We want bags that don’t cost the Earth

You’ve surely heard the phrase “luxury bags are an investment”, but the reality is, a lot of designer purses aren’t that great for people, the planet, and animals. So is it really worth it if your investment negatively impacts our planet and its inhabitants?

The good news is there’s a growing number of conscious accessories brands creating high-quality, beautiful, timeless pieces that are also more ethical and sustainable.

We looked through the Good On You database and found some amazing “Good” and “Great” accessories brands creating sustainable luxury handbags that are really worth investing in.

Our list includes a few classic pieces, but also some unique finds, like the Mashu (UK) brass plated bucket bag, behno’s (US) bubblegum pink crossbody bag, or Santos by Monica’s (US) baguette bag.

Our favourite sustainable luxury handbags

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Avant-garde is great, but sustainability is better

Maison Margiela, formerly known as Maison Martin Margiela, is an avant-garde haute couture brand, founded in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela. The brand is known for its inventive, deconstructed, and unconventional designs and shows. You might have already heard about the Tabi boot, a split-toe shoe taking inspiration from the traditional Japanese socks bearing the same name. Like many luxury fashion labels, Maison Margiela even collaborated with H&M to launch a limited edition collection in 2012.

But how is Maison Margiela impacting people, the planet, and animals? In short, how ethical is Maison Margiela?

Environmental impact

We couldn’t find evidence that Maison Margiela is actively working to reduce its impact on the environment. For this reason, we rate Maison Margiela “Very Poor” for the planet. The brand uses few eco-friendly materials and there is no evidence it minimises textile waste, reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain, or has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals. With a climate crisis afoot, brands need to take responsibility for their impact on the planet or risk getting left behind.

Labour conditions

Maison Margiela also rates “Very Poor” for people. Despite most of its final stage of production being undertaken in Italy, a medium risk country for labour abuse, the brand isn’t transparent enough: Maison Margiela received a score of 0-10% in the Fashion Transparency Index. The brand publishes limited information about its supplier policies and audits. It also doesn’t disclose any information about forced labour, gender equality or freedom of association, or any policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.

More importantly, we found no evidence Maison Margiela ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. A living wage is the bare minimum wage required for workers to live a decent life. It’s different from the legal minimum wage, which is usually far below the living wage. Garment workers need to be protected and treated fairly.

Animal welfare

Maison Margiela rates “Very Poor” for animals, too. The brand has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but no formal animal welfare policy. Maison Margiela doesn’t use fur and exotic animal skin, but it still uses leather, wool, angora, down, and exotic animal hair. For these animal-derived materials, we found no evidence they were traced even to the first stage of production. There is no way to know how the animals are treated along the supply chain without transparency here.

Overall rating: We Avoid

Maison Margiela rates “Very Poor” for the three key areas of people, planet, and animals.

The brand is clearly not doing enough to reduce its impact on the planet and its inhabitants. It needs to be more transparent about its practices, use more eco-friendly materials, ditch the harmful animal-based ones, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make sure its workers are paid a living wage and treated fairly.

Until Maison Margiela improves its rating, “We Avoid” the brand and we recommend you do too.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

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“Good” and “Great” alternatives to Maison Margiela

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Is Louis Vuitton ethical or sustainable?

The appointment in 2018 of Virgil Abloh as Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of menswear shook up the 164-year-old French fashion house, as well as the whole fashion industry. The late American designer, DJ, and stylist was originally known for being Kanye West’s creative director, before making waves with his own luxury streetwear label, Off-White—worn by the likes of Jay-Z, ASAP Rocky, Beyonce, and Rihanna.

The designer’s appointment was seen as democratising luxury fashion and bringing youth culture to an elite brand, but did the house of Louis Vuitton also address ethical and sustainable fashion concerns of the younger generations?

In this article, we take a look at the luxury brand’s impact on people, the planet, and animals, to answer the age old question: how ethical is Louis Vuitton?

Environmental impact

Unsurprisingly, luxury label Louis Vuitton is simply “Not Good Enough” for the planet. While it has set an intensity target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations, there is no evidence it is on track to meet said target. There is no evidence it minimises textile waste, and it uses few eco-friendly materials. It complies with its own Restricted Substances List and has eliminated some hazardous chemicals from its supply chain, but the brand has not set a time bound target to eliminate all hazardous chemicals. Like numerous other luxury fashion houses, Louis Vuitton also regularly burns unsold stock, contributing even further to the damaging fashion industry that values exclusivity over sustainability at every turn.

Labour conditions

The brand also scores “Not Good Enough” for its treatment of workers across the supply chain. It received a score of 21-30% in this year’s Fashion Transparency Index, and its final stage of production is undertaken in medium risk countries for labour abuse. Sadly, the brand discloses inadequate policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19, and there is no evidence is ensures payment of a living wage in any part of its supply chain or that it implements practices to support diversity and inclusion also in its supply chain. People are the backbone of the fashion industry and Louis Vuitton needs to do much better and provide safe and fair working conditions for all.

Animal welfare

Louis Vuitton is rated “Very Poor” for the animals because of its use of fur, down, leather, wool, exotic animal skin, and exotic animal hair, though it has a basic formal policy to protect animal welfare. Such a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the sentient creatures we share the planet with is outdated, and with so many vegan fabric innovations out there, using them in such a way simply isn’t necessary any more.

