Is Forever New Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!
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All of us have heard the name Forever 21 multiple times because it is one of the leading fast fashion brands in the world. It is immensely popular among teens and young adults for its trendy designs and unlimited collections. But there is another brand that is similar in name and is also rivaling Forever 21 in popularity.
Forever New was created in Australia in 2006 as a fashion clothing and accessories brand aimed at teens and young adults. It is privately-owned and its name indicates something new and unique. It seems to be ushering in a new era of empowering femininity. It celebrates womanhood and the power of female beauty. Its styles are made to flatter women and bring out the best in them. It aspires to create timeless designs that are cost-effective and can last a long time. It uses delicate fabrics like tulle that can accentuate women’s figures and give them the confidence to showcase their talents. The company’s India Country-Head, Dhruv Bogra says,
“Our designs have one objective- to make a woman feel beautiful and conȃ dent, though well crafted and elevated products.”
It offers clothing like dresses, blazers, and formal wear for women to help them on every occasion whether it is a party or a casual day out. Forever New believes that even on a normal day, you deserve to shine in the most comfortable of clothes. It wants to erase the embarrassment associated with casual garments by providing women with the tools to glow all day every day.
Ever since its inception, Forever New has grown rapidly and currently owns over 250 stores in seven different countries. Its collections appeal to women all over the world because its goal is to attract women no matter where they belong. It displays contemporary styled clothing keeping the latest trends in mind which makes it very appealing for teenagers and even working women. It has outerwear for young adults and formal wear for professional women which makes it feasible for all.
Sustainability Rating: 5/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories
For: Women
Products: Dresses, Occasion Wear, Shoes
Style: Trendy, Elegant, Contemporary
Quality: Low, Medium
Prices: -
Size: XXS - L (International Size)
Fabrics: Polyester, Cotton, Cotton Blend, Nylon, Rayon, Tulle, Lace
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: Yes
Manufacturing Countries: Not Transparent Enough
Certifications: Not Transparent Enough
Forever New has a decent website that is user-friendly and attractive. It displays everything right on the front page according to different collections making it easier for you to pick and choose your favorite designs. The website also lets you navigate through the accessories collection which is also available to buy online.
A wonderful aspect of shopping at Forever New is the Forever You Rewards which is a reward system according to which customers can earn points with every purchase enabling loyal customers to gain a lot of points, and then exchange them for discounts. The customers receive a $50 voucher for every 500 points. Moreover, the members of this reward system also get birthday vouchers and 20% off on all items if they spend $200 within the loyalty year. This is also a big reason why people love Forever New because it is not afraid of catering to customers. Aside from these regular discounts and rewards, it keeps on holding different sales and programs throughout the year for Halloween Christmas, etc.
Venturing into the territory of classifying Forever New as a fast fashion brand, we will take a look at its sustainable and ethical practices first. While it is easy to classify it as a fast fashion brand immediately after the first look, we insist you take a deeper look as Forever New is a bit different from normal fast fashion brands.
We agree that it follows market trends and discards those clothes as soon as the trend dies, but Forever New also has its classic designs which are displayed year-round and define the brand. It also seems to care about quality unlike fast fashion brands because its clothing lasts relatively longer than others. However, there is a contrasting opinion regarding the quality of its clothes as some customers believe that the quality is not up to the standard while some are quite satisfied with it keeping the price in mind. Also, you feel better knowing that Forever New allows free returns and exchanges so even if you have an issue with an item, you can return it for free!
The brand seems to take its responsibility towards the planet and customers seriously as it clearly outlines its Code of Conduct on the website which is based on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, International Labor Organization, and Ethical Trading Initiative. It claims to have long-term relationships with its suppliers and that it regularly goes for audits to confirm whether they are following the proper guidelines or not.
However, there is suspicion regarding the company’s ethical practices as many claim that it does not provide safe working conditions and practices child labor while paying below minimum wage to workers. This is confirmed by the fact that it received a C-grade in the 2021 Ethical Fashion Report. While it is not the worst grade, it is also not the best one.
The good thing is that it has an in-house manufacturing team that does not mass produce the clothing and instead uses quality materials to make the items. But most of its initial manufacturing processes do happen in Asian countries like India and China. It pays special attention to recycling as it recently joined the Australian Packaging Covenant Organization which is dedicated towards the development of a circular economy in Australia. The brand also uses GRS Certified polybags for all products and even all of its shoe bags are recyclable. In stores, it uses recyclable hangers that lessen the number of hangers that end up in landfills.
In 2020, it announced that it would work with TENCEL to make its clothing more sustainable. It promised to provide details on the products it uses and how it uses it in collaboration with TENCEL. It claims to incorporate TENCEL’s environmentally-friendly Lyocell fibers in its collections. This fabric is derived from wood via environmentally responsible processes and is compostable and biodegradable. It can be combined with other materials like wool and cotton to make it even softer and vibrant.
We can safely say that Forever New is not a typical fast fashion brand and it is taking significant steps towards making itself sustainable. Its efforts are commendable and if it stays on this path, it may become a favorite go-to place for eco-conscious people.
Sources:
Forever New is ensuring its staple styles are that much more sustainable - Vogue Australia
Responsible Fibres | Forever New
Forever New | Shop Ethical! company profile
Forever New is now a 225 crore plus brand, says Dhruv Bogra of Forever New (indiaretailing.com)
Forever You Rewards (forevernew.com.au)
Forever New reviews | ProductReview.com.au
media.business-humanrights.org/media/documents/2021-Ethical-Fashion-Report_Updated_j5nyFPP.pdf