Yes, Aritzia is a fast fashion brand, although it operates in a more "premium" space than ultra-fast fashion giants like Shein. The brand is built on rapid product turnover, trend-driven collections, and seasonal drops that encourage frequent purchasing. While it uses some higher-quality materials, its business model prioritizes volume and speed-to-market over timeless design and circularity.
Aritzia's ethical and environmental efforts are minimal, lacking the transparency and commitment needed to be considered a responsible brand. Here's a detailed breakdown of its practices.
Aritzia balances a premium brand image with a classic fast fashion production model focused on speed, volume, and trends.
Aritzia meets minimum legal labor standards but fails to demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical practices due to a significant lack of transparency.
Aritzia's supply chain is concentrated in China and Vietnam, countries with known risks of labor exploitation. The company does not publish a list of its suppliers or detailed results from its factory audits, making it impossible to independently verify working conditions. While Aritzia has a supplier Code of Conduct, reports on factory conditions in these regions suggest workers often earn around $180-$250 per month, far below the estimated living wage of $350-$400 for those areas.
Transparency is a major weakness for Aritzia. While the company states it uses third-party auditors like Sedex and Amfori, it does not share the results or frequency of these audits. Without a public list of its tier-one suppliers, there is no way for customers or watchdog groups to confirm that its Code of Conduct is being enforced or that workers are treated fairly.
Aritzia has made some progress in animal welfare by using Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified wool in some products. The brand does not use fur, exotic skins, or down. However, the exact percentage of certified materials across its collections is not disclosed, limiting the scope of this claim.
Aritzia's sustainability efforts are superficial and lack the concrete targets, certified data, and strategic vision of a genuinely sustainable brand.
Aritzia claims that 20-30% of its styles incorporate some "more sustainable materials" like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL™ Lyocell. This means the vast majority (70-80%) of its products are made from conventional, resource-intensive materials like virgin polyester and conventional cotton. The brand offers no detailed breakdown of material percentages across its entire collection.
There is no publicly available data on Aritzia's carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management policies. The brand has not set science-based targets for emissions reduction and is not certified by organizations like Climate Neutral. Its environmental impact remains largely unmeasured and unchecked.
Aritzia has no significant take-back, resale, or repair programs to manage its products at the end of their life. Unsold inventory is often moved to outlet sales, but the brand has no clear strategy for preventing its products from ending up in landfills. Its packaging remains primarily plastic-based with minimal waste-reduction initiatives.
Aritzia's sustainability commitments are vague, consisting of generic statements like “reducing environmental impact” without specific, time-bound targets or transparent progress reports. The company does not hold any major third-party certifications like B Corp, Bluesign, or GOTS for its practices, indicating a lack of rigorous, externally verified sustainability standards.
Aritzia's premium branding masks a standard fast fashion operating model with deficient ethical and environmental practices. Key improvements are needed in transparency, worker empowerment, and measurable sustainability targets to be considered a responsible brand.
Aritzia earns a C for its ethical practices. The brand meets minimum legal requirements and has some responsible sourcing for animal-derived materials. However, its complete lack of supply chain transparency and failure to commit to a living wage means it does not rise above the bare minimum, leaving significant concerns about worker well-being unaddressed.
For sustainability, Aritzia gets a D. Its efforts are minimal and unsupported by concrete data, targets, or recognized certifications. Using "more sustainable" materials in less than a third of its collection does little to offset the massive environmental impact of its high-volume, trend-driven fast fashion model. Vague goals and an absence of circular initiatives highlight a significant lack of strategic commitment to the environment.
If Aritzia's ethical and environmental shortcomings concern you, here are better alternatives that offer similar styles with stronger commitments to workers and the planet:
Reformation offers trendy, feminine styles similar to Aritzia but is a B Corp that uses sustainable materials like TENCEL™ and recycled fabrics. The brand is Climate Neutral Certified and provides detailed 'RefScale' impact reports for each product, disclosing its carbon and water footprint.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Known for modern basics and "radical transparency," Everlane discloses information about its factories and production costs. The company uses a high percentage of certified materials like organic cotton and recycled synthetics and has a strong focus on reducing carbon emissions.
Shop now at everlane.com
This Canadian B Corp brand focuses on timeless pieces made from high-quality, ethically sourced Egyptian cotton. Kotn traces its entire supply chain from farm to factory, empowering local communities by ensuring fair wages and helping build schools in the Nile Delta.
Shop now at kotn.com
Pact offers affordable, minimalist basics made with Fair Trade Certified GOTS organic cotton. This dual certification ensures that the products are made with environmentally friendly materials and that the workers behind them earn fair wages in safe conditions.
Shop now at wearpact.com
For high-quality outerwear and functional basics, Patagonia is a leader in activism and sustainability. They are a B Corp, use over 87% recycled materials, ensure Fair Trade Certified sewing, and offer lifetime repairs to extend the life of their products.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Aritzia is considered 'premium' due to its higher price points, better-quality materials on some items, and sophisticated store branding compared to brands like Shein or H&M. However, its business model still relies on the core fast fashion principles of rapid production, frequent new drops, and trend replication.
There is no evidence that Aritzia ensures a living wage for the workers in its supply chain. The company's Code of Conduct only requires adherence to local minimum wage laws, which are consistently below the calculated living wage in major garment-producing countries like China and Vietnam.
Aritzia has taken small steps, such as introducing some collections with recycled and organic materials. However, its overall progress is slow and lacks substance, as it has not set science-based targets for emission reductions, improved supply chain transparency, or addressed its overproduction model.
