Is Reserved Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!
Share
Life is hard for fashion lovers these days because of the abundant fashion brands that have opened all over the world lately. You can discover a new and unique brand every time you take a stroll through the city. This has made making a choice so hard for people who love to shop. The brand we’ll take a look at today is Reserved.
Reserved was introduced to the world in 1998 in Poland by Marek Piochocki and it is managed by LPP S.A Company which is one of the biggest clothing manufacturers in Central and Eastern Europe. Initially, it began to manufacture and sell casual clothing for everyday use. Clothing like tops, hoodies, and jeans were its main output items but after perfecting the craft for nearly 10 years, it ventured into glamorous clothing. Its designers explored the different designs and styles that were in trend and came up with something familiar but unfamiliar at the same time.
It wasn’t afraid to take risks with the designs, toeing into unconventional cuts and styles to appeal to a larger audience. It took some time for the brand to find its creative identity before it streamlined how and what it wanted to work with. It began to target specific target audiences with different collections and even events, for example, a special collection being introduced for New Year’s.
The brand aims to combine classic styles with luxury. It wants to bring something innovative to the table that will scream Reserved every time someone looks at the outfit. It wants people of all walks of life to be able to experience wearing glamorous clothing which is why it constantly takes inspiration from cat-walk designs. On its website, the brand claims that it “strive(s) to meet our customer’s needs in a flash – that’s why we mix classic forms with original inspirations straight from the catwalks, as well as alternative deals from influencers.”
Sustainability Rating: 4/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories, Shoes, Bags
For: Women, Men, Kids
Products: Casual Wear, Outerwear, Maternity Clothes, Heels
Style: Trendy, Classic, Casual
Quality: Low
Prices: -
Size: XS-XL (International Size)
Fabrics: Polyester, Polyester Blend, Cotton, Spandex, Nylon, Linen, Elastane, Rayon, Hemp, Acrylic, Leather
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: No
Manufacturing Countries: Bangladesh, China, Poland, Pakistan, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, Turkey, Portugal, Italy
Certifications: Not Transparent Enough
Reserved has slowly expanded to other countries as well, opening stores in Germany and London, and owning over 200 stores worldwide. Its growth was not an overnight phenomenon but a steady growth facilitated by the dedicated team of designers. In addition to combining different fashion styles, Reserved also tries to suit the fashion of the different regions in that it has opened its stores. If you visit its website, it will ask you to choose your location so it can show you items better suited to your tastes. With stores in the UAE, Egypt, and the UK, it must take a lot of passion to come up with various styles to appease customers.
Unlike most fast fashion brands that would rather mass produce items using harmful materials and then dump them in landfills once the trend dies, Reserved has shown its willingness to play a part in bringing a change into the world. Certain practices have shown that it wants to be different from other brands by trying to be sustainable and protecting the environment as much as it can. Even though it cannot be categorized as a sustainable brand yet and is very much a fast fashion brand currently, we can hope that one day it will be among the most sustainable brands in the world.
It is said that Reserved meets up with textile manufacturers who promise to reduce the carbon footprint in the world by lessening the use of natural resources and meeting as many environmental standards as possible. It also uses some sustainable materials in its clothing. Although it is only true for a small number of products and certain collections only, we can say that it is a start. It uses some organic cotton and polyester as well as some recycled materials in some of the items but these are few and far in between.
It has a few collections dedicated to sustainable living but even those collections are cast in doubt because the brand provides no certifications regarding the materials used in them. Moreover, these sustainable collections are not 100% sustainable either because they only contain a portion of sustainable material. The rest of the garment is made of normal cotton or polyester which is detrimental to the environment.
Moreover, it has yet to take any actions to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses from its factories. The fashion industry has a big part to play in adding to toxic emissions on Earth and the industry must control it before the planet becomes unlivable due to fleeting fashion trends.
Reserved has a page on its website for sustainability and how the brand considers itself responsible for not only the people but also the planet. It wants to create a better world for future generations and it all starts with the company itself taking the first step. Reserved has taken an admirable measure towards sustainability by opening 50 stores that collect used clothing which it then donates to people and centers in need.
However, 90% of Reserved’s clothing is made in Asia where it claims that it carefully selects manufacturers that abide by international law but there is no proof backing that claim. Countries like Turkey and China, where most of their clothing is made, are known for violating labor laws regularly and without any repercussions. It does not demand certifications from the manufacturers nor does it provide them to its customers to prove that it is being ethical.
It has a Code of Conduct on its website which says that it performs regular audits to ensure the health and safety of the items and the workers but only about 200 audits were carried out between 2021 to 2022 which is not enough to prove anything.
It takes some measures to be animal cruelty-free by not using exotic fur or angora but it does use wool, leather, and silk due to which the GoodOnYou directory gave it a “Not Good Enough” rating for its environmental and animal initiatives.
Another plus side of buying at Reserved is that it is against any use of plastic and has reduced its use by almost 250 tons. It also buys its wool from certified farms which is quite comforting. Moreover, it is a member of ZDHC which complies with international laws regarding ethicality and sustainability. This lends credibility to the brand.
Reserved has many plans for the future like making almost 50% of its clothing environmentally friendly and getting its toxic discharge to 0% by 2025. It also strives to 100% reuse and recycle any plastic that it uses in the future. So even if Reserved is a fast fashion brand right now, we hope and are excited to see big changes soon.
Reserved - Sustainability Facts, Rating, Goals | Panaprium
Reserved - all about the clothing brand • DRESS Magazine (dress-magazine.com)
Reserved - Sustainability Rating - Good On You