Is Ralph Lauren A Fast Fashion Brand? An Expert Breakdown!
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Just the name Ralph Lauren is enough for any individual to conjure up images of sophistication, elegant designs, and an elite American lifestyle in their minds. This is exactly the kind of image that Ralph Lauren has created for itself since its inception in 1968 in a small office in the Empire State Building. The creator, Ralph Lauren, had had enough of the same old designs circulating in the fashion market and wished to bring his twist to the art of tie-making.
His unique designs caught the eye of the people and suddenly, he found himself receiving huge orders for ties by the biggest stores. This breakthrough was what he needed to expand his business into men's and women’s clothing, and even accessories. His style is described as luxurious American aristocracy with its tweed suits and classic tailoring, best represented in the movie “The Great Gatsby” whose male actors were dressed by Ralph Lauren, invoking emotions of nostalgia.
Ralph Lauren once said, “I am interested in longevity, timelessness, style – not fashion.” He did not set out with the plan to create one of the biggest fashion brands in the world, no, he just knew that wanted to do something. And that something ended up being a worldwide brand for men and women, multiple restaurants, and even home furnishing. He wanted to innovate and rebrand the American lifestyle.
While Ralph Lauren is aimed at attracting the elite class with its premium-quality but high prices, it has still managed to expand its business by opening a children’s line and bed and bath products. One interesting tidbit about Ralph Lauren is that it is often mistaken for inventing polo shirts due to its trademark design and the popularization of its polo shirts. However, it is far from the truth as polo shirts were invented back in 1926 by Rene Lacoste, but as Ralph Lauren was the one to globalize them and make them one of the most-bought clothing items today, it is often mistakenly regarded as its creator.
Sustainability Rating: 7/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories, Bed and Bath Products, Perfumes, Bags
For: Women, Men, Children
Products: Loungewear, Dresses, Outerwear, Towels, Bedding
Style: Elegant, Timeless, Luxurious, Sophisticated
Quality: High
Prices: $05.00 - $1000.00 (US)
Size: XS-3XL (International Size)
Fabrics: Recycled Polyester, Polyester Blend, Cotton Twill, Organic Cotton, Spandex, Cotton Blend, Elastane, Nylon, Jersey
100% Organic: Yes
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: Yes
Manufacturing Countries: China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia
Certifications: C2C
When talking about fast fashion brands, Ralph Lauren is one name that will never enter that conversation because one of the key foundations of the brand is creating timeless pieces that can stand the test of time with its durability and long-lasting designs that are unperturbed by the changing fashion trends. Unlike brands that follow fast fashion, Ralph Lauren introduces only 3 collections a year, sticking to the phrase quality over quantity. It is undisturbed by the changing trends as it refuses to copy the trending styles and instead, focuses on creating its unique designs.
In terms of sustainability, Ralph Lauren employs various fabrics that come from sustainable sources and has received an A grade in sustainability from the Baptist World Aid. It uses recycled polyester and organic cotton in many of its products and plans to make all of its products eco-friendly by 2025. It is against the use of toxic dyes in its products and aims to eliminate its use by 2025.
Ralph Lauren has a Global Citizenship and Sustainability strategy called Timeless by Design outlined on its website that indicates all of its plans regarding its role in making the planet eco-friendlier. As the name indicates, the brand wants to embed timelessness in its products to promote reuse and recycling through generations. It wants to create high-quality items that are made of environmentally friendly materials and are untouched by any harmful processes. Moreover, it wants to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses from its supply chain by 2040. All of these goals sound remarkable and one can only hope that the brand is successful in implementing them.
A quick look through its website shows that it does not use fur or angora in its products which is a plus sign, but leather, exotic animal skin, and silk are common in a lot of products. However, it does aim to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of leather and silk in the future as it steps towards becoming a more sustainable brand.
However, everything starts going downhill when we begin to talk about Ralph Lauren’s ethical strategies. One of the biggest downsides is that the brand is not vegan which becomes the first indicator of animal cruelty going on in the background. The acquisition of wool, silk, and other animal-derived materials is cruel and completely goes against the Animal Welfare Protection regulations.
Furthermore, Ralph Lauren has come under heat numerous times over the years for not being ethical about labor and living wages. Its factories are mostly based in third-world countries where the people are exploited to work an inhuman number of hours for very little pay. BBC once exposed the brand for manipulating poor women to work ungodly hours with little to no sleep, taking advantage of the fact that they are the sole breadwinners of the family.
The Fashion Transparency Index gave it a score of 41-50% in 2022 for not being transparent about its manufacturing processes and labor regulations. Horrifically, in 2017, the brand came under fire once again. It was accused of taking people without consent, from the Uyghur region of China, to work in the factories in miserable conditions. The brand was shamed by the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation for carrying out unethical labor conditions.
It claims to improve people’s wages in its plans but no changes have been communicated or made apparent. It makes one wonder how many of its plans is the brand seriously working towards.
While Ralph Lauren is winning in the quality and sustainability factors, it seems to be quite a long way from conquering the ethical side as well. However, when it comes to fast fashion, Ralph Lauren is miles away from being one to follow the trends. It prioritizes what it has stood for, for generations which is timelessness and it continues to walk on that path.
Sources:
Ralph Lauren | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry (businessoffashion.com)
10 Must-Know Facts About Ralph Lauren - Fashion Designer Ralph Lauren Polo (lofficielusa.com)
Global Citizenship & Sustainability (ralphlauren.com)
Ralph Lauren - Sustainability Rating - Good On You