Overall rating: Not Good Enough

Louis Vuitton has been rated “Not Good Enough” overall based on information from the research done by our team at Good On You. Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information see our How We Rate page and our FAQs. Consumers deserve to know who made their clothes, and what impact their clothing choices have on the planet and animals. Louis Vuitton needs to become much more transparent, and do far more to reduce its impact on people, the planet, and animals  in order to meet the expectations of a new generation of fashion lovers.

See the rating.

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Ethical alternatives to Louis Vuitton

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Is Chanel an ethical or sustainable brand?

Fashion changes, but style endures.

These are the wise words of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who founded the eponymous brand in the 1920s. Chanel is known for revolutionising women’s fashion by ditching the restrictive corsets and replacing them with more flattering, functional, and minimalistic silhouettes. A lesser known fact is that Chanel herself was anti-Semitic and worked as a secret Nazi agent during WW2. Not exactly one to idolise.

The late Karl Lagerfeld revived the luxury house in the 1980s, introducing the concept of the griffe (a proof of uniqueness and authenticity, hidden inside the dress) and making the brand one of the last 20th-century fashion houses still talked about today.

Style endures, but it looks like Chanel has had trouble adapting to the modern fashion industry and its efforts to become more ethical and sustainable. In 2018, and for the first time ever, the brand published a report on its environmental efforts and banned the use of exotic skins. In 2019, Chanel also took a minority stake in a green chemistry start up, showing that it’s finally starting to think about a broader sustainability strategy—but it still may not be doing enough.

With this in mind, what is Chanel’s impact on people, the planet, and animals? Is Chanel ethical or sustainable?

Environmental impact

Chanel’s environment rating is “Not Good Enough”. The brand has set an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its operations by 50% by 2030. But it doesn’t use eco-friendly materials and we found no evidence it has taken any meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals or that it implements water reduction initiatives. We are in the middle of a climate emergency, and well-established brands need to clue in or they will be left behind.

Labour conditions

Chanel’s labour rating is also “Not Good Enough”. It received a score of only 11-20% in the Fashion Transparency Index. Although the brand audits some of its supply chain, it doesn’t state what percentage. There is also no evidence it investigates and reports on safety incidents, that it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain, or that it lists names or addresses for any of its suppliers. We know the impact of fashion on garment workers, and it is imperative that they are afforded the rights and payment they deserve.

Animal welfare

Like many luxury brands, Chanel has stopped using fur, exotic animal skin, and angora. But it still uses leather and wool, as well as exotic animal hair and silk, which is why Chanel’s animal rating is “Not Good Enough”. Not only that, but there is no evidence it has a policy to minimise the suffering of animals, nor does it appear to trace animal products to the first stage of production. With so many alternatives, the use of these harmful materials is entirely unnecessary.

Overall rating: Not Good Enough

We gave Chanel an overall rating of “Not Good Enough”. The brand is not taking adequate steps to reduce textile waste in its supply chain, eliminate hazardous chemicals, or reduce its water consumption. What’s more, it needs to improve working conditions by investigating and reporting on safety incidents, but more importantly, ensuring workers in its supply chain are paid a living wage, and with the material innovations in the fashion industry today, there is simply no excuse for using cruel animal-based fabrics anymore. The brand has a long way to go if it intends to endure for the years to come.

See the rating.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

If you’re looking for the unique and timeless Chanel style while having a better impact on people, the planet, and animals—fear not. We found ethical alternatives to Chanel to inspire you.

Good swaps

Ethical and sustainable alternatives to Chanel

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Embracing responsible luxury with mercury-free mined gold

After 30 years in the luxury jewellery industry, FUTURA’s founder Bob Donofrio discovered the harsh reality of the environmental impact of mining gold for jewellery production: 99% of the world’s gold supply is produced by emitting toxic chemicals, including mercury and cyanide, into the ecosystem, and 38% of the world’s mercury emissions come from unregulated gold mining.

As most of this gold is used in jewellery production, Donofrio’s mission was to create a brand that would lead to change within the luxury jewellery industry and directly impact the reduction of mercury emissions. In New York in 2017, FUTURA was born, a conscious luxury jewellery brand that is leading the industry to adopt clean gold mining practices that will lead to a global reduction in mercury emissions.

As a jewellery industry leader, once I discovered the truth about mercury emissions and small-scale gold mining, I was overcome with an overwhelming desire to get involved and contribute to solving the problem.

Robert Donofrio – Founder

Read on to discover how this “Great” brand is working to provide consumers with an ethical, sustainable, and traceable fine jewellery option that gives them the power to positively improve the future of our planet.

Planet: Mercury-free

FUTURA Jewelry receives our highest score of “Great” for the environment. Its stunning pieces are handcrafted with mercury-free mined 18kt certified Fairmined Ecological gold, significantly reducing their climate impact and helping to bolster a less damaging jewellery industry overall. The brand ensures wastewater is treated and discharged properly in its supply chain, uses plastic-free packaging, and makes products to-order to further minimise waste.

“Our gold comes from the three certified Fairmined mines in the world that mine for gold without the use of toxic chemicals including mercury and cyanide,” the team tells us. “Our gold is setting the standard for the future—for the jewellery industry and for the planet. By eliminating the use of toxic mercury in mining, we eliminate the impact of harmful mercury emissions to our planet to create a safer future for everyone.”

People: Fairmined

Fairmined gold isn’t just beneficial for the planet: it ensures that the health and safety of workers, surrounding communities, and consumers are given the utmost priority. The use of mercury in mining leads to widespread contamination of the ecosystem, including soil, waterways, and wildlife. It can cause dire health effects, with inhaled mercury leading to neurological damage and other health issues, so avoiding it is crucial.

