Is Billabong Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!
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A day at the beach every once in a while is everyone’s dream but adding to it good quality surf wear that helps make your day even better is like a cherry on top. Fashion brands these days are not only exclusive of dresses and casual wear but also boardwear which includes surfwear and swimwear.
Billabong is a significant name in the fashion industry for producing high-quality clothing, especially surf wear. It was started by Gordon Merchant who was a designer and surfboard shaper because he wanted to share his love for the waves with the world. The word billabong is not a random word but a word with a great history behind it. It is originally a Wiradjuri word that means “creek that only runs during the rainy season”.
In 1973, Merchant had the idea of designing and selling surf wear at home and selling them to nearby shops. Because Merchant himself was a surfer, he was aware of what needed to be done to make durable and high-quality surfwear. People who frequented those shops that displayed Merchant’s items quickly fell in love with them. They realized how different the items were from others as they were not only comfortable but seemed to be made of premium-quality materials. The secret to Merchant’s items was the triple-stitching technique.
With the demand growing higher every day, Merchant realized that producing clothing at home would not be enough anymore. He began to sponsor contests to bring attention to his brand so that more people would find out about this emerging brand. After gathering enough attention, he started selling his items in multiple locations. Soon, Billabong products could be found all over Australia.
Today, Billabong products are exported to many countries including Japan, California, and Europe. The reason why the brand was so loved by the locals was because Merchant directly supervised every part of the production process which did not allow him to sell any product that did not pass his tough standards.
Sustainability Rating: 5/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories, Shoes
For: Women, Men, Kids
Products: Surf wear, Board shorts, T-shirts
Style: Casual, Contemporary
Quality: Medium
Prices: -
Size: -
Fabrics: Polyester, Organic Cotton, Spandex, Viscose, Elastane, Linen, Leather, Nylon, Neoprene
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: Yes
Manufacturing Countries: Not Transparent Enough
Certifications: Not Transparent Enough
It is hard to categorize Billabong as a fast fashion brand because it produces high-quality clothes that can last the wearer for a long time. However, Billabong has some questionable practices that do suit the fast fashion model. So, we can deduce that Billabong is not a fast fashion brand but it is not sustainable either.
Like other fashion brands in the world, Billabong ventured to become sustainable as well. In 2008, it started the RECYCLER Program in which it strived to use recycled plastic bottles to manufacture board shorts to lower the brand’s carbon footprint. The Surf Industry Manufacturer Association was quite impressed by the step taken by the company and named the program the Environmental Product of the Year.
It also started the Billabong Foundation to compartmentalize all of its philanthropic activities under a single name. It aims to support environmental and educational programs related to board riders across the world to improve their lifestyle. It believes that as a symbol of the surfing lifestyle, Billabong has the vision and capability to help many people. Its charitable activities are vast and known in the industry for its massive scale.
On its website, Billabong says,
“We prioritize protecting the places we play and finding better solutions to minimize the footprint of the products we make and the services we provide.”
The brand promises to take the customer along on its sustainability journey to not only protect the planet but also protect the surfing community. In 2009, Billabong introduced the B9 Platinum which offered jerseys and liners made of upcycled fishing nets. By 2023, it proudly announced that 100% of its packaging, board shorts, and wet suits are recycled. All of its in-water products represent almost 30% of the company’s business and they include recycled PET and organic cotton. Derived from FCS-certified rubber trees, the Furnace Natural is the brand’s most sustainable wetsuit, featuring “neoprene-free” Yulex.
In addition to making its products sustainable, the brand has been trying to make the entire production process eco-friendly as well. It uses Arch and Hook recycled marine plastic hangers and utilizes solar-powered factories to manufacture its items. It has also partnered with CiCLO Textiles to create synthetic fibers that act like natural fibers and are not harmful to the environment. This is still not enough for the brand which aims to make 70% of its product line made of recycled materials by 2025.
Think Empire interviewed Brad Lancaster, the head of Billabong’s Men’s Creative, Product, and Marketing Team who has led many sustainability initiatives under his leadership. He said that the brand tries to include sustainability in every aspect of its campaigning and social media marketing because it wants its customers to know the value of a healthy planet for the brand.
However, the GoodOnYou directory does not look kindly upon Billabong as it has rated the brand as Not Good Enough. Billabong’s biggest drawback is that despite its claims, it does not provide any proof of its efforts. It is unknown whether it applies sustainability initiatives to the entire supply chain and whether its actions are having a positive impact on the planet.
It also does not have to reveal the location of any of its factories which makes it hard to determine whether it ensures workers’ safety and health or not. The 2022 Fashion Transparency Index awarded it a score of 0 – 10% which is shameful for any company. Without giving sufficient evidence, Billabong’s sustainability efforts will be hard to recognize because no one will be able to authenticate them.
This does cast a shadow on Billabong’s sustainability initiatives and makes it hard to determine whether it really is as sustainable as it claims. Observing Billabong’s website, one would be floored by its environmental efforts, however, the lack of transparency is something that cannot be ignored.
Billabong | Lifestyle & Technical Surf Clothing and Swimwear Brand
Billabong (clothing) - Wikipedia
Billabong - Sustainability Rating - Good On You
Sustainability - The Billabong Promise | Billabong | Billabong
HOW TO BE A SUSTAINABILITY LEADER WITH BILLABONG (thinkempire.com)