Is Volcom Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!
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Fashion is not only limited to casual wear and formal wear these days, but it also extends to sportswear. People want to look good while exercising and playing certain sports as well. That is why so many brands have begun to focus on sportswear because it is a huge demand in the present times. Sports like surfing and skateboarding may seem insignificant as not many brands particularly take them into account but some brands are catering to such sports as well.
Volcom is a brand that produces clothing for people who love board sports. Boardsports refers to sports like surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding, all sports that require a board and balancing on it. The whole brand is centered around these and making suitable garments that not only provide comfort and maximum flexibility to the wearer but also look fashionable.
It was started in 1991 by two friends, Tucker Hall and Richard Woolcott, who shared a love for boardsports and would often sneak away from life’s responsibilities to go snowboarding. They often discussed opening their brand because they wanted to create special clothing for these sports that they wanted to wear. Eventually, Woolcott ended up quitting his job to focus on starting their brand.
They had a lot riding on this decision because of the lack of money and also because sports like snowboarding and skateboarding were not looked at as real sports in those times. They had to start the business from their bedroom where the headquarters were located. The funny thing is that both of the friends had no idea about how to make clothes but the only thing driving them was their passion for sports and the need to do something for the people of their community.
Although the first few months were tough, the company grew organically over time and reached a point where the friends were able to own a proper office and their items were being sold at different stores throughout the country.
Sustainability Rating: 6/10
Category: Clothing, Shoes, Accessories
For: Women, Men, Kids
Products: Boardshorts, Jumpsuits, Sandals, Sunglasses
Style: Chic, Casual
Quality: Medium
Prices: -
Size: XS – 2XL (International Size)
Fabrics: Recycled 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: Gore-Tex, RDS, FDA, BLUESIGN
Volcom joined hands with many influencers and made many promotional videos to attract people which turned out to be quite successful. It had a motto of “Youth Against Establishment” that highly resonated with people and became a popular catchphrase. One thing the company remained true to was its roots and quality. Many brands seem to lose focus of their original goals once they become popular but Volcom was insistent on not being lost in the fame. It made sure that its clothing did not reach mass markets and that the brand had total control of manufacturing and selling.
This might be a reason why Volcom shifted the manufacturing unit entirely to the United States while initially, it had factories in India and China as well. It wanted to save costs and also keep a close eye on the manufacturing process to maintain the quality of its products.
Keeping this in mind, we can easily say that Volcom is not a fast fashion brand. Fast fashion brands produce low-quality clothing made of cheap and harmful materials in mostly Asian countries where labor costs less and people are forced to work in terrible conditions. Volcom seems far away from this model of production. It produces good quality items under watch in the USA and sells them at considerable prices so that the garments can be worn for a long time.
Only a few years after its inception, Volcom made sustainability a huge part of its foundation. It believes in not only talking about it but proving its steps through actions and proof. It admits that it is far from being called a 100% sustainable brand but it has been slowly working towards adopting more sustainable means of manufacturing.
It participates in a process called natural capital accounting which helps any brand locate which areas it needs to focus on in terms of sustainability. It has concluded that almost 75% of its impact takes place at the very first stage; the sourcing of raw materials. To combat this issue, the brand has partnered with Repreve to turn plastic bottles into fabrics and accessories. While the brand started including Repreve materials only in its shorts line, it has steadily become a part of other collections as well. Its recycled polyester and organic cotton usage has been growing every year.
It has a goal of eliminating all hazardous materials from its supply chain for which it has partnered with Bluesign which approves the fabrics the brand uses in its garments, especially the Snow collection. By eliminating harmful toxins from the very first stage of the production process, Volcom is striving to cleanse its entire supply chain.
Volcom has a phrase it loves to use; Reduce, Reuse, ReVolcom. In this initiative, the brand takes old Volcom products and uses them for some other purpose, not letting them end up in landfills. It has also started its journey towards using 100% renewable energy in its offices and factories. It also regularly participates in the Higg Index’s evaluation every year.
In 2014, Volcom was certified by the Fair Trade Association and its use of cotton has grown 40% annually. The brand did not stop at this. It began to use regenerated nylon in its swimwear collection; ECONYL.
It also wanted to bring a change in its denim jeans because denim is one of the most harmful materials used in the fashion industry. It works with companies that help reduce its toxic impacts and also save water. Volcom saved up to 4.5 million liters of water through this initiative.
Volcom has an admirable track record of improving its sustainability progress every year and introducing new ones. It does not believe in stopping after achieving a single goal and continues to push forward. We can confidently declare that Volcom is a company that has a bright future in terms of sustainability and if it stays on this track, it may soon become a top choice for sustainable brands.
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