FUTURA Jewelry ensures that everyone along the supply chain has safe working conditions, stability, and gender equality. It traces its entire supply chain and provides living wages, well-deserving a “Great” rating for people.

Note: This brand makes products that are generally free of animal materials so it is not applicable to rate its impact on animals. We calculate the overall rating from environment and labour scores only.

Overall rating: Great

Thanks to its essential work in mercury-emissions reduction, transparency, and ethical practices along the supply chain, FUTURA Jewelry receives our highest score of “Great” overall.

FUTURA is about offering consumers the ability to make a personal choice that aligns with their beliefs around humanity, and collectively collaborating for the future of the planet and for human rights through making smarter, more compassionate choices.

Robert Donofrio – Founder

Our 10 favourite handcrafted pieces by FUTURA Jewelry

FUTURA Jewelry pieces not only do great, they look and feel great. The impeccable craftsmanship is evident in the design, weight, balance, and feel that goes into making each piece. The master artisans who create the jewellery have been in the industry for decades, so “there is a bit of history, centuries of craft, and ingenuity in every piece of FUTURA jewellery.”

This is jewellery you can wear with pride, as each piece of FUTURA jewellery sold directly reduces mercury emissions that emanate from small-scale gold mining and supports the United Nations’ mission to eliminate the harmful threat of mercury emissions to the planet. Here are our 10 favourites from the collection, all handcrafted in NYC with 18kt certified Fairmined Ecological gold that is toxic chemical free, sustainable, ethical, and clean.

Astrid Ring

This stunning hand woven ethically-sourced gold ring hails from the Viking era and was a popular style worn and treasured by both men and women.

800BC Ring

Originally hailing from its namesake, the 800BC ring is a true unique work. Ancient Greeks would wear gold spirals in their hair, and FUTURA has modernised the design by crafting a unique sustainable gold ring you can wear and treasure forever.

Le Trou Ring

Le Trou from “the hole” in French is an iconic ring originally designed by artist Man Ray. The wearer of this ring would look through the telescoping hole which is meant to alter the viewer’s perception of reality, making this a true Surrealist work of art.

Orbit Hoops

The Orbit gold hoops are a legendary twist on the classic hoop, designed by Renowned Jeweller Art Smith in Greenwich Village.

Adeia Necklace

Handcrafted link-by-link, this classic Roman style is one of the oldest known styles of chain found across the globe dating back as far as 2500BC. Featuring beechnut pendants or “leaf” shape motifs that symbolise the Greek goddess Diana who reigned over forests and woodlands.

Eterna Chain Necklace

Another classic Roman-style chain handcrafted link-by-link, the Eterna is a simple yet timeless design crafted ethically from Fairmined gold.

Endure Ring

The belt is a 300 year old motif that was mostly popular in 19th Century England for its strong symbolism of loyalty, strength, and eternity. Today, the Endure ring is a truly modern design that has just as much meaning and beauty as it did when it was originally made in 1840.

Puzzle Earrings

Release 07 originates from California, and was designed in the 1950’s by jeweller and artist Milton Cavagnaro who was inspired by the surrounding Bay Area landscape and the Bauhaus and Surrealists movements.

Love Locket

The striking gold Love Locket was designed to keep your loved ones close. Handmade in the brand’s 18kt Fairmined Ecological gold, the Love Locket features a beautiful embossing of Mother Earth on both sides, wrapped in a closed belt to represent what we hold to be most precious.

Ethereal Ring

This stunning laurel wreath design was Inspired by the ancient Greeks, symbolising peace and victory. The Ethereal wedding ring is a timeless symbol of your love and will be treasured forever.

Finally, the Forever FUTURA collection is perfect if you love elegant stacking rings.

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Is Balenciaga an ethical and sustainable brand?

Luxury fashion house Balenciaga was founded in 1919 by Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastián. Based in Paris since 1937, Balenciaga rose to fame for its revolutionary silhouettes and modernisation of women’s fashion. These days, it is most well known for its motorcycle-inspired handbags but features a wide range of luxury clothes, shoes, and accessories for men and women. The Kering-owned brand has been making some efforts to reduce its environmental impact, but how is it doing for workers and animals? All in all, how ethical is Balenciaga?

Environmental impact

Care for the planet is where Balenciaga stands out, earning a “Good” rating, our second-highest score. Not only has it set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its operations and supply chain, unlike many other large brands, it is actually on track to meet said target.

It has a policy approved by CanopyStyle to prevent deforestation of ancient and endangered forests in its supply chain and uses a few eco-friendly materials. It also reduces chromium and other hazardous chemicals from the leather tanning processes. You can find these applaudable efforts across the entire Kering family of luxury brands.

Labour conditions

Balenciaga has made progress on its labour conditions, and its score in this area has jumped to “It’s a Start”.

Most of its final production stage is undertaken in Italy, a medium risk country for labour abuse, where there is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage. It received a middling score of 41-50% in the Fashion Transparency Index, as it publishes some information about its supply chain and labour policies. It also implements practices to encourage diversity and inclusion in its direct operations but not its supply chain.

While it does disclose policies to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19, overall, Balenciaga has some more work to do to achieve a higher rating for those who make the clothes they are so famous for.

