploitation in fashion is not a new concept, and it's not just an issue seen (or not seen!) with overseas production. It happens here in the U.K. too. The Boohoo scandal in Leicester revealed workers were earning less than half the minimum wage. Meaning Boohoo were literally getting rich through slave labour. I don't know how that sits with you, but I certainly can't support a brand that does that.

When it comes to ethical e-commerce stores it's certainly a lot easier to set up a drop-shipping business and make a good profit on items that are produced cheaply, because it allows you to play with massive margins. Very few businesses want to have to hold onto inventory when it can be dealt with via drop-shipping. It would seem this model is very much favoured for ethical and sustainable businesses that don't want to over-produce and favour 'made to order' which is far more sustainable.

Sadly, since we are all accustomed to shopping online, many of us tend to not think past the pretty images we see on the website. We are so far removed from the way things are made, it desensitises us. It allows us to shop without a conscience, because what we don't know can't affect us. Instagram and Like to Know it apps have been hugely influential in promoting over consumption - used correctly both can be a way to encourage people to shop less and invest in better quality products, therefore both valid considerations for ecommerce store owners.

At Ethical Brand Boutique (a new offering we launched during COVID-19) we have struggled with setting commission at a price that is fair for our brands (knowing their margins are slim) but that also generates enough money to cover the cost of running the boutique (and hopefully to make a profit). At the moment it's a loss leader for us, but a fantastic perk for our brands. The greatest benefit is for our Directory visitors, allowing them to discover beautiful brands, their story and impact and shop from the same place.

Why Do Some Ethical Fashion Brands Succeed and Why Do Some Fail?

I've been learning about growing my own business, how to effectively scale, be transparent and observing the peaks and pitfalls of being in the ethical fashion niche since 2014. So much has changed, but much has remained the same.

I have been fortunate enough to cultivate a great network over the years, that has extended itself beyond London, and the U.K. As such, I am proud to know pioneers in the ethical impact investment space, entrepreneurs, CEO's of institutions wanting to change the world, fashion businesses destined to do good and individuals committed to driving change. To say I've seen a lot is an understatement. To be honest, I have seen a lot of great brands not make it, and it's for many of the reasons I state below. For most unsuccessful businesses or the ones that fail to get traction, it usually comes down to one thing - the founder. You cannot run a successful business alone. You cannot be the smartest person in your business. If you try and do it all, you will get nowhere fast and worst of all, many founders end up making impulsive outsourcing or business decisions that are made from a place of stress, scarcity and fear.

Sadly, many of the highly enthusiastic people, businesses and entrepreneurs I've met over the years have burnt out, run out of capital, or haven't been able to adapt fast enough to the economic challenges.

Covid-19 has been a struggle for many, myself included. But it's also been an absolute deal breaker for a lot of brand founders, who have had to seek out additional work to supplement their incomes and keep their businesses afloat. I am under no illusion that I may suffer the same fate one day, which is why I am always looking at ways to get people better than me into my business. To take responsibility for a failing business is not easy, but I have found that's the first step founders need to take in order to turn things around.

Through my work as a business coach for Ethical Brand Directory and as a stylist, I have been able to work with many ethical fashion business owners. And I see the same thing again and again.

Here are the top 10 reasons why Ethical Fashion businesses fail:

#1. Ethical Fashion Founders Skip Customer Research

It's an obvious but overlooked area many ethical fashion designers admit to. They come up with a product idea, design it, create it, all the while only having a semi-vague idea in mind for who it's for.

There's often very little research done for their target market. No customer avatar. No niche was identified. Whilst the purpose and thought behind the brand and making a positive impact can be very clear (and admirable) it's often the reason for starting the brand in the first place. Sadly many founders build their businesses and then hope customers will come.

This tends to be the first thing I identify as overlooked research when I work with a new brand. They design a product to solve a problem they have, and say their ideal customer is themselves. They model their market entirely on themselves. They don't carry out enough research on their markets and then try to target everyone, hoping to find a version of themselves amongst the entire population. Starting out with a clear niche is so important.

#2. Having No Clear USP For An Ethical Product

When a brand has a weak Unique Selling Point (USP), it's hard for them to stand out in a highly competitive and saturated market. Being ethical and sustainable isn't enough, these are now marketing buzzwords. A brand that has a clear USP and solves a problem people are willing to pay for, or is so aspirational people will save up and find a way to buy into it - is a brand that gets noticed.

