Fast fashion, sustainable fashion or even slow fashion are certainly terms that you have recently heard of. Yet some of these buzzwords surrounding ethical fashion are understandably frustrating to consumers and industry pundits. What are ethics? And how is it measured?

We can all agree that ethics helps us become better people, but what does that actually mean?

Ethical fashion, an evolving definition

Ethical fashion is the design, production and distribution of fashion clothing and accessories that focus on reducing harm to people and the environment.

Ideally, this benefits those working along the supply chain and creates a better future for everyone, not just those at the top.

Ethical fashion is about the social impact and ethics behind a brand's label. The phrase, which was coined quite recently, is considered the opposite of fast fashion - or fast fashion. Most consumers interpret ethical fashion as a term created in response to an industry notorious for underpaying its employees , and in unsafe factories and working conditions , no less.

Ethical fashion seeks to answer questions such as "Who made this garment?" and "Does this person earn a living wage?"

The solution is more brand transparency

The fashion industry as a whole is constantly changing, and trying to define an always up-to-date definition for categories such as ethical fashion is a moot point.

Let consumers define what ethical fashion means to them based on their personal values, and ask brands to commit to transparency instead of buzzwords.

Certainly, there are data, such as a living wage and safe working conditions. But there is so much more that can be added to the word “ethics”. It's hard to pinpoint when everyone's values ​​aren't exactly the same. The movement continues to learn and grow, making it nearly impossible to simplify the issue or offer a clear definition.

Instead of looking for what consumers want to hear (a big challenge), textile companies must instead choose the values ​​that matter most to them.

An honest company is more likely to appeal to millennials and Gen Z consumers who care about transparency and authenticity. The more information brands provide, the more likely they are to be praised rather than criticized.

The role of brands

Take the example of Têt Maré. During its creation, I of course asked myself all these questions: if I buy fabrics at low prices, am I an actor of mistreatment and human exploitation? Am I responsible if the packaging used pollutes our planet or is poorly recycled?

The more time passes, the more I understand the complexity of this term "ethical", and my thinking on this subject has evolved a lot... When launching Têt Maré 3 things interested me: to create, to see my brand grow, and to reimburse my student loan. All that is nice to say, but at what price? Two years ago I bought the most profitable packaging (by the way, if you receive plastic packets, it means that I want to sell off this purchased stock 2 years ago 🙄).

Today my opinion has changed a lot. When I want to design a new packaging, the first question is: is it really useful? If it's a piece of cardboard, paper or label that will be thrown away 5 minutes after my (my) client has opened her package, I say: NEXT .

And for what is essential, I only select packaging produced with recyclable or recycled materials.
The same with my employees: their well-being is the most important! Whether with my mother, my interns, illustrators or service providers.

I noticed this change in thinking recently when I was looking for a logistician. The first question (which seemed silly, but too bad) was: Are your employees treated well, where you work like Amazon?

A little direct, but good this question allowed me to sort and find the rare pearl!

In any case, I probably risk making mistakes and learning from them, but what is certain is that the definition of the term "ethics" is changing and so am I....