Fast fashion brand Boohoo naturally doesn’t have a reputation for being sustainable. In fact, if fast fashion were on a racetrack brands like Boohoo and Shein are sprinting at super speed.
However, in a recent announcement, the brand shared that it’s launching a sustainability line with Kourtney Kardashian Barker as the ambassador, and people have questions.
@boohoo/Instagram
As Diet Prada shares, Boohoo was deemed one of the least sustainable fashion brands by the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Comittee (2019).
WearNext reports that under Ethical Consumer ratings in 2022, Boohoo had some pretty concerning results for Environmental Reports, including, animal testing, toxic chemicals…you get the picture.
Boohoo does have a sustainability plan, but has emphasised that most of the efforts are still on their way, or in its words ‘our next chapter is still in the making.’ The brand has a reuse recycle model where clothes can be shipped to a drop-off point, but this only unlocks discount codes to do more purchasing, which seems counterproductive.
With sustainability and ethical clothing being at the top of many consumers’ minds, it only makes sense that the brand would want to step up its efforts toward the environment, but it’s hard to see the act as little more than greenwashing.
And then there’s Kourtney Kardashian’s ambassadorship.
@boohoo/Instagram
Kourtney might be well known for her organic dietary efforts, but when it comes to fashion, she’s usually been cast in the same domain as her sisters in wearing and promoting fast fashion.
A recent article by her brand Poosh shares some of Kourtney’s sustainability efforts, dubbed Ways Kourt Has Changed Her HOME TO BE MORE ECO-FRIENDLY. Still, the eldest Kardashian isn’t exactly most people’s go-to when thinking about celebs who rock ethical wardrobes.
Of her ambassadorship, a statement from Kourtney shared:
“When Boohoo first approached me to collaborate on a line, I was concerned about the effects of the fast-fashion industry on our planet. Boohoo responded with excitement and a desire to incorporate sustainable practices into our line. It’s been an enlightening experience speaking directly with industry experts. I’m grateful for the opportunity to use my platform to drive conversations that lead to ongoing change and use my voice to share actionable tips with consumers on how we can play our own part. There’s still lots of work to be done and improvements to be made, but I truly believe that any progress we can make when it comes to sustainability is a step in the right direction and will open up the conversation for future advancements.”
@boohoo/Instagram
The new line is set to include a 45-piece capsule that will be revealed during New York Fashion Week, as WWD shared in an exclusive.
The line will include recycled materials like polyester and cotton, have vintage biker jackets and an alleged social media series set to document the sustainable efforts.
@boohoo/Instagram
While it sounds like something of a good effort in theory, Boohoo critics aren’t convinced.
Some social media users have pointed out that if the brand really wanted to make sustainability efforts, it should’ve worked with someone who practices sustainability regularly, while others shared that the collab is synonymous with Burger King teaming up with a fitness influencer.
Boohoo has hired Kourtney Kardashian as a green guru ambassador & to question whether “style and sustainability can eve mr go together”. Interesting move for a fast fashion firm still recovering from Leicester scandal & a member of a family that’s sold mass consumption pic.twitter.com/Fsoapa3Sxa
— Ashley Armstrong (@AArmstrong_says) September 6, 2022
Boohoo collaborating with Kourtney Kardashian is like Burger King collaborating with a fitness influencer.
— Kheamo M 🧚🏽♀️ (@kheamo_m) September 7, 2022
Do you think Kourtney kardashian flew on her private jet to her Boohoo sustainable fashion line meetings?
— Laura de Barra (@LauradeBarra) September 7, 2022
The bigger question here asks what the right steps are for fast fashion companies to make the switch to slowing down. Forbes published an article that asked Can ‘Fast Fashion Be Sustainable’, where it emphasised that the supply chain is a focal point that’s often missed. But, as you might imagine, this would mean the brand would have to change a lot about its operations model (including paying workers what they’re actually due) and it’s likely that a greenwash attempt was more cost-effective than that.
Boohoo needs to do a lot better than a capsule launch (that arguably has too many items) and rethink its whole supply chain if it wants to win its critics over.
Is the new line making an effort or missing the mark? Let us know what you think!
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