Now that ethical fashion has finally caught the attention of the mainstream media here in the U.K. it's imperative that a brand's story is compelling, the products must look great, but due to higher price points they must also be aspirational, because no one wants to pay more and feel like they get less.

Essentially your USP needs to capture the hearts and minds of busy consumers. Stop them in their tracks and become something they cannot stop thinking about.

Communicating one's USP sounds easy, but many struggle to articulate what they do and the benefits. Even I fall short in the copy department from time to time. This is why it's best to work with someone who knows how to create strong sales copy that converts. Is it expensive? Well, an excellent copywriter isn't cheap. But a good one will do until you can afford to invest in someone much better down the line. And remember copy needs to be split tested and tweaked as high-performing content is dependent on current language, and as you and your business evolves your messaging will evolve too.

Remember to keep this up to date!

#3. Not Substantiating Their Ethical + Sustainable Fashion Credentials

This is something that is becoming really important, as one bad piece of press can destroy a brand. Look at H&M - whilst not quite destroyed, they are always used as an example of greenwashing. It's not enough to just say you're ethical and sustainable. You have to prove it.

For a small brand that hasn't got a big marketing budget, this could spell out disaster if an influencer finds your brand credentials to be flakey. They will have no problem naming and shaming you, the last thing you want to do is get a bad rep in the ethical niche. Did you see the Lucy + Yak Story? A much loved ethical brand (not to my taste) but one with a vast following and devoted following, got involved in the size-inclusivity conversation without having their own house in order. Lucy & Yak were called out on their own oversight and lack of size-inclusivity, accused of fat phobia and other racial biases. It was a hot mess.

The moral of the story here is don't claim to be something you are not. Make sure you are totally transparent about what you do or don't or where you fall short and what you are doing to address it, don't wait to get called out on it.

Check out my What is greenwashing? blog to understand why honesty is so important and why as a small independent brand you take the time to connect with your audience. Loyal followers are far more forgiving if you do make a boo-boo. And let's face it, no founder on the planet is infallible.

#4. Lack of Knowledge and Understanding of Digital Marketing And How to Market A Fashion Brand

I will sound harsh now, but I meet far too many founders who just aren't armed with the know-how to get ahead with SEO. I see far too many websites that don't meet the minimum standards to even get noticed in Google. No blogs. No content on a Google Business page. No active twitter content or Pinterest boards - these are all super important channels for SEO. I'm a complete laggard when it comes to YouTube, but it's an overlooked tool for boosting traffic to your website and building your brand.

As a marketer I have a good basic knowledge of on page SEO, but the advanced website bits and SEO is what I ask the experts to help me on. Get blogging! Create evergreen content and make sure you share on repeat and use the power of communities to help get your content seen and re-shared.

#5. Isolation, Overwhelm + Lack of Accountability

Being a business owner, particularly during COVID-19, is tough. Many business owners work from home to save money on an office or studio. But that comes with isolation, distractions from family members, household chores, and no break in the monotony of being at home.

Overwhelm can set in. Lack of community can lead to isolation and when you're not around others or interacting with people outside your own household, accountability can become an issue.

Business owners are very good at making up excuses as to why they haven't done things. Excuses are clues to what your personal limitations could be. Working with others and stepping outside your comfort zone can help with point #7 and building confidence. When we feel like we're failing it's hard to find the motivation to push past our own blockers. It's easy to give up and find excuses to appease our feelings about not delivering on what we said we'd do. Because we're not committed to these things publicly, it's easy to let them slide.

Working with accountability coaches can be expensive and this is why many founders just try to do everything alone, resulting in to-do lists which are unrealistic and don't get done.

At Ethical Brand Directory we have monthly accountability calls to help our members stay on track.

#6. Poor Branding & Ineffective Communication

It's often hard to explain your own business in 3 short bullet points when you're overwhelmed, feeling isolated, and not getting constructive feedback regularly. When founders run a business they can get so bogged down with the day-to-day, trying to catch a break, and so desperate to get traction that they jump onto trend after trend, slowly and detrimentally changing and weakening the brands purpose.

