Yahoo Finance Named: The 101 major fashion brands failing at ethical processes
Fashion brands are slowly becoming more responsive to consumer expectations of ethics, but not fast enough, according to the latest Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion report.
It found that more than a third of brands have improved their ethical processing score since last year’s ranking, but several stores – including boho favourite, Tigerlily – are still scoring poorly.
But noting the more than 50,000 downloads of the report last year, Baptist World Aid CEO John Hickey said it’s clear that consumers are placing increasing pressure on their favourite brands.
“People want to know they’re not doing harm in what they’re purchasing,” he told AAP.
And, he added, the Modern Slavery Act introduced on 1 January this year will also be a catalyst for change in the fashion industry’s supply chains.
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“The beginning of the supply chain is where the risk of child labour, forced labour and exploitation is most prevalent,” he said.
Baptist World Aid graded 130 apparel companies and 480 brands on their transparency, worker rights and environmental management.
Higher grades were given to brands with environmental management systems and labour rights policies, as those two levers should reduce worker exploitation and environmental damage.
Baptist World Aid suggested Australians compare their shopping habits with the report and consider cutting down on, or completely eliminating spending where brands don’t measure up.
These are the brands that scored D+ or lower
Abercrombie & Fitch* D-
Abercrombie Kids* D-
Airflex D
Amber Rose D
Ally Fashion* F
Amber Rose D
Autograph D
Baby City* F
Bardot D+
Bardot Junior D+
Beare & Ley* F
Bec and Bridge* F
Betts D
Bloch* F
Capture D+
Capture European D+
Camilla and Marc* F
Cinori D
Co Co Beach* F
Coles D+
Colorado D
Cooper by Trelise* F
Cooper St* F
Crossroads D
Darn Tough D+
Decjuba* D
Diana Ferrari D
Django & Juliette D
Emerge D+
Euro Edit D+
Ezibuy D+
Farmers* F
Forever 21* D
Fruit of the Loom* D+
Gamins D
Gazal* D
Gilly Hicks* D
Gracehill D+
Heine D+
Hollister Co.* D
Hunting & Fishing New Zealand D+
I love Billy D
Isabella Rossi D
Jasmine & Will* F
Jump* F
Kachel* F
Kate Sylvester* D+
Katies D
Lemonade* F
little trelise* F
Liz Jordan D
Lover* F
Lowes* F
Lynx D
Maggie T D
Merric* F
Mia Lucce D+
Midas D
Millers D
Mirrou D
Mix* D+
Mollini D
Non Sense* F
Noni B D
Oxford D
P.E. Nation* F
Pavement* F
Petals* F
Ping Pong* F
Pom Pom* F
Rebecca Vallance* F
Rivers D
Rockmans D
Russel Athletic* D+
Sara D+
Scram* F
Showpo* F
Silent D by Django & Juliette D
Simon de Winter D+
South Cape D+
Spalding* D+
Supersoft by Diana Ferrari D
3 Wise Men* F
T&T* F
Table Eight D
TEMPT D
The Baby Factory* F
Tigerlily* D
Together D+
Top End D
Trelise Cooper* F
Urban D+
Valleygirl D
Vanity Fair* D+
W.Lane D
Wanted D
Wax* F
Wish* F
WORLD* D
Zom-B* F
Zu D
Brands marked with the * did not respond for the Baptist World Aid report.
Who’s doing well?
Several popular Australian brands like Kookai, Mimco, Bonds, Cotton On, Bras n Things and Witchery scored well, along with international brands like Adidas, Kathmandu and Reebok.
Rodd & Gunn, Rubi and Sheridan also scored highly, together with Sportscraft, Supre, Trenery and Zara.
– With AAP.
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