Animal welfare

Balenciaga’s animal rating has also risen to “It’s a Start” in the latest review. The brand has a robust policy to ensure animal welfare in its supply chain, traces most animal products to the first stage of production, and sources wool from non-mulesed sheep. It also recently stopped using fur and exotic animal skins in its range, which marks good progress for animals. It still uses leather and exotic animal hair.

Overall rating: Good

So, how ethical is Balenciaga? Overall, we gave it a rating of “Good”. Similarly to its Kering siblings, Balenciaga needs to work more on its labour and animal welfare practices to improve its score in those areas. It could work to implement living wages in its supply chain and phase out more animal materials. We would also like to see a transition to a higher percentage of eco-friendly materials in the range.

Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Balenciaga is a “Good” option for your luxury fashion needs, but we’ve found some other “Good” and “Great” alternatives to look into as well.

Good swaps

Other ethical and sustainable brands like Balenciaga

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Founded in 1921 in Florence, Italy, by Guccio Gucci (hence the “Double-G” monogram), the brand started as a leather goods manufacturer. Despite a tumultuous history, Gucci has slowly grown to be one of the most popular brands of the last decade. This success—and profitability—is partly due to its creative director, Alessandro Michele, who reinvented the Gucci identity after being appointed in 2015.

So, with the House of Gucci movie set to release in a few weeks, featuring the one and only Lady Gaga, we thought it was time to dive into Gucci’s practices and policies and ask: how is Gucci impacting the Planet, People, and Animals? How ethical is Gucci?

Environmental Impact

Let’s start with some encouraging news: Gucci’s environmental rating is ‘Good’! The brand has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its operations and supply chain, AND it is on track to meet its target. It has a policy approved by CanopyStyle to prevent deforestation of ancient and endangered forests in its supply chain, and it reduces chromium and other hazardous chemicals from its leather tanning processes.

Gucci also uses some eco-friendly materials, like in its circular line, “Gucci Off The Grid“. The brand says it “uses recycled, organic, bio-based, and sustainably sourced materials”. This year and last year’s genderless collections also included items made from ECONYL, organic cotton, recycled steel, as well as regenerated polyamide. While we would like to see Gucci include more eco-friendly materials as standard, its science-based approach to managing the impact of outlying materials is a big plus. Way to go, Gucci!

Labour Conditions

Now, when it comes to labour, we rated Gucci ‘It’s A Start’. Gucci’s supply chain auditing program is certified by Social Accountability International – SA8000 (including all of the final stages of production), and the brand publishes some information about suppliers, supplier policies, audits, and remediation processes. It’s also good to see the Italian brand disclose policies to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19. However, Gucci does not publish its living wage information, which holds its score back for People.

Gucci is also no stranger to scandals and controversies: 2 years ago, the brand received backlash and had to remove a jumper from its line after the Internet started noticing the item resembled blackface.

Animal Welfare

Gucci is making some progress for animals, and it is good to see a high end luxury brand taking solid action like banning fur. But despite having a robust policy to ensure animal welfare in its supply chain and not using angora and fur, the brand still uses leather, down, exotic animal skin, and exotic animal hair, as well as wool (from non-mulesed sheep). While the brand is tracing a lot of animal products to source and working to minimise suffering, its use of exotic materials such as python and crocodile brings its score down. We couldn’t give Gucci’s Animals section a rating higher than ‘Not Good Enough’ for all these reasons.

Overall rating: It’s A Start

So, how ethical is Gucci? Overall, we gave the Kering-owned brand a rating of ‘It’s A Start’. Gucci is making some commendable progress, especially when it comes to minimising its impact on the environment. Its use of eco-friendly materials and efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions are good first steps. However, the Italian brand still has much to do regarding its impact on People and Animals: Gucci needs to ensure it pays workers a living wage, and it could also use less animal-derived materials.

Gucci truly is a modern and exciting brand, and we’re happy to see a luxury brand committed to creating positive change for the planet and its inhabitants.

See the rating.

If you’re a fashion-lover like us, are a fan of the Gucci aesthetic, AND you want to save the planet, then you’ll be happy to know we found some cool and sustainable alternatives to Gucci! Keep scrolling to discover these green, edgy, and sophisticated labels like Gucci.

Don’t forget you can also buy Gucci pre-owned! Buying second hand is often the most sustainable way to shop, and we love to recommend labels and designers you can buy pre-loved so you can keep clothes from landfill by giving them a second life. You can find amazing vintage Gucci items at Vestiaire Collective!

Sustainable alternatives to Gucci

Our favourite good swaps.

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Buuut, Prada has also recently been slammed for designing and selling accessories that the Internet has described as having a “resemblance to racist caricatures historically used to dehumanise black people.” Yikes.

The brand has since said it’s committed “to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company and the fashion industry as a whole“, but what about Prada’s sustainability initiatives? How is Prada impacting the planet, people, and animals?

You know the drill:

How ethical and sustainable is Prada?

Environmental Impact

Prada’s environmental rating is ‘Not Good Enough’. First, it uses few eco-friendly materials. Second, we found no evidence it minimises textile waste or that it implements water reduction initiatives. And finally, while Prada complies with its own Restricted Substances List, there is no evidence it has taken meaningful action to eliminate hazardous chemicals. Whoops.

Labour Conditions

Unfortunately, Prada is also ‘Not Good Enough’ when it comes to labour conditions. Most of Prada’s final stage of production is undertaken in Italy, a medium risk country for labour abuse. Still, the brand lacks transparency as it does not publish a list of suppliers or information about forced labour, gender equality, or freedom of association. More importantly, we found no evidence that Prada ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain, nor has adequate policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19. So much for that ‘equity’!

