Is Asket Fast Fashion? How Ethical & Sustainable is Asket

Asket is not fast fashion. Discover how their slow fashion model prioritizes timeless design, durable quality, and transparency for sustainable style.
Written by: 
Ash Read
Last updated: 

No, Asket is not a fast fashion brand. It operates on a slow fashion model, prioritizing timeless design, durable quality, and radical transparency over the rapid production of trend-driven clothing. The brand focuses on creating a permanent collection of essentials designed to last for years.

Asket demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical production through its European manufacturing and supplier transparency. On sustainability, it uses a high percentage of eco-friendly materials but lacks comprehensive data on its full environmental footprint. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Asket's practices:

Why Asket Isn't Fast Fashion

Asket’s entire business model is a direct counterpoint to fast fashion. It focuses on creating a lean, permanent collection of wardrobe staples rather than chasing fleeting trends and producing massive volumes.

  • Limited, Seasonal Releases: Instead of weekly drops, Asket releases new items seasonally, typically just a few times a year. Their permanent collection consisted of only around 60-70 core items in 2023, emphasizing a "less but better" philosophy.
  • Premium Pricing &, High Quality: Asket prices its products to reflect quality craftsmanship and materials, with T-shirts around $65–$80 and trousers between $200–$300. This is a stark contrast to the rock-bottom prices of brands that rely on cheap labor and materials to fuel overconsumption.
  • Timeless Design over Trends: The brand intentionally avoids trends, focusing on modern classics that won't go out of style. This design ethos encourages customers to buy fewer pieces and wear them for longer, directly opposing the disposable nature of fast fashion.
  • Transparent, High-Quality Manufacturing: Asket works with a select few factories in Portugal and Turkey, regions with strong labor and environmental regulations. They publicly share details about their partner factories, a level of transparency rarely seen in the opaque supply chains of fast fashion giants.

Is Asket Ethical?

Asket has built its brand on transparency and ethical sourcing, placing it well above the industry average. However, there are still areas for improvement, particularly regarding external validation and wage commitments.

Labor Practices

Asket manufactures its clothing in European factories, primarily in Portugal and Turkey, where labor laws are more robust than in common fast fashion manufacturing hubs. The company publishes a detailed list of its suppliers and partners, and there are no known reports of labor violations or worker exploitation in its supply chain.

Supply Chain Transparency

Transparency is a core pillar of the Asket brand. In addition to publishing its factory list, the company also releases annual reports detailing its sustainability progress and ethical commitments. However, it lacks key third-party certifications like Fair Trade or B Corp, which would provide independent validation of its claims.

Animal Welfare

Asket has a strong animal welfare policy, primarily using plant-based and recycled synthetic materials. The brand does not use fur, exotic animal skins, or angora in any of its products, aligning its practices with cruelty-free standards.

Where Asket Falls Short Ethically

  • Lack of a Living Wage Commitment: While Asket ensures compliance with local minimum wage laws, it has not published evidence or made a formal commitment to ensuring all workers in its supply chain earn a verified living wage.
  • Absence of Third-Party Certifications: The brand's ethical claims are primarily self-reported. Lacking certifications from credible organizations like Fair Trade, B Corp, or SA8000 means customers must rely on the company's own disclosures without independent verification.
  • Limited Wage Data: While transparent about factory locations, Asket does not provide specific data on the wages paid to its garment workers, making it difficult to fully assess the financial well-being of the people making its clothes.

Is Asket Sustainable?

Asket shows a strong commitment to environmental responsibility through its material choices and focus on longevity. However, its reporting on climate impact could be more detailed and externally verified.

Materials & Sourcing

Asket excels in its material choices, with approximately 70-80% of its collection made from sustainable fabrics. This includes GOTS-certified organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled polyester made from post-consumer plastic bottles, and Tencel Lyocell, a fiber produced in a closed-loop system that minimizes water and chemical waste.

Environmental Impact

The company partners with factories that use eco-friendly dyes and water treatment processes that align with Bluesign standards for chemical management. Their smaller, demand-driven production batches also help minimize overproduction and deadstock waste, a major source of pollution in the fashion industry.

Circularity & Waste

Asket’s primary strategy for reducing waste is creating durable, timeless clothing and educating customers on proper care to extend their lifespan. However, the brand does not currently offer a formal take-back, repair, or recycling program for its garments at the end of their life.