Before they know it, a founder cannot articulate their brands USP clearly, all the while sending mixed messages out to the world. It's hard to be objective about your own business when you feel so detached from the reason you set it up.

Having someone help direct you with what to put on your homepage, your about page, and your ethics and sustainability page is essential. It can help with SEO and point #3.

At Ethical Brand Directory we help our members by providing useful templates.

#7. Ethical Fashion Founders Lack of Self-Confidence

This is the saddest part for me, when a founder comes out all guns blazing, only to burn out after 3 months of working 15-hour days and then be unproductive for the next 3 months. This cycle can have an adverse affect on their confidence, calling their very purpose into question.

Being in a community and having regular contact with business owners that face the same challenges as you is so important. It helps to counter imposter syndrome, to overcome all problems mentioned in point #5, and can help cultivate positive associations with your efforts by refocusing your energy on what's working, rather than what's not.

Working with a confident coach in business is definitely a luxury many brand founders cannot afford, which is why as an ex-process confidence coach I make it my business to boost the moral of our members, by celebrating their wins and helping to find them PR opportunities and help boost their self-esteem.

At Ethical Brand Directory our tight knit community inspires confidence and provides a safe space for our members to grow their confidence.

#8. Brand Founders Can Often Burn Out Due to Lack of Self-Care

When you're working a 15-hour day, it leaves very little time for healthy eating, quality sleep and exercise.

Every successful entrepreneur you meet will tell you how important exercise and self care is for your mental and physical well-being.

The people who tend to suffer the most are the ones who lack consistency in their routines. I find myself hearing the same excuses as to why they do not take care of themselves.

It's hard to watch as I know first hand how overworking can cause depression, weight gain, lack of motivation, depletion of confidence and serious health issues.

It's also an overused expression but we all have the same 24-hours in a day.

Some people are just better organised and invest their time into things that make a big impact. Others spend all their time on things that make very little difference at all.

It's not how much we do, but what we do each day that matters, especially when we're in business.

Quality time spent on things that move the needle is far more productive than spending 15-hours at your laptop stressing about all the things you have to get done.

When you find the sweet spot where you've nailed work-life balance, productivity will flow so you'll have plenty of time for fitness, sleep and self-care.
Routine, consistency and accountability are key factors. As is determining YOUR productivity zones.
I find mine are early morning and late evening. Mid-day is best for exercise and chores. I take either a Saturday or Sunday off from work too, as this means by Monday I'm ready to do it all again. No rest at the weekend means I start the week tired, overwhelmed, and likely to make poor choices, when done on repeat it's a recipe for burn-out and a massive confidence crushing episode.

#9. Start Up Ethical Fashion Brands Have Limited Funds to Pay for Things

Thisone feels like a chicken and egg situation. Investing money into professional services can feel painful when you're not profitable. But we all know in business you have to spend money to make money.

Many founders try to do everything themselves, opting to save money, but which inevitably leads to point #6. This can lead to frustration and a massive burn through of finances in the long-term. It's a learning process - and that can be rewarding if you can afford to wait time until you start to see results. Sadly not many people in this world are excellent at all aspects of business. Would you pay a knowingly inexperienced freelancer to run your FB ads for you? No? Then why would you do it yourself? The result will be the same: an expensive lesson, low, if any results, and data you probably cannot understand.

I see two things happen: new business owners are quick to hire outside help to get tasks done, but get their fingers burnt. As mentioned in the paragraph above, cheap freelancers are cheap for a reason. If you want quality, expertise and fast results, you have to pay for it. Avoid Fiver... you get what you pay for. Plus it's hardly an ethical solution to outsource it to another country and then pay breadcrumbs to the person tasked to do it.

The second thing I see all the time is founders paying a freelancer or agency to carry out marketing, such as PPC or to run Facebook Ads, do their PR, or run their social media. The problem with this is that most face problems #1, #4 and #6. Their money is wasted time and time again because they aren't targeting the right people, and their messaging doesn't resonate. They don't understand the processes for which they are paying and so have no idea what to expect, or how to manage the relationship to get results.
Let me say this: Nobody knows your business better than you, if you haven't got what's in your head documented you'll find it hard to outsource work.
Taking the time to create little manuals and little resource-hub on your Google Drive will make it much easier to delegate work out when the time comes.