Animal Welfare

Prada uses leather, wool, down, angora, exotic animal skin and hair, AND we found no evidence the brand has a policy to minimise the suffering of animals. Prada did commit to eliminating fur, but that’s not enough for us to give Prada a rating higher than ‘Very Poor’ for animal welfare.

Overall Rating: Not Good Enough

So, how ethical is Prada? We rate Prada ‘Not Good Enough’ based on our own research. The Italian brand has still a long way to go before we can consider it ethical and sustainable. Prada needs to use more eco-friendly materials and reduce its use of hazardous chemicals and water. It also needs to start disclosing more information about its practices and start paying its workers a living wage!

Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Sustainable alternatives to Prada

Discover our favourite Good Swaps for Prada below!

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Off-White is rooted in the current culture, aiming to be “a young brand embracing the now in a sophisticated manner”. And as a black-owned brand, with the founder saying his goal is to “make the demographic he came from more commercially acceptable”, Off-White is in a prime position to do right by the people and animals along its supply chain and the planet we all live on. So let’s break it down and answer the burning question: how ethical is Off-White?

Environmental impact

Off-White rating is ‘Very Poor’. The brand fails to publish sufficient relevant information about its environmental policies. Transparency is the first step towards sustainability, and as shoppers, we have the right to know how a brand’s production and practices impact on the environment.

Labour conditions

The brand’s final stage of production is undertaken in Italy, a medium risk country for labour abuse, and there is no evidence of a Code of Conduct or a living wage. We didn’t find evidence the brand lists names or addresses of any suppliers, or audits any parts of the supply chain. It also doesn’t disclose policies or safeguards to protect suppliers or workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19! We rated Off-White’s labour conditions ‘Not Good Enough’.

Animal welfare

Abloh’s label uses leather, wool, and exotic animal hair, although it doesn’t use fur, down, exotic animal skin, or angora. Because of this, the brand is also rated ‘Not Good Enough’ when it comes to animal welfare.

Overall rating: Not Good Enough

So, how ethical is Off-White? We rated Off-White ‘Not Good Enough’ overall based on information from our own research. The brand is not transparent enough and provides no evidence it is providing fair labour conditions for its workers.

To get a better rating, Off-White needs to communicate more on its practices, reduce its use of unethical animal materials, and implement a Code of Conduct, ensuring its workers a living wage and safe working conditions.

Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Luckily, the Good On You team has found some equally trendy and cool alternatives to Off-White, so you can bring your best luxury streetwear game while doing good for the planet, people, and animals.

Good swaps

Sustainable alternatives to Off-White

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The good news is that a growing number of environmentally-conscious luxury brands offer high-quality and beautiful pieces that are also sustainably and ethically made. If you are looking to splurge on your next staple piece, here are some of the most sustainable luxury fashion brands for you to browse.

Our favourite ethical and sustainable luxury brands

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The maison, which is owned by LVMH, has been dabbling in sustainable fashion: inspired by Dior’s love of gardening, Maria Grazia Chiuri recreated a forest for the Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 runway, promising to replant the trees in the Parisian region after the show.

But is this enough? How ethical is Dior?

Environmental Impact

When it comes to the environment, Dior uses few eco-friendly materials and has set an intensity target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations. However, the brand has not set a supply chain target. Dior complies with its own Restricted Substances List but there is no evidence it has taken meaningful action to eliminate hazardous chemicals. We also found no evidence Dior minimises textile waste. Using some eco-friendly materials alone is not enough and the brand no doubt has the resources available to do better for the planet. For all these reasons we rated Dior’s environmental impact ‘Not Good Enough’.

Labour Conditions

Unfortunately, Dior’s labour rating is also ‘Not Good Enough’. Although its final stage of production is undertaken in medium risk countries for labour abuse, the brand received a score of 21-30% in the Fashion Transparency Index. Dior likely publishes information about its supplier policies, audits, and remediation processes. But it does not publish a comprehensive list of suppliers or information about forced labour, gender equality, or freedom of association. We also found no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. Plus, Dior does not disclose policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19. The “iconic” brand has a long way to go for workers.

Animal Welfare

Dior’s animal rating is ‘Very Poor’, our lowest rating. The brand has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but not a formal animal welfare policy. What’s more, the brand still uses fur, down, leather, wool, exotic animal skin, exotic animal hair, and angora! It traces some animal products to the first stage of production, but again, that’s simply not enough. As material innovations hit the shelves, we hope to see these luxury fashion houses—who can certainly afford it—investing in animal-free options.

Overall Rating: Not Good Enough

Overall, we rate Dior ‘Not Good Enough’. The brand has made small improvements, such as setting a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emission and using some eco-friendly materials. However, the luxury fashion house still needs to reduce its use of harmful chemicals, ensure it pays its workers a living wage, and consider our animal friends. Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information see our How We Rate page and our FAQs. In any case, there’s still clearly a very long road ahead!

See the rating.

Luckily, there are some ‘Good’ and ‘Great’ alternatives to Dior! We recommend these environmentally-conscious luxury brands that offer high quality and beautiful pieces, that are also sustainably and ethically made!

Good Swaps

Ethical alternatives to Dior

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Luxury leader LuisaViaRoma recognised that sustainable and ethical fashion was a cause well worth getting onboard with as consumers became more conscious of the impact of their shopping habits. But they weren’t just jumping on a trend—according to Maria Fernanda Hernandez, head of sustainability and global communications, the movement inspired them to “make a change and find initiatives that foster social responsibility and sensitisation about the environmental and social difficulties we are facing”.

