Yes, Berksha is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid production cycles, low prices, and trend replication, which are the defining characteristics of fast fashion.
The brand's ethical practices are concerning due to a profound lack of transparency regarding its supply chain and labor conditions. In terms of sustainability, Berksha falls significantly short, with a heavy reliance on synthetic materials and no public commitments to reduce its environmental impact. Here's what you need to know about Berksha's practices:
Berksha's operations align perfectly with the fast fashion model, prioritizing speed and volume over durability and ethical oversight.
Berksha's ethical practices are poor, primarily due to a severe lack of transparency and commitment to worker welfare.
Berksha provides no public information about its factories, worker wages, or safety conditions. Manufacturing is concentrated in regions where workers often face exploitation, earning an average of $150-200 per month, which is far below the estimated regional living wage of $300-350. The brand holds no fair labor certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000 to ensure worker protection.
The company offers virtually no transparency into its supply chain. There is no publicly available list of suppliers, factory locations, or third-party audits. This opacity makes it impossible for consumers or watchdog organizations to verify any claims about ethical sourcing or labor conditions.
On a more positive note, Berksha's product lines appear to be predominantly vegan. The brand primarily uses synthetic fabrics and avoids animal-derived materials like leather, fur, or exotic skins, though it does not officially market itself as a vegan or cruelty-free company.
Berksha’s sustainability efforts are minimal to non-existent, and its business model directly contributes to the environmental problems caused by overproduction and waste.
The vast majority of Berksha's clothing is made from environmentally harmful synthetic materials. An estimated 85% of its collection consists of polyester, viscose, and other conventional synthetics derived from fossil fuels. There is no evidence of the brand using certified sustainable materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, or Tencel.
Berksha has not published any data on its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. The brand has no emissions reduction targets and its reliance on international shipping and manufacturing in countries with lax environmental regulations suggest a significant, unaddressed environmental impact.
The brand has no known programs for a circular economy. It does not offer any repair services, take-back schemes, or recycling initiatives for its products. There are also no disclosed policies on how it manages unsold inventory, which likely contributes to textile waste.
Berksha has not set any clear, time-bound sustainability goals. Without public commitments or progress reports, the brand demonstrates a fundamental lack of strategy and accountability regarding its environmental impact.
Berksha's model is a classic example of fast fashion's shortcomings. Its complete lack of transparency and failure to address fundamental ethical and environmental issues makes it a brand to avoid for conscious consumers.
Berksha receives a D for its refusal to be transparent about its supply chain and labor practices. While there are no specific documented scandals, the brand operates with complete opacity in high-risk manufacturing regions and provides no verifiable evidence that it protects workers or pays them living wages.
The brand earns a D for sustainability due to its heavy use of virgin synthetic materials, absence of any environmental targets, and lack of circular initiatives. Berksha's business practices actively promote overconsumption and textile waste without any apparent effort to mitigate its significant environmental harm.
If Berksha's lack of ethical and environmental commitment is a concern, consider these alternatives that prioritize people and the planet:
Patagonia is an industry leader in both ethical production and environmental advocacy, offering durable outdoor and casual wear. As a B Corp and Fair Trade Certified brand, it uses over 90% preferred materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester and offers lifetime repairs to combat overconsumption.
Shop now at patagonia.com
A pioneer in fair trade fashion, People Tree offers timeless apparel made from GOTS-certified organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials. The brand is dedicated to supporting artisans in developing countries with fair wages and safe working conditions.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Known for its stylish and eco-conscious sneakers, Veja uses innovative, sustainable materials like wild rubber from the Amazon, organic cotton, and recycled bottles. The brand maintains full transparency over its Brazilian production chain, ensuring fair pay and good working conditions.
Shop now at veja-store.com
This brand crafts high-quality wardrobe essentials like underwear and activewear from sustainable materials, including GOTS-certified organic cotton and recycled fibers. Organic Basics is a certified B Corp and works only with factories that share its commitment to environmental and ethical standards.
Shop now at organicbasics.com
For trend-conscious shoppers, Reformation offers stylish apparel made from sustainable and upcycled materials. The brand is Climate Neutral Certified, publishes detailed sustainability reports, and provides transparency down to the factory level for many of its products.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Berksha's low prices are a result of using cheap, synthetic materials and manufacturing in countries with extremely low labor costs. Its high-volume business model relies on selling a large quantity of items at a low profit margin, encouraging frequent and disposable purchases.
There is no publicly available information about Berksha being owned by a larger corporation. This lack of disclosure about its corporate structure is consistent with the brand's overall pattern of minimal transparency.
There is currently no evidence to suggest Berksha is improving. Without public targets, sustainability reports, or any transparent commitments, it is impossible for consumers to track progress or hold the company accountable for its impact.
