Is Unique Vintage Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!

Crazy about vintage fashion, Founder and CEO of Unique Vintage, Katie Echeverry, decided to establish her own brand in 2000.

She knew what the fashion industry was lacking and quickly decided to come up with a retro yet trendy fashion.

Her clothes are designed to fit every size and shape as the brand promotes inclusivity and celebrates both past and present fashion trends.

In fact, the founder of the vintage brand said that she wanted to create vintage-inspired apparel in a trendy and modern way in all sizes to satisfy every woman’s individual needs.

It is often difficult to find the perfect vintage clothing item that can fit all sizes. But Katie proved everyone wrong with her constant dedication to providing XS-5X sizes so that every woman can feel confident in her body.

This approach addresses a large community of women and promotes body positivity.

Now, the brand does exhibit some traits of fast fashion. Since the brand produces clothes in extensive amounts, quickly discarding the old ones, and offering them at low costs, one may call it a fast fashion brand.

However, Unique Vintage is different from fast fashion brands in many ways. First off, the brand claims to promote sustainable approaches to some extent and creates classic designs that are meant to last for a long time.

Furthermore, it also uses recycled content in some of its apparel, minimizing waste and reducing the negative impact on the environment.

Hence, the brand is not entirely fast fashion. The sustainability practices of the brand are mentioned later in this article.

Sustainability Rating: 3/10

Category: Clothing, swimwear, shoes, accessories

For: Women, kids

Products: Dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, tops, bottoms, jackets, denim, swimwear, jewelry, handbags, belts, sunglasses, hats, hair accessories, lingerie & shapewear, stockings, gloves, scarves, petticoats, umbrellas, boots, flats, heels, wedges, sandals, slippers, sneakers, T-straps

Style: Vintage, chic

Quality: Medium to high

Prices: $

Sizes: 2XS-5L, 32-57 (EU)

Fabrics: Cotton, spandex, polyester, linen, viscose, nylon, polyurethane, acetate, wool,

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: No

Ethical & Fair: No

Recycling: Yes

Manufacturing countries: California

Certifications: Insufficient information

Interpretation Of The Sustainability Score

For a fashion brand to receive a sustainability score of 3 out of 10 means the following:

They are aware of the impacts fast fashion has on the environment and strive to reduce them.

They make efforts to adopt sustainable approaches but are not entirely sustainable.

They have insufficient information on their websites regarding their sustainable practices.

What Are The Sustainability Practices Of Unique Vintage?

When choosing any fashion brand, it is important to analyze their manufacturing processes, how they source their raw materials, and if they are ethical and fair.

Sustainable and ethical fashion brands are not only beneficial for the environment but are also able to grab consumers’ attention and grow their businesses what with people being more eco-conscious nowadays.

It is also important for these brands to be transparent about their approaches and state clearly on their websites whether they promote eco-friendly approaches or not.

While Unique Vintage does not provide adequate information on the website, the brand still claims to use recycled content and organic cotton in some of its clothing. This means that they try to produce sustainable apparel, but not enough to be known as 100% sustainable.

What Are The Ethical Practices Of The Brand?

Regarding the ethical practices of Unique Vintage, the brand claims to only collaborate with manufacturers who are ethical and do not engage in child labor, slavery, or forced labor.

The brand follows the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act which enables big brands like Unique Vintage to assess if their manufacturers or suppliers are engaged in ethical and fair trade.

They claim to assess their suppliers thoroughly before sourcing anything. Their assessment includes the following:

Checking the quality of products

Making sure they are ethical and fair

Taking business history

Checking if they are law-abiding

The brand has always implemented the above-mentioned points before signing any deal.

Do They Give Back To The Community?

Unique Vintage has gained popularity due to major social media platforms and marketing strategies. From many articles regarding the brand to various figures posting about their vintage clothes, the brand has been able to address a large community over the course of time.

Like any fashion brand willing to expand its business and establish a positive community, Unique Vintage has also strived to do the same.

The brand has shown constant support for many organizations, including women’s education, animal welfare organizations, and LGBTQ+ partners.

To make their business grow, they have collaborated with the Barbie franchise and they have also worked with Warner Bros, ViacomCBS, and NBCUniversal.

What Are The Animal Welfare Policies Of The Brand?

Animal welfare policies enable fashion brands to take animal rights into account and promote cruelty-free sourcing.

The brand mentions on the website that it engages in animal welfare organizations and shows constant support, however, there is not enough evidence to prove it.

There are many products made of 100% wool and there’s hardly any mention of sourcing responsible wool. There is no mention of any certification either.

They may or may not source cruelty-free materials, but there’s only so much we can tell from what they have mentioned on their website.

What Do We Know About The Factories That Manufacture Their Products?

With the main factory located in Burbank, California, the retro-inspired fashion brand follows strict employment rules and regulations.

The brand does not endorse child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and slavery. Not only do they follow ethical and fair trade at their factories, but they also make sure that their suppliers are against such unlawful practices.

Now, the brand still needs improvement and has a long way to go. However, it is a bit of a relief that it is conscious about the negative impacts fashion industries have on the environment.

The brand still needs authentic proof, such as certifications, to further confirm its sustainability approaches.

Sources:

https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/unique-vintage.com

https://fashinnovation.nyc/unique-vintage-empowering-through-vintage-silhouettes-re-interpreted-for-a-diverse-and-inclusive-today/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbo3qPZAg24&pp=ygUhdW5pcXVlIHZpbnRhZ2Ugc3VzdGFpbmFibGUgb3Igbm90 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9qYJ-jgclA