LVRSustainable was born out of a need for a shift in the fashion industry that prioritises the protection of people, the planet, and animals. LuisaViaRoma knows they have a responsibility to embody these ever important principles in light of their impressive ~35 million visitors per year from all around the globe, and this new collection helps them do just that.

Shop what matters most to you

LVRSustainable is dedicated to offering a curated selection of the best sustainable brands, as well as special collaborations with renowned non-profits, brands, and organisations to benefit social causes. The goal of LVRSustainable is to build a global sustainable community and to promote creativity by supporting conscious fashion across a selection of categories: ethical trade, organic, women’s empowerment, eco-friendly, luxury & craftsmanship, vegan, special projects, and recycling & upcycling. While browsing the collection of over 170 brands for men, women, children, and the home, you can filter by one or more of these causes to ensure you are supporting what matters most to you—and they ship worldwide!

Our favourite ethical brands from LVRSustainable

LVRSustainable features a whole host of ‘Good’ and ‘Great’ rated brands. Here are a few of our favourites.

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If you are in the market for an investment piece, then look no further. Here are 11 ethical luxury jewellery brands for that next treat-yourself moment—or that special gift to win you infinite brownie points from your loved one!

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Sadly, with the onset of fast fashion, luxury brands are transforming their business models to keep up – adopting wasteful practices, toxic materials and murky supply chains with limited protection for workers and the environment.

Transparency in luxury remains low, too. But the old arguments for keeping in-house secrets no longer stack up in an era when consumers are demanding to know where and how their clothes were made.

That’s why Good On You is committed to supporting fashion retailers to assess, curate and promote sustainable brands.

Not only do we empower our huge community of conscious shoppers to buy better, we help retailers choose better brands, too.

Good On You has partnered with Farfetch on a major new initiative to expand the sustainable fashion movement into the luxury sector. Farfetch’s latest Positively Conscious collection, launched this October, features hundreds of fashion brands that have been independently rated by Good On You for their impact on people, planet and animals.

We’re proud of the role we play in powering the sustainability agenda of Farfetch, a leading global tech platform for luxury fashion.

This partnership will see millions more people become aware of fashion’s impact and how to choose more sustainable brands. Together, we can meet the needs of the growing conscious consumer market and incentivise brands to change.

Good On You’s robust brand rating system for fashion is accessible to millions of shoppers via our app, website and online brand directory. The ratings take into account key social and environmental issues across a brand’s whole supply chain, so that people can know the impact of their clothes.

We understand that fashion retailers want to know the impact of brands, too. They need consistent, credible ways to assess sustainability performance. Good On You can help retailers identify leading brands and share with customers the information they’re looking for.

Let’s collaborate and use the power of people’s choices to create a sustainable future in fashion.

Author bio:

Sandra Capponi is the co-founder of Good On You, the leading source for sustainability ratings in fashion. Since 2015, she’s led the team to rate over 3,000 brands for their impact and empower millions of consumers to buy better. With years of experience in corporate social responsibility, Capponi has long been concerned with supply chain issues in big business. She started Good On You because she sees huge potential in using people power to drive industry change. A typical Melbournian, she loves espresso coffee, live music, and wearing black…from brands rated “Good” and “Great”,  of course. Follow her on LinkedIn.

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I’m given a platform to speak about my choice of outfit, I will have a meaningful story to tell. And it’s powerful.

Emma Watson

For Emma’s latest photoshoot – this time for the cover of UK Vogue! – we worked behind the scenes to ensure featured brands were assessed by our rating system and met Emma’s standard. Photographed by Alasdair McLellan in London, Emma chose to wear brands rated ‘It’s A Start’ or above, and a few second-hand and vintage pieces were also added into the mix. We worked directly with a couple of brands to help them become more transparent and improve their rating.

Some of the brands we already had information on, and it was a process of double-checking this was absolutely up to date. For others, we gathered information, evaluated, verified and produced an overall rating.

Sandra Capponi

It was wonderful to work with Vogue to shine a light on luxury brands that are stepping up. It’s a real testament to the progress being made by the industry, and importantly some of the biggest names in fashion.

So without further ado, here are some of the best-rated brands worn by Emma for this shoot!

The post Emma Watson x UK Vogue – Which Luxury Brands Are Stepping Up? appeared first on Good On You.

We recently teamed up with global luxury online retailer Farfetch to rate and curate their newly launched Conscious Edit collection. Farfetch are setting the standards for big retailers with their commitment to ethical fashion and have used Good On You’s ratings to guide them. Here is a list of our favourite Farfetch brands making waves across all three areas that we are passionate about protecting.

People

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When thinking of Haute Couture, famous designer names might come to mind like Chanel, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Cardin … but you might also be wondering how sustainable these famous brands actually are. How ethical is Haute Couture?

What do we mean by Haute Couture?

The phrase “Haute Couture” has been misused and misunderstood for a long time, so let’s clear things up once and for all. “Couture” is French for “dressmaking”, and “Haute” means “high”. Haute Couture doesn’t just mean “high fashion” and luxurious: High fashion isn’t Haute Couture, and not all luxury houses are Haute Couture. In fact, there are precise rules for qualification.

Charles Frederick Worth, the father of Haute Couture, created the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne in the 19th century, a union that still exists and chooses who gets to be qualified as “Haute Couture”.

