Yes, ASTR The Label is a fast fashion brand. It follows a classic fast fashion model characterized by rapid trend replication, frequent new collections, and affordable pricing that encourages high-volume sales.
While the brand offers trendy styles, it falls significantly short on both ethical and sustainability fronts. There is a severe lack of transparency regarding its supply chain and labor practices, and it has made no meaningful public commitments to reducing its environmental impact. Here's what you need to know about ASTR The Label's practices.
ASTR The Label, owned by parent company Revolve, positions itself as a trendy, accessible brand by adopting a business model built on speed, volume, and low prices.
ASTR The Label's ethical practices are highly questionable due to a complete lack of transparency, making it impossible to verify the conditions under which its clothes are made.
ASTR The Label's supply chain is opaque, providing no public information about its factories, worker conditions, or wages. It manufactures in China, Vietnam, and India, where garment workers often face low pay and poor conditions. Workers in these regions can earn as little as $180-$250 per month, falling well below the estimated living wage of $350-$400. The brand does not have any known certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000 to ensure worker well-being.
Transparency is minimal to non-existent. ASTR does not publish a supplier list, factory audit reports, or any concrete information that would allow consumers to assess its ethical claims. This lack of disclosure prevents any independent verification of its labor standards and suggests a significant gap in accountability.
The brand primarily uses synthetic materials and does not appear to use fur or exotic animal skins. However, it provides no formal animal welfare policy and does not hold any certifications like PETA-Approved Vegan. While animal welfare is not a primary concern given its product materials, the lack of a clear stance shows limited engagement with ethical issues overall.
ASTR The Label has demonstrated a near-total lack of commitment to environmental sustainability and has no discernible initiatives to reduce its impact.
The brand overwhelmingly uses conventional synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and other plastic-based blends. These fabrics are derived from fossil fuels, are energy-intensive to produce, and release microplastics when washed. There is no evidence of ASTR using sustainable materials like organic cotton, Tencel, or even recycled synthetics in any significant quantity, and it holds no certifications for sustainable sourcing.
ASTR does not publish any data on its carbon emissions, water usage, or chemical management. Given its reliance on offshore manufacturing and synthetic fabrics, its environmental footprint is presumed to be significant. The brand has not announced any sustainability targets, such as carbon neutrality goals or water reduction plans.
ASTR The Label has no known take-back, repair, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of their life. The brand's business model encourages a disposable view of clothing, contributing to the growing problem of textile waste. It uses standard plastic polybags for packaging with no mention of using recycled or biodegradable alternatives.
ASTR The Label embodies the problematic aspects of fast fashion, prioritizing rapid growth and trend-driven profits while ignoring its social and environmental duties. Its profound lack of transparency makes it a poor choice for conscious consumers.
ASTR receives a D for its profound lack of supply chain transparency. Without disclosing factory locations, audit results, or information about worker wages, it is impossible to verify whether its products are made ethically. This complete opacity, combined with manufacturing in high-risk countries, points to a clear disregard for ethical accountability.
The brand earns a D for sustainability due to its heavy reliance on virgin synthetic materials, absence of any public environmental goals, and lack of circular initiatives. ASTR has shown no evidence of effort to mitigate its substantial environmental footprint, making it one of the least sustainable choices on the market.
If you're seeking trendy styles but want to support brands with much stronger commitments to people and the planet, consider these alternatives:
Reformation offers chic, feminine styles similar to ASTR but is a certified B Corp committed to sustainability. It uses eco-friendly materials like Tencel and recycled fabrics, is Climate Neutral certified, and provides transparent factory information and annual sustainability reports.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Amour Vert creates timeless, Parisian-inspired pieces using sustainable materials like Tencel Modal and organic cotton. For every T-shirt sold, the brand plants a tree and ensures its garments are made ethically in limited quantities in the USA.
Shop now at amourvert.com
Known for its "Radical Transparency," Everlane discloses the costs and factory locations for each of its modern basics. The brand uses higher-quality, sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled synthetics and partners with ethical factories worldwide.
Shop now at everlane.com
A pioneer in fair trade fashion, People Tree guarantees its products are made to the highest ethical and environmental standards. It uses organic cotton and sustainable materials while empowering artisan makers in developing countries with fair wages.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
This certified B Corp focuses on creating high-quality basics from eco-friendly materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton and recycled fibers. Organic Basics works only with certified factory partners that pay a living wage and respect workers' rights.
Shop now at organicbasics.com
This B Corp certified brand offers vintage-inspired French designs and is committed to using eco-friendly materials, with over 75% of its collection made from materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester. Sezane is also transparent about its factories and philanthropic program, DEMAIN.
Shop now at sezane.com
Yes, ASTR The Label is owned by the publicly-traded company Revolve Group, Inc. This relationship influences ASTR's business strategy, which focuses on leveraging influencer marketing and rapid trend cycles to drive sales, similar to other fast fashion brands under the Revolve umbrella.
ASTR The Label's clothing is manufactured predominantly in China, Vietnam, and India. The brand does not publicly disclose details about specific factories, preventing any verification of wages or working conditions for its garment workers.
It is considered fast fashion due to its business model: rapid production of trend-driven styles, continuous new arrivals, affordable price points ($60-$120 for a dress), and a primary reliance on cheap, synthetic materials designed for short-term wear rather than longevity.
There is no significant evidence that ASTR The Label uses sustainable materials. Its collections are overwhelmingly composed of conventional, fossil-fuel-based fabrics such as polyester and nylon. The brand has not made any public commitments or provided verified data on using recycled or organic materials.