There are so many people out there that will take money from inexperienced new business owners, and in fact that's who they target because it's much easier to take money from someone who doesn't know what to expect. It's scandalous, but a reality.

Then.... there's working with people who are seeking work from a place of financial or time scarcity. Always a recipe for disaster. Despite me knowing better, and working with people I thought were competent, I have been bitterly disappointed with the outcomes, and I know this is because I have chosen to partner with people who have been struggling with personal issues and under financial strain.

The reason I share this is because we all go through these 'patches' and we all encounter people that nearly wreck our beloved businesses. And very often it's not their fault - it's hard to break away from people you like, but aren't delivering. When you're an ethical business, you tend to deeply care about the wellbeing of those you work with - which makes these situations even worse to deal with.

Sadly as business owners we have to identify the problems and tackle them head on. Waiting and giving multiple chances can be very costly to our businesses. Sometimes that's simply saying goodbye to people who just aren't driving your business forward. I met so many business owners who stick with ineffective staff, allow personal assistants to make too many mistakes or continue to work with incompetent accountants, to the detriment of their business. I too have felt the pinch here, so can totally relate!

#10. Many Fashion Founders Dislike Sales and/or Accounting

Thenwe have my favourite - when a founder has a strong resistance to working on sales. Many founders just want the sales to effortlessly pour in (who wouldn't?) but aren't setting themselves sales related targets (that are realistic with their knowledge of marketing, and budget). They fill their days with being busy on tasks that aren't optimising their sales funnels.

They don't start each day focused on money making activities. A lot of this is due to point #5, when founders are left trying to do it all, and they very often end up occupied with doing nothing at all. Rationalising all the learning and trial and error, they in essence end up doing the same thing again and again, and expecting results whilst achieving nothing in the way of sales.
*figures used throughout are for example only. Wholesale unit prices vary greatly depending on country of origin, materials used. Shipping + taxes can eat into the margins and there may be less profit.
I hope you've found this helpful and I welcome your comments and experiences of building your ethical business below. We offer free webinars and Wednesday Wisdom sessions on a monthly basis, as well as having an Ethical Brand Academy, which is a self-service library full of resources to help you build your business.

Additional Reading:
What is Greenwashing? Ethical Brand Network Membership FAQs Roberta Lee Press-Pack

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10 Reasons Why Ethical Fashion Businesses Fail

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It's not uncommon to find an ethical fashion brand you love, to then discover 2 years later it has disappeared. It's the same saga over and over again. Or at least that's been my experience since I launched Ethical Brand Directory in 2016/17.

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A line in the 7th paragraph reads "The idea that all companies take responsibility for their supply chains and ensure factory workers have a living wage and conditions are safe is a bit of a pipe dream considering the very exploitation of that labor is what allows those companies to increase their profit margins. " Fast fashion relies on the work of underpaid workers in poorly managed sweatshops to succeed and make a profit. One practice these factories use is to only hire immigrants, as they do not have legal documents meaning they struggle to get a regular job. By accepting only immigrants with no other option, they can easily pay very low wages and force them to work in terrible conditions, as the alternative option is to not be paid entirely. The fact that high profit margins are almost essentials to running a large company means that a poorly-paid supply chain is best if a garment company wants to succeed.

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Mass consumption is and the fashion industry is no exception. Worldwide pieces of clothing are consumed every year, a 400% increase from only twenty years ago. However, approximately 85% of these textiles end up in a landfill every year. This is an indicator of the mass demand from consumers and rapid turnover in trends that is occuring. In 2014 the average person bought 60% more clothing than in the year 2000, however, they kept each item of clothing only half as long. This can largely be attributed to the rise of fast fashion, micro-trends, and the cheap and exploitative labor that makes it possible.
The Rise of Fast Fashion
refers to the rapid production of clothing, generally in a way that sacrifices quality for quantity. Prior to the mid 1900's there were generally 4 seasons of fashion, one for every season of the year. Now fast fashion companies such as H&M create 52 "micro-seasons" a year , one for every week. This new pattern created a massive demand for apparel and the creation of approximately 53 million tons of clothing annually. In order to sustain this level of production at a cost that allows the consumer to purchase clothing in large quantities, many fast fashion companies sought a way to cut costs in the supply chain. In order to achieve this, companies began taking their production to developing countries to take advantage of cheaper labor costs and less regulations. The rapid trend cycle, known as micro-trending, encourages the majority of fast fashion companies to engage in unethical labor practices in order to create a high volume of clothing at a low cost.
Labor Practices in Fast Fashion What We Don't Know Can't Hurt Us?
One of the main reasons fashion companies are so eager to take their subsidiaries to countries such as Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh is the lack of oversight that occurs during the actual textile production . Many brands choose to have minimal control over each step of the supply chain in order to avoid opening themselves up to enormous legal liability. Brands allow their subsidiaries to remain largely unregulated because it absolves them of responsibility for the unethical practices being used to produce their clothing at such low costs. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of their labor forces as it is being brought more and more into the public purview, as exemplified in 2019 when thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh went on strike over their low wages garnering international attention.
What We Do Know
The fast fashion industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide. Of those workers it is estimated that of them make a living wage. This leads to workers living below the poverty line and the European Parliament has even described the conditions of factory workers in Asia as " slave labor ". Many garment workers are working up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. The textile industry also uses child labor particularly because it is often low skilled, so children can be exploited at a younger age.