To qualify as a true Haute Couture house, the fashion houses must respect several rules: designs must be made-to-order for private clients; there must be more than one fitting; the house must use an “atelier”, and employ at least fifteen full-time staff. In addition to this, the fashion houses must have twenty full-time technical workers in the work room, and present a collection of at least 50 original designs in January and July during Haute Couture weeks.

It’s only after meeting these precise criteria that brands can be admitted into this very elite circle. But Haute Couture certainly doesn’t guarantee fashion houses are ethical and sustainable, so we took a look at the ethics of the most famous Haute Couture brands for you.

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With so much attention focussed on these events, it’s not surprising awards red carpets are increasingly the site of protest too. Whether it be gender equality in the film industry or against racism, actor/activists are using their platform to create change.

Pioneering the latest wave of red carpet activism is actress and environmental advocate Suzy Amis Cameron, who for the past decade has led the Red Carpet Green Dress campaign to showcase sustainable fashion on the showbiz night of nights.  After coming up with the idea during the press tour for husband James Cameron’s film Avatar, Suzy set about inspiring like-minded actors to join her in greening up the red carpet.

Since then green dress wearers (not necessarily coloured green, nor exclusively dresses!) include Emma Roberts (Scream Queens), Sophie Turner (X-Men, Game of Thrones), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Gina Rodriguez (Annihilation, Jane the Virgin), Priyanka Bose (Lion), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out) , Zoey Deutch (The Set Up) , Camila Alves, Jake McDorman (American Sniper)  and Missi Pyle (Gone Girl) .

“I can’t believe it has been 10 years since RCGD was born,” Suzy says. “It has been an incredible journey and inspiring to see how the campaign has grown every year.

I am so proud of helping people become more aware of what sustainable fashion can look like and its impact on the planet. What we wear and the fashion industry has a tremendous impact on the environment—and people’s choices can move the marketplace and the climate change needle.

Suzy Amis Cameron

Rocking their sustainable gowns at the 2019 Oscars red carpet are Laura Harrier from Oscar Nominated Film BlacKkKlansman & Dumplin’ Actress Danielle Macdonald.

 

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She has arrived! BlacKkKlansman lead actress, @lauraharrier, has wowed the crowd as she arrived at the 91st Academy Awards wearing a bespoke ethical gown made by @louisvuitton. Harrier’s gown was created in the Louis Vuitton’s Paris atelier with an ethical and eco-responsible approach established with long-time verified suppliers. The gown is made of TARONI SPA blue crepe silk certified by the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), which is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria. The handmade embroidery by @vermont.paris required more than 450 hours of work, and is made of glass beads, @swarovski crystal shards and sequins respecting the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, an international quality label for harmless textiles. Laura’s look has been finished off with some stunning jewellery by @bulgariofficial, wow! To find out more about Laura’s eco look and her time with RCGD visit our ‘RCGD10’ highlight. _______________________________________________________ #RCGD10 #Oscars2019 #LauraHarrier #LouisVuitton #SustainableFashion #Fashion #EcoFashion #BeAccountable #EcoWise #Beauty #Art #RCGD #SuzyAmisCameron #Eco #Sustainable

A post shared by Red Carpet Green Dress (@redcarpetgreendress) on Feb 24, 2019 at 3:20pm PST

 

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What an epic start! The amazingly talented actress, @daniellemacdonald from the Oscar nominated short film Skin has hit the red carpet and she looks phenomenal! Danielle is wearing a custom red tulle draped sleeve overlay gown made by CFDA fashion designer, @csiriano. The gown is made up of a red cotton crepe vegetable dyed fabric. Siriano used recycled tulle for the sleeves and minimal waste for the skirt and top. The dress is accompanied with jewellery from @anabelachan and was pieced together by stylist, @gaellepaul. Visit our ‘RCGD10’ highlight for more on Danielle and her ethical statement. _______________________________________________________ #RCGD10 #Oscars2019 #DanielleMacdonald #ChristianSiriano #SustainableFashion #Fashion #EcoFashion #BeAccountable #EcoWise #Beauty #Art #RCGD #SuzyAmisCameron #Eco #Sustainable

A post shared by Red Carpet Green Dress (@redcarpetgreendress) on Feb 24, 2019 at 2:37pm PST

To become a Red Carpet Green Dress, each piece must either be made from sustainable materials, including organic, recycled or repurposed fibres. Other features include using hand-made detailing or incorporating natural dye processing, with a dedicated focus on minimal negative impact on the environment, and environmentally and socially responsible design.

This year Good On You is overseeing the way Red Carpet Green Dress makes their choices, ensuring that the garments are ticking all the right boxes when it comes to sustainability.

Good On You co-founder Sandra Capponi says it’s a great opportunity to take the message of sustainable fashion to an audience of millions.

“Red Carpet Green Dress is a fantastic initiative that really helps show the world how sustainably-made clothes can be beautiful and desirable.”

“There is a significant gap in sustainable design in the luxury fashion segment, which is supposed to be setting an example in the industry – along with the celebrities who wear it. Red Carpet Green Dress is showing important leadership here.

We’re really excited to be involved with Red Carpet Green Dress in their tenth year. Suzy has done so much to shine a light on critical important issues in fashion and build momentum behind the movement for positive change. It’s a powerful campaign that we can all get behind.

Sandra Capponi – Good On You co-founder

Proceeds from Red Carpet Green Dress go to the school Suzy Amis Cameron founded, the Muse School, which encourages students to live consciously.

