Is Karen Millen Fast Fashion?
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Fast fashion is a byproduct of industrialization and consumerism due to which people flock to the latest trends regardless of personal preferences. Fast fashion has not only lowered the value of garments but also led to people losing a sense of individuality. Everyone acquires the same mass-produced design, reducing the uniqueness exuded by people based on personal style.
The brand we’ll be delving into today is Karen Millen, established in 1981 by Karen Millen and Kevin Stanford. As a design student, Millen founded the company with a loan of only £100 with which she bought 1000 meters of white cotton. This began the pair’s journey of manufacturing and selling white t-shirts. In two years only, they managed to open their first store which was soon followed by multiple other branches.
Karen Millen offers hand-crafted and individualistic designs perfected by in-house designers who pay close attention to every detail. It crafts beautiful garments for women who wish to express themselves to the fullest. With the effort of multiple designers, every garment has a backstory and thoughtfulness distinctive to the brand.
Instead of following trends, Karen Millen makes clothing that stays with the wearers for a long time. It does not want to recreate cat-walk fashion but wants to make items that last through the seasons. This thought is central to the brand’s vision; to support the customer for many years. That is why Karen Millen is very particular about the quality and form of each garment. It takes great pride in its creation process which is based on noticing miniscule details. Karen Millen describes its portfolio in the following line:
“Everlasting designs with luxury status at attainable prices”
In 2019, Boohoo retailer bought the company and made many changes in its business model. It continued to sell elevated clothing that could easily integrate with the customers’ wardrobes including coats and evening wear.
Sustainability Rating: 5/10
Category: Clothing, Shoes, Accessories
For: Women
Products: Dresses, Jackets, Boots
Style: Casual, Elegant
Quality: Medium, High
Prices: -
Size: -
Fabrics: Polyester, Organic Cotton, Spandex, Viscose, Elastane, Linen, Leather, Nylon
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: No
Manufacturing Countries: Not Transparent Enough
Certifications: Not Transparent Enough
Karen Millen favors timelessness over fleeting fashion. This is the reason that it spends a considerable time coming up with new styles made with high-quality fabrics that could stand out in an industry infested with brands following similar trends. Many believe that the brand’s standard has decreased significantly since it was acquired by Boohoo, but it still has a rating of 4.3 stars on Trustpilot by more than 7000 customers. People are generally satisfied with the quality and customer service provided by Karen Millen and would love to shop there again.
It may be hard to classify Karen Millen as fast fashion because it has been undergoing major changes since the leadership change and has begun to follow a model similar to that of fast fashion since Karen Millen sold it. Previously, it was considered more of a luxury brand that offered clothing slightly cheaper than high-luxury brands but lately, it seems to leaning more toward the fast fashion business model.
Fast fashion brands have a foundation in exploitation. They not only exploit natural resources without compensating for them but also exploit people. Such brands have no regard for the Earth or the people and just run after money. That is why people are demanding more brands that take a sustainable approach to fashion. The condition of the Earth is declining every day and the fashion industry plays a great part in its decline.
Karen Millen claims to care about its responsibility towards the environment owing to its position as one of the largest retailers in America. The brand has started its journey but knows that it still has a long way to go. However, it began at the very basics. It first implemented eco-friendly initiatives in the company’s offices and expanded it to the entire supply chain. It vows to regularly audit the practices and processes of the company to reduce its impact on the planet.
Karen Millen has a plan that focuses on three key areas:
- Clothes Made Smarter
- Suppliers on Better Terms
- Our Business Taking Action
It hopes to make garments using better materials that would generate less waste and work with suppliers that ensure improved standards and transparency. The brand contributes over 100,000 sample garments to charities annually. It is also a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and has been urging its suppliers to use organic and recycled materials. Instead of mass-producing garments, Karen Millen creates small quantities of garments to avoid waste and determine customer demand. Moreover, the brand’s dispatch bags are 100% recyclable, making them reusable.
Karen Millen has stated that all items made of better materials that meet the material goals will consist of the strapline “Ready for The Future”. All items that contain even 20% of the better materials will be tagged with the strapline. The brand knows that it might not be enough but it wants to start with a lower threshold so the brand can meet its requirements with stable growth. Some of the better materials include recycled fibers, REEL Cotton, Organic Cotton, and Better Cotton (BCI).
Karen Millen has a Code of Conduct that stresses the importance of protecting the rights of laborers and fighting against child labor and excessive working hours. The brand aspires to work with suppliers who uphold transparency and cooperation.
However, the GoodOnYou directory rates the company “Not Good Enough” overall. While it does use some environmentally-friendly materials such as organic cotton, it does not use enough sustainable materials. It is also not taking enough action to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It also received a rating of 11-20% by the Fashion Transparency Index because it does not publish enough information about its suppliers and policies regarding fair wages and gender equality. Karen Millen does not use angora or fur but it does utilize leather, wool, and down. It is also suspected that the brand has factories in countries like China and India where exploitation of labor is extremely high.
In conclusion, Karen Millen is not a typical fast fashion brand but many of its practices lean into that business model. It seems to be taking some steps for the betterment of the environment but they are not adequate. You must research and decide whether you consider it sustainable enough before purchasing.
Karen Millen (retailappointment.co.uk)
Karen Millen - Sustainability Rating - Good On You
CSR Activities of Karen Millen Corporate Social Responsibility Programs (fibre2fashion.com)
*ready-for-the-future-guidelines-2022.pdf (boohooplc.com)
UP.FRONT | Sustainable Fashion | Karen Millen
Karen Millen Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of www.karenmillen.com (trustpilot.com)