The Ladybug answers: How do we know if a brand is really ethical?

When it comes to ethical fashion brands, how can we say if a brand is really ethical?

I make a lot of online research every time that I want to buy a piece from a brand that I don’t know well to make sure that their production is made by respecting environment and if it is fair with its workers (one point shouldn’t go without the other).

I can say that it is seriously difficult to understand it, especially because lately many brands are “greenwashing” their activities, considering the high level of awareness around the world on the sustainability of fashion. For this reason you must be very careful but there are a few tips here that can help!

• CHECK OUT THE BRAND INTERNET WEBSITE

The easiest way to have an idea about ethical policies of a brand is checking its website and see how much space it dedicates to its sustainability policies. It is a first step but don’t trust entirely what is written on their website. More and more brands are trying to get into the sustainability path only as a way to cover their real practices, trying to convince the growing number of ethically aware customers about their conscious practices. This attitude is called greenwashing and it is becoming very popular especially within fast fashion industry.

• STALK THE BRAND ONLINE

The second step is to google the brand online and see what forums or news say about it. If the brand can showcase itself as an ethical brand, it cannot control what other people say about it regarding its practices and its impacts. More and more websites are specialized in sustainable brands analysis as well as forums and blogs. They can give you very interesting hints about the brand you want to buy from.

• PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR PARTNERS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Sometimes the brand does not own directly the factories but it relies on local partners to provide factories and workers to the brand. If this can be a very difficult practice to drive out you can learn a lot about the brand practices. Please don’t think that if a brand product is Made in Italy it is automatically “clean”, the “Made in…” tag only makes us aware of the place where the item was sewn. Also, if a brand states that it is “for a good cause” it may not actually be producing items ethically!

A good hint may be if a brand becomes a certified member of one of the fair-trade organizations as it means they have met the required ethical criteria; however this is not a necessary step.

• EMAIL THE BRAND

If you are not convinced yet you can still email the brand and directly ask for the information that you need to know or that are not yet clear to you: where are their clothes made, how do they ensure the safety and fair pay of all workers in the supply chain, where information on third-parties can be found etc.

I followed these steps when I decided to buy from Zuri, a young ethical brand founded by two American expats in Nairobi, Sandra Zhao and Ashleigh Gersh Miller. I could appreciate the brand for the locally sourced fabrics and its concrete engagement for sustainability.

All their creations are locally sourced and ethically produced by local handcrafters in Kenya. For example, they source fabrics directly from vendors in the markets, cutting out the middlemen and they partner with SOKO, a company focusing on people and environment.

Zuri’s only produces one dress: the three in one dress. It is available in many different colors and patterns and it can be worn as a dress as well as a jacket and a skirt. I love the easy and simple A-line shape that makes it very versatile and easy to adapt to many different outfit ideas. Versatility of the pieces is also a good indicator of this brand attention to sustainability: producing only one model, which can be worn in different ways, will be definitely worn more and often, reducing the need to buy other pieces, don’t you think?

I am wearing here my favorite Zuri dress in blue and red, definitely one of my favorite pieces from my sustainable closet!

Golden sandals are thrifted Miu Miu, brass hoop earrings are handmade from Metalica Creazioni.