The post Ten Years Of Turning The Oscars Red Carpet Green appeared first on Good On You.

Fast Forward two months and Burberry has just announced it will stop destroying unsold items immediately. So, what’s the deal with Burberry? What’s behind this sudden move and how ethical is the company as a whole?

Burberry under fire

In its annual report the British fashion firm, famous for its check pattern and trench coats, acknowledged that it had destroyed unsold goods worth up to £28.6 million, or US$37 million. More than a third of those items were perfumes which the company said was due to problems with its licence in the United States.

Although Burberry also highlighted that the energy generated from burning these products was captured, making it “environmentally friendly”, the idea of a big pile of perfectly good items going up in flames left shoppers aghast.

The backlash was swift and universal. Social Media lit up, and news outlets across the world covered the story. It seemed to mark a turning point for fashion – the moment the mainstream cottoned on to the unsustainable practices that are rife in the industry. The Burberry stock burning scandal symbolised everything that’s wrong with our throwaway, wasteful culture.

Why did they burn the stuff in the first place?

The reason given is so that the market is not flooded with Burberry products at a discount, which might devalue the brand. This is especially important for the Burberry, which has been battling in recent years to restore its exclusive and luxurious image after being overexposed and knocked off.

When there is smoke, there is fire, and unfortunately, this seems to be a widespread industry practice used to protect luxury brands’ images. In fact, Louis Vuitton and Cartier’s parent company, Richemont, have also been tied to this practice.

So are Burberry now blazing a trail?

Burberry’s sudden change of heart comes as Riccardo Tisci, the firm’s newly appointed designer, is set to debut in September. The retailer has announced that “it will stop the practice of destroying unsaleable products, with immediate effect”.

This commitment is said to build on the goals that Burberry set in 2017 as part of its five-year responsibility agenda. Its new strategy aims at tackling the causes of the waste.

In fact, in May 2018, Burberry became a core partner of the Make Fashion Circular Initiative convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. It has also partnered with sustainable luxury brand Elvis & Kresse to transform 120 tonnes of leather waste into new products over the next five years.

… or simply putting out the fire?

As burning products is now off the table, what will the company do with its unsold stock? The company said it will continue to expand of its efforts to “reuse, repair, donate or recycle unsaleable products”, but what does this mean exactly?

The press release states that the retailer may “in exceptional circumstances” and “to respect regulatory constraints (…) dispose of damaged, defective or expired beauty products where recycling is not an option.”

So although we do understand that beauty products might have an expiration date and cannot be kept on the market, this means some part of the stock will still end up being destroyed.

Is Burberry an ethical company?

We gave the brand a ‘Good’ environmental rating, as although it does not use eco-friendly materials, it is taking steps to reduce waste, such as its partnership with Elvis & Kresse, but only in small portions of its supply chain. Burberry has made a commitment to procure energy from renewable sources by 2022, eliminate chemicals by 2020 and implement water reduction initiatives.

In terms of labour, Burberry is rated ‘Good’. it has adopted the Ethical Trading Initiative Code of Conduct although it is still unclear whether it is actually paying a living wage,

Its animal rating is ‘Not Good Enough’, as the company uses fur,  leather, shearling and cashmere. Its wool complies with the Responsible Wool Standard and down feather is accredited by the Responsible Down Standard. At the moment Burberry’s real fur is made from rabbit, fox, mink and Asiatic racoon. However, in its latest statement, the brand says it will stop using real fur altogether.

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There’s no denying Stella McCartney’s eponymous label have set some good examples for high-end labels with their initiatives – but nobody’s perfect! Read on to find out how Stella McCartney treat animals, the planet, and their workers, and decide for yourself if they are ethical enough for your support as a conscious consumer.

Environmental Impact: Good

Stella McCartney are members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and have set some good environmental standards. They use numerous eco-friendly materials including recycled polyester, organic cotton, and regenerated cashmere. They have waste-reduction strategies in place across their entire supply chain, and they measure and report on their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Taking it a step further, they have set an approved science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and a 2020 deadline for the elimination of hazardous chemicals in their production line. They are also doing well on the water front – with water reduction targets in place, and a solid treatment and discharge practice for wastewater. The main letdown for the brand in this category is their continued use of some non-eco-friendly materials such as polyester and nylon, both of which are derived from fossil fuels.

Labour Conditions: It’s a Start

This is the area that needs the most attention from Stella McCartney if they wish to truly embody ethical practice across the board. While they are a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and have adopted their Code of Conduct that includes a living wage definition, it is not guaranteed that a living wage is actually being paid to workers. While they do trace suppliers across their entire supply chain and publicly list the countries of said suppliers, they do not share a complete and detailed list. Without being transparent about exactly where their products are produced, by whom, and in what conditions, it is impossible to award them a higher score in this category.

Animal Welfare: Good

Lifelong vegetarian and animal-lover Stella has taken some positive steps for animal welfare over the years, including partnering with PETA on various projects, never using real fur in her designs, and aiming for sustainable animal material options. While the brand doesn’t use leather, down, fur, angora, shearling or exotic animal skins or hairs, it does use wool and cashmere. Although the cashmere is regenerated, negating the impact on both environment and animal, Stella McCartney do not specify sources for their wool production. However, they have partnered with PETA this year to co-sponsor a prize for the Biodesign Challenge which encourages college students worldwide to develop bio-fabricated vegan wool.

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