It is rare to see a brand that hits all areas of the sustainability and ethics pillars. It takes commitment, diligence and hard work. Even then, there is no such thing as a perfect brand – but Girlfriend Collective gets pretty close to it.
As I think about all the purpose-driven fashion brands on my mental roster, I recall brands who use a lot of sustainable materials, but are relatively silent on how they treat their workers. There are also brands who stress a lot about how much they pay and how they treat their workers, but they don’t say much about the materials they use. Then there are ones who seem to get it right on the environmental and labour front, but they only use the same shade and shape of models over and over again. And then… no I’m not done yet… there are brands which use sustainable materials, employ workers fairly, use a diverse group of models – but THEIR PRODUCTS LOOK CRAP!
Which makes Girlfriend Collective this:
Yes a unicorn. In the world of UX design (my “day job”) – a designer who could do research, wireframing, prototyping, user interface design equally well is called a unicorn designer. In the world of fashion, Girlfriend Collective is a unicorn brand. Listen, this is not to discredit other brands out there who might be doing great on one front and not the other. As I mentioned, it is hard work! We should applaud companies which are making intentional, committed improvements. But we should especially celebrate those which are doing well and putting emphasis on all fronts.
I think this especially stood out to me in light of events in recent days. When the #Blacklivesmatter movement erupted, many brands raced to social media to voice out their support of the movement, yet many of them came under fire for not living their words. Under the black squares of some brands, former employees posted long comments on the abusive treatment they received as BIPOC. Then, if you scroll down some of these companies’ Instagram feeds, you would see that the first few squares are of BIPOC, and then it is all white white white white white with the occasional pop of black or brown for the next 50 posts. It’s sadly comical to see.
Not on Girlfriend Collective’s Instagram –
Girlfriend has always, from Day 1, been featuring diverse models on their campaigns and social media. On each of their product pages, you could also see different shapes of models wearing their garments. This means no matter what shape or size you are, you could likely find a model of a comparable size to you modelling the product.
While it came out that some other brand’s founder (not going to name names here) was quoted by a former employee for saying “it was too early” for them to feature BIPOC models in 2019, Girlfriend Collective embraced diversity from day one. With strong branding, photography, and of course product, Girlfriend Collective has created a strong, optimistic and purposeful brand that has rallied a loyal, devoted following.
Sustainability at Girlfriend Collective
Let’s take a look at the sustainability efforts of the brand.
Girlfriend Collective first broke into the public consciousness back in 2017 when prelaunch, they started selling their leggings for the price of shipping ($19.95). I remember coming across that ad and wondering if it was for real! Luckily – it was. And their leggings made from recycled plastic bottles still remain their hero product.
What I love about the company is that it breaks it down for you exactly what they are doing in simple terms on their website. Here it is:
Packaging: Our packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable, so don’t throw it away!
Compressive Leggings + Bras: Made from 79% recycled polyester (or RPET) and 21% spandex, our leggings are made from 25 recycled post-consumer bottles and our bras are made from 11.
Cupro: Our tees and tanks are 100% cupro, a delicate fiber made from waste the cotton industry leaves behind. Our yarn is made in a zero-waste, zero-emission facility in Japan, then constructed at our SA8000-certified factory in Hanoi.
Reusable Pouch: Our reusable pouch is made with the same RPET as our bras and leggings. So not only is it reusable and adorable, it’s just as good for the earth as the rest of our line.
*Updated: 16 July, 2020. Please check Girlfriend’s website for the latest updates!
The brand considers their impact on the environment one of the most important pillars of their operation, and has made using low-impact materials a priority in their designs. Got to love that!
Ethics at Girlfriend Collective
When we talk about the ethics of a brand, we are talking about how the brand treats people who make their clothes. Technically, you could say inclusivity in campaigns fall under a brand’s “ethics”, but for clarity’s sake, I will talk about Inclusivity in the next section. Also, there are brands out there who are Inclusive in their brand campaigns and photoshoots, but treat the behind-the-scenes people who make their clothes horribly! So I think it is important to talk about these two brand aspects separately.
Girlfriend Collective’s textiles are made from recycled materials in their facility in Taiwan that specializes in eco-friendly and high-quality textiles. These are then cut-and-sewn in their SA8000 certified factory in Hanoi, Vietnam, which guarantees fair wages, safe and healthy conditions, and zero forced or child labor.
On Girlfriend’s website, they go on to explain what SA8000 means – which I love! How is a regular person supposed to know what that means? They say: SA8000 is a social accountability standard and certificate developed by Social Accountability International (SAI). They created this certification to help and protect workers worldwide by providing a standardized guideline to protect the integrity of workers’ conditions and wages. SA8000 overlaps with Fair Trade certification, but while Fair Trade is predominantly used for farming, SA8000 is a certification used in factory conditions.
The company then goes on to elaborate why they chose to manufacture overseas and not in the USA, and gives links to all their certifications. I think this level of transparency shows that the company is doing real, honest work and not just trying to hoodwink you with terms like “ethical”, “fair-trade” without further elaboration. They have the proof, the explanations, and they are ready to show them.
Inclusivity at Girlfriend Collective
As mentioned earlier, Girlfriend Collective has been living their belief in inclusivity since Day 1. It is evident in the people they feature on their social media, as well as the models they use for their e-commerce website. Less words, more action. Check it out for yourself below:
In light of recent events, they have also implemented new company policies and practices to ensure diversity and inclusivity in their teams and partners.
What a great company
All in all, I think Girlfriend Collective is a fantastic activewear brand with a great product and a great mission – and even my dad would like them because they practice what they preach. Check out the company and try them out if you’re looking to get some activewear!