Additionally, the health of laborers is adversely affected by working conditions. The production of fast fashion clothing employs the use of 8,000 synthetic chemicals. Some of these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer and factory workers are regularly exposed to and breathing in these chemicals.

There are also structural dangers that come with avoiding codes. This was demonstrated by the deadliest garment industry accident in modern history in Bangladesh when the Rana Plaza Factory collapsed in 2013 and 1,100 people were killed and 2,500 more were injured. Safeguards on the building had expired and engineers had even recommended the building should be condemned. However, workers were ordered to come in anyway, and they came for fear of not being paid. After this incident , building inspections were done on 1,106 factories used by fast fashion companies and 80,000 safety related issues were found.
Looking Forward
The idea that all companies take responsibility for their supply chains and ensure factory workers have a living wage and conditions are safe is a bit of a pipe dream considering the very exploitation of that labor is what allows those companies to increase their profit margins. Therefore, rather than ask for individual accountability, it is clear a more structural change is necessary. The most successful regulation in this sector is the Bangladesh Fire & Safety Accord , which came after the Rana Plaza factory collapse. The Accord is the first legally-binding agreement in the modern era between workers, factory managers, and apparel companies and affects the safety of over one million workers in Bangladesh factories. This model should be emulated in other countries that rely on fast fashion manufacturing and a similar model could be used to ensure fair wages.

In addition, countries that headquarter the fast fashion companies can implement regulations that de-incentivize outsourcing offshore, or require that if a company is going to outsource offshore they be in greater control of their supply chain. This would force greater regulation of wages and hopefully prevent companies from abusing foreign labor because it is less expensive.
Conclusion
The fashion industry is growing rapidly , with an estimated 20% growth between 2020 and 2021, and it isn't slowing down. Consumer demand for a larger quantity of clothing at a cheaper price point has pushed development of the fast fashion industry. This has led to the dangerous exploitation of the labor force who makes the fashion industry possible. In order to prevent further damage to garment workers it is necessary that legislation emulating the Bangladesh Fire & Safety Accord be put into place in every country. There need to be larger pushes for legislation around fair wages and corporate responsibility for supply chain management. It is imperative to address and resolve the human rights violations occurring as a result of fast fashion.

Author Bio: Emma Ross is a second year law student at The George Washington University Law School. She graduated in 2020 from Binghamton University with Bachelor's in Political Science and Psychology. She is currently a member of the George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law. She also serves as a legal consultant to the Coalition for Integrity.

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Fast Fashion Getting Faster: A Look at the Unethical Labor Practices Sustaining a Growing Industry

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Introduction Mass consumption is on the rise and the fashion industry is no exception. Worldwide 80 billion pieces of clothing are consumed every year, a 400% increase from only twenty years ago. However, approximately 85% of these textiles end up in a landfill every year.

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"Online shopping took off, and fast-fashion retailers like H&M, Zara, and Topshop took over the high street. These brands took the looks and design elements from the top fashion houses and reproduced them quickly and cheaply."

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What Is Fast Fashion and Why Is It So Bad? - Good On You

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You might already be aware of fast fashion’s dark side, but it’s worth exploring how we got to this point. What is fast fashion, and why should we avoid it?