• The CEO of cult US fashion brand Doen went live on Instagram over the weekend to address criticism it misrepresented its sustainability practices and ethical practices.
• It’s the latest example of a fashion brand being called out for marketing its sustainability bona fides on social media while not walking the walk.
• As consumers demand transparency around fashion practices, brands are tempted to make claims they can’t live up to, CEO of Australian-based sustainability agency Gordon Renouf told Business Insider Australia.
• Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.

The CEO of cult California-based fashion brand Doen went live on Instagram over the weekend to address allegations the company has misrepresented its sustainability and social responsibility practices

In the video, co-founder Katherine Kleveland said the suggestion that Doen was a sustainable brand “had been miscommunicated.”

“They have been misled,” Kleveland said. “We are not claiming to be a sustainable brand when we are in fact a seasonal fashion brand that is working toward responsibility.”

The defence draws sharp relief between the image projected across the brand’s Instagram account and website, which includes sections on its website promoting commitment to “ethics & social responsibility”.

The phenomenon of fashion brands being forced to respond to criticism of their manufacturing practices, garment worker pay, and progressive values has only become more common in recent years, as overall awareness of fashion’s status as one of the world’s most damaging industries has grown, and companies on the back foot have raced to catch up.

In 2020, Australian label Zimmermann was called out by Diet Prada, fashion’s gatekeeper and scandal watchdog, for its racially insensitive grooming and presentation standards for retail workers.

And in 2016, independent Australian label Gorman faced accusations concerning its treatment of overseas workers, with an online petition demanding they ‘be honest’ about their manufacturing processes.

What is ‘greenwashing’?

Greenwashing is the practice of presenting a false impression of a company’s products as environmentally sound, including marketing claims aimed at misleading consumers on the sustainability credentials of the product.

It’s become a tired trope in the fashion industry, as consumers seek greater transparency on sustainability and ethical practices but companies struggle to clean up their messy supply chains.

The industry won’t escape this cycle until brands stop hiding the truth from their customers, CEO of Australian-based sustainability agency Good On You Gordon Renouf told Business Insider Australia.

Founded in Australia in 2015 and now operating across North America, Europe and the UK, the ratings platform, which lists celebrities including Emma Watson as supporters, looks at large and small brands across the fashion industry and provides consumers with independent ratings and clarifications on the veracity of their claims.

It currently lists 3,000 brand ratings for global and local fashion brands.

“Fundamental to what we do is the idea that consumers have a right to know how the products they are offered impact on the issues they care about,” Renouf said.

“We know that the majority of consumers are looking for brands to address those issues. And the best way for brands to do that is to be transparent, accurate information.”

Renouf said Australia’s approach to transparency has actually been quite effective, with strong certification of labour rights.

“At the same time there is the risk of – and we see this not just in Australia — the risk of brands overreaching.”

He thinks there will continue to be backlashes as long as brands continue to seek quick gratification from their social media followers and shoppers without actually putting the work in.

He said part of the problem with the current interplay between brands and their social media communities. While social platforms allow shoppers to call out brands, the noise can often compel them to make promises they can’t keep as they struggle to keep up with expectations.

“I think that’s an interesting challenge more for consumers rather than than brands”

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