Monki, a fashion brand owned by fast fashion giant H&M that brands itself as sustainable, on Friday said Filipinos could shop their clothing through e-commerce platform Zalora by late September.
Having opened two of their first two stores in the Philippines last year, Monki said it was expanding its reach to the online world to achieve its mission of empowering "young women across the globe to salute sisterhood while being brave, friendly and kind to the planet along the way."
Targetting Gen Z, Monki prides itself in fashion offerings that depict the cool-girl aesthetic while championing sustainability as a fast fashion brand. "The customers can expect on-trend collections with conscious materials in mind," it said in its press release.
But can a fast-fashion brand ever be sustainable?
The rise of "ultra" fast-fashion brands like Shein in recent years has raised further alarm on what the world long-knew on the environmental and human costs of fashion that is fast, a trend pioneered by brands like Zara and H&M, Monki's parent company.
In 2018 alone, over 17 million tons of textile waste were generated, data from the Environmental Protection Agency said, the speed of clothing production to blame.
The other big concern when it comes to fast-fashion is its supply chain, wherein big brands have been found to employ people under the most unfavorable working conditions.
According to Monki, "sustainability is at the core of everything it does" as promised in its brand slogan "Planet Power". In 2020, Monki said it was aligning itself to the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs): SDG on gender equality, and SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production.
But like all profit-driven endeavors, there's always that caution consumers must practice, as brand promises are always easier said than done.
Good On You, the internet's leading source of brand ratings in relation to ethical and sustainable fashion, rated Monki's initiatives with "It's a Start", the middle range among its five-tier rating system that includes ‘We Avoid’, ‘Not Good Enough’, ‘It’s A Start’, ‘Good’ and then ‘Great’.
When it comes to the H&M-owned brand's initiatives on the environment front, Good On You recognized how it has taken "some good steps", including its use of eco-friendly materials, a supply chain policy on the prevention of deforestation of ancient and endangered forests, and a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It was also noted for its score of 71-80% in the Fashion Transparency Index, which certifies that the brand publishes detailed information about its production process. The brand has also disclosed findings of its supplier audits when it comes to concerns of forced labor, gender equality, or freedom of association.
But given the lack of evidence on how the brand could be on track in meeting these targets, as well as how their speed of production is still anchored on "on-trend styles and regular new arrivals", a rating higher than "It's a Start" could not be given, Good on You said.
Again, the 'road to a sustainable closet' is a complicated one
Overall, the rating Monki was given positions it as a "better choice", which means it may not be the perfect one in terms of having a purely sustainable closet but it's a good-enough trade-off.
"Monki’s use of eco-friendly materials is a good start. Still, the brand needs to work on its labor and worker empowerment policies and especially ensure the payment of a living wage," the site said, emphasizing how Monki is owned by H&M, the world’s second-biggest producer of fashion products "designed to be worn just a few times and discarded."
"Even if you can say there are more sustainable options or brands that adhere to better standards, usually these brands are more expensive. So even for someone with a middle class background, kapag pinapili ka between buying your daily needs or yung mas mahal na sustainable brand, 'syempre 'dun ka sa daily needs mo and if you really wanna buy clothes, you would just opt for fast fashion," Kat Estrella, a sustainable clothing entrepreneur earlier told reportr. She recently started Hanap-habi, her own line of fashionable clothing that employs Benguet women weavers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Estrella said what people can if they want to make sustainable fashion choices is these three steps: first, check what's in your closet if something can be reused or upcycled; second, if nothing in your closet, look at local options; and lastly, consider what will last longer if you ultimately decide to buy from fast-fashion brands.
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