Sustainability Goals & Progress

Asket has set an ambitious goal to become net-zero by 2030. While this signals a serious commitment, the company has not yet published a comprehensive carbon footprint assessment or detailed, third-party verified progress reports toward this goal.

Where Asket Falls Short on Sustainability

  • No Published Carbon Data: The brand has yet to release a detailed carbon footprint report, including Scope 3 emissions from its supply chain. This data is critical for understanding its true environmental impact and tracking progress toward climate goals.
  • Lack of Environmental Certifications: Like with its ethical practices, Asket is not certified by key environmental bodies like B Corp or Climate Neutral. Such certifications would lend more credibility and accountability to its sustainability claims.
  • No End-of-Life Program: Without a formal repair, take-back, or recycling system, the responsibility for managing garments at the end of their lifecycle falls entirely on the consumer.

Our Verdict: Asket's Ethical & Sustainability Grades

Asket is a clear example of what a more responsible fashion brand looks like. Its dedication to transparency, quality craftsmanship, and timeless design make it a standout choice for conscious consumers, though there are still opportunities for it to become an industry leader.

Ethical Practices: B+

Asket earns a B+ for its high level of supply chain transparency, commitment to European manufacturing, and clean record on labor rights. They set a high bar for sharing information about their factories. The grade is kept from an A due to the lack of a formal living wage commitment and the absence of credible third-party certifications to verify their self-reported claims.

Sustainability: B

The brand receives a B for its impressive use of certified sustainable materials (70-80% is excellent) and its focus on creating durable, long-lasting products. However, the lack of published carbon data, formal circularity programs, and environmental certifications from organizations like Climate Neutral prevent a higher rating. Their net-zero goal is promising but requires more transparent reporting to be fully credible.

More Ethical & Sustainable Brands Like Asket

If you appreciate Asket's commitment to timeless style, quality materials, and supply chain transparency, here are other responsible brands pushing the industry in a better direction:

Everlane

Everlane offers modern wardrobe staples with a similar minimalist aesthetic and a focus on "Radical Transparency," revealing the cost breakdown of each product. As a certified B Corporation, they meet high standards for social and environmental performance across their supply chain.

Shop now at everlane.com

Patagonia

A pioneer in sustainable apparel, Patagonia is a certified B Corp and 1% for the Planet member known for its incredible durability and activism. While focused on outdoor gear, their Fair Trade Certified products are built to last a lifetime and backed by an ironclad repair program.

Shop now at patagonia.com

Kotn

Kotn is a B Corp that specializes in high-quality basics made from authentic Egyptian cotton sourced directly from smallholder farms. They ensure fair labor practices by working directly with farmers and have funded the construction of over 15 schools in their farming communities.

Shop now at kotn.com

Outerknown

Co-founded by surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown is Fair Labor Association accredited and known for its California-cool aesthetic and commitment to circularity. They are transparent about their suppliers and heavily use innovative, recycled materials such as Econyl regenerated nylon.

Shop now at outerknown.com

Nudie Jeans

For denim lovers, Nudie Jeans is unparalleled in its commitment to circularity, offering free repairs for life on all its jeans. The brand exclusively uses 100% organic cotton and is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, ensuring its factory workers are treated and paid fairly.

Shop now at nudiejeans.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Asket worth the price?

For consumers prioritizing longevity, quality materials, and ethical production, Asket is generally considered worth the price. Their garments are designed to last for years, meaning the cost-per-wear is often lower than repeatedly replacing cheaper fast fashion alternatives.

What does "The Pursuit of Less" mean for Asket?

This is Asket's core philosophy, encouraging consumers to reject overconsumption and build a small, versatile wardrobe with high-quality, timeless essentials. It's a direct challenge to the fast fashion model that pushes constant newness and disposability.

Why isn't Asket a certified B Corp?

Asket has not publicly stated its reasons for not pursuing B Corp or other certifications. While they practice a high degree of self-reported transparency, obtaining third-party validation would strengthen their claims and provide customers with an extra layer of verified accountability.

Where are Asket's clothes made?

Asket's clothing is manufactured in select factories located in Portugal and Turkey. These countries have relatively high labor standards and environmental regulations, aligning with the brand's commitment to ethical and responsible production.