Is Collusion Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!

In the present times, the young generation has the power and the independence to be anything that they wish to be. However, even this freedom comes at a great cost because of the unlimited choices and the prejudice of the older generation. Teens and young adults today need different and innovative ways to express themselves and what better way to do it than through clothing!

COLLUSION, a British fashion brand, has changed the way we look at modern fashion. It has turned away from classic and traditional ways of creating a brand and intertwined modernity into its very being. It is a relatively new brand that only emerged in 2018 by ASOS. ASOS is a British fashion retailer that has several big brands operating under it like Nike and Calvin Klein. ASOS is big on being able to live a life without judgment and providing young adults with the freedom to express themselves. It aims to provide courage and confidence to youngsters to be able to achieve their maximum potential. However, ASOS is fast fashion as it introduces new collections and items almost every other week and has many fast fashion brands working under its shadow. 

It needed a separate brand that completely embodied the ideology that ASOS wanted to put forth into the world. That is why it created COLLUSION. This brand is found only on ASOS’ website and has no physical stores of its own. It is as inclusive, experimental, and diverse as a brand can get. It was made to be there for people who are misunderstood, ostracized, or just need a safe space to find out who they are.

The purpose behind the creation of ASOS is captured within these lines by the brand on its website,

“We are driven by inclusivity, committed to collaboration, and passionate about experimentation… Above all, we make clothes that celebrate the people who wear them.”

What ASOS did was choose six young creative minds from among the people of Britain who showcased a passion for clothing, and helped them collaborate to make animal-free clothing that is not separated or categorized based on gender.

Sustainability Rating: 4/10

Category: Clothing

For: Women, Men, Unisex

Products: Dresses, Skirts, Tops, Jackets

Style: Trendy, Casual, Modern, Contemporary

Quality: Low, Medium

Prices: -

Size: 2XS – 4XL (International Size)

Fabrics: Jersey, Cotton, Viscose, Nylon, Elastane, Polyester, Spandex,

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: Yes

Ethical and Fair: No

Recycling: Yes

Manufacturing Countries: Not Transparent Enough

Certifications: Not Transparent Enough

 

This generation is quite fascinated by brands that cater to individuals who do not fit into typical societal norms. Instead of turning away from them and pretending they do not exist, this generation wants to embrace that uniqueness and flaunt it for its beauty that is different from others. This uniqueness may pertain to race, gender, ethnicity, or even body differences. Here is the part where COLLUSION comes in and blows us away.

It appeals to young people through its strong mission statement and provides them with a place they can call their own and where they may be understood. It chooses six different young designers every season to keep up the innovation and provide a chance for the customers to engage with what happens behind the scenes.

By putting young minds into the mix, we find a rather creative approach towards the categorization of clothes while shopping at COLLUSION. Instead of being separated by gender, it has categories named petite, tall, alternative, preppy, and more which have genderless clothing that can be worn by anyone, no matter the gender or race.

Moreover, it labels itself as animal-free which is a win for vegans. This was a very thoughtful move as animal cruelty is a serious issue today and people tend to shy away from products that may be produced through animal torture. This is why, it made it into the sustainable brands list created by The Trend Spotter as a brand that produced garments with care. We can see the love for clothing reflected in the designs and ideas behind COLLUSION.

However, except for the part about being animal-free, COLLUSION does not provide a lot of information about its manufacturing process or supply chain. It only vaguely mentions being animal-free and using organic cotton without any details about the process. These vague statements are the reason behind its low rating given by the GoodOnYou directory which rated it as “Not Good Enough”.

In addition to inclusivity and diversity in terms of clothing, consumers also like to see their favorite brands being sustainable and ethical but COLLUSION seems to lack a bit in this department probably because it felt that its flashy and modern interface might prevent people from trying to peek behind the curtains? Such suspicions especially arise because of its extremely low prices for brand-new products. No matter how much you try, it is hard to deduce how it manages to provide fresh products so cheaply. This hints towards unethical manufacturing probably taking place in Asian countries like China and India.

Diving into ASOS’ website, we found its seventh Modern Slavery Statement which complies with the UK Modern Slavery Act. In it, ASOS promises to fight against slavery in the supply chain and strives to be more transparent about its practices in the future. ASOS seemed to stick to its words as it was ranked #1 out of 250 UK brands by the Fashion Transparency Index.

Nevertheless, these achievements are attributed to ASOS, not COLLUSION which once again raises the question about whether it is a fast fashion brand or not. We have concluded that it is indeed, a fast fashion brand even though, it is well on its way to a sustainable future. We can give it the leeway of being a new brand that is still trying to find its footing in the big world of fashion. But without being transparent about the fabrics it uses, its greenhouse gas emissions, and other initiatives towards sustainability like recycling and reuse, COLLUSION might lose its charm of being a safe space for modern people with awareness.

 Sources:

For the coming age : Collusion

Learning from Collusion: The Gen Z Darling Brand (therobinreport.com)

40 Best Sustainable Clothing Brands To Know in 2023 (thetrendspotter.net)

COLLUSION - Sustainability Rating - Good On You

collusion-review-final-draft.pdf (wordpress.com)

Who We Are | Body Positivity & Supporting Talent | ASOS

Our purpose and values | ASOS plc

ASOS_7th_Modern_Slavery_Statement_21-22.pdf (asos-12954-s3.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com)