Is Coramoon Fast Fashion? How Ethical & Sustainable is Coramoon

Coramoon prioritizes ethical manufacturing and timeless staples over fast fashion. Learn about their sustainable practices and why they stand out.
Written by: 
Ash Read
Last updated: 

No, Coramoon is not a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on slower, seasonal production cycles, a focus on timeless wardrobe staples, and ethical manufacturing, setting it apart from the high-volume, trend-driven approach of typical fast fashion companies.

Coramoon demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical labor practices and cruelty-free materials, though there is room for improvement in supply chain verification. On the sustainability front, it makes meaningful efforts with certified materials and clear environmental goals, but it has not yet achieved comprehensive transparency or industry-leading circularity.

Why Coramoon Isn't Fast Fashion

Coramoon's business model aligns with slow fashion principles, prioritizing quality, longevity, and responsible production over speed and volume.

  • Slower Production Cycles: Coramoon releases seasonal collections approximately twice a year, with occasional capsule drops. This is a deliberate departure from the weekly influx of new products seen from fast fashion giants like Zara or SHEIN.
  • Focus on Timeless Design: The brand concentrates on creating original, versatile pieces like structured blouses, quality denim, and minimalist knitwear built to last. It avoids replicating fleeting micro-trends and focuses on styles that transcend seasonal hype.
  • Premium Pricing and Quality: With dresses priced between $80–$150 and outerwear from $150–$300, Coramoon's pricing reflects higher-quality materials and more ethical production costs. This encourages customers to invest in pieces rather than making disposable purchases.
  • Moderate Production Volume: The brand produces a few thousand units per collection, a moderate scale that allows for better quality control and reduced waste compared to the millions of items produced annually by fast fashion retailers.
  • Ethical Manufacturing Locations: Coramoon partners with factories primarily in Portugal and Turkey, regions with higher and more regulated labor standards than common fast fashion manufacturing hubs in Bangladesh or Vietnam.

Is Coramoon Ethical?

Coramoon shows a commendable commitment to ethical standards by prioritizing factory transparency and certified labor practices, though some areas require greater oversight.

Labor Practices

Coramoon publishes a detailed list of its manufacturing partners and provides evidence of third-party audits under certifications like BSCI and SA8000. In Portugal, an average worker's salary of €850–€1,100 per month exceeds the regional living wage estimates. However, in some Turkish factories, reports have highlighted issues of excessive working hours (up to 60 hours per week), which the brand states it is actively working to address.

Supply Chain Transparency

The brand is transparent about where its clothes are made, publishing comprehensive supplier lists on its website. It undergoes annual third-party audits to ensure compliance. However, not all audit reports are publicly accessible, which limits full independent verification and represents a gap in radical transparency.

Animal Welfare

Coramoon is an entirely vegan brand and does not use any animal-derived materials such as leather, fur, or wool. The company emphasizes a consistent and clear cruelty-free position in its sourcing and product development.

Where Coramoon Falls Short Ethically

  • Excessive Working Hours: Reports of workers in some Turkish factories working up to 60 hours per week indicate a need for stricter enforcement of fair labor hours.
  • Limited Audit Access: While Coramoon uses third-party auditors, the lack of public access to all factory audit reports prevents full independent scrutiny of its supply chain conditions.
  • Vague Wage Verification: The brand claims to pay fair wages, but without detailed comparisons to current living wage benchmarks across all its production regions, it is difficult to fully verify this claim.

Is Coramoon Sustainable?

Coramoon has built a solid sustainability foundation with certified materials and clear environmental goals, but it lacks the comprehensive data reporting and circular systems of a top-tier sustainable brand.

Materials & Sourcing

Approximately 40% of Coramoon's collection is made from certified sustainable fabrics, including GOTS-certified organic cotton, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 textiles, and GRS-certified recycled polyester. The brand aims to increase this to 70% within the next two years and utilizes 100% organic cotton in its denim line.

Environmental Impact

The brand utilizes water-saving dyeing techniques and works with factories that have wastewater treatment systems. Coramoon has a public goal to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30% by 2025. However, it does not yet publish a comprehensive report on its total energy consumption or overall carbon footprint.

Circularity & Waste

Coramoon encourages longevity with a garment repair service. It has a small take-back program for recycling old garments, though its scale is currently modest. Packaging is made from recyclable cardboard and biodegradable polybags, with a goal to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2024.

Sustainability Goals & Progress

Coramoon has set public targets to become carbon neutral by 2030 and is currently in the process of achieving B Corp certification, expected in 2024. These commitments signal a clear intent to improve and hold itself accountable to higher sustainability standards.

Where Coramoon Falls Short on Sustainability

  • Lack of Carbon Footprint Data: The brand has set emissions reduction goals but has not yet published comprehensive data on its total carbon footprint.
  • Modest Circularity Programs: Its take-back and repair programs, while positive steps, are still small-scale and lack the impact needed to create a truly circular system.
  • Partial Renewable Energy Use: Some supplier facilities use renewable energy, but this is not yet a comprehensive, supply-chain-wide policy, limiting its overall environmental benefit.

Our Verdict: Coramoon's Ethical & Sustainability Grades

Coramoon is a responsible brand that successfully avoids the exploitative fast fashion model by prioritizing conscious production. While not perfect, its commitments and transparency place it on a positive trajectory toward becoming a leader in the conscious fashion space.

Ethical Practices: B+

Coramoon earns a B+ for strong ethical commitments, including a transparent supplier list, a 100% vegan product line, and adherence to certifications like BSCI and SA8000. It is a brand that clearly cares about worker welfare. The grade is held back from an A due to unresolved issues with excessive working hours in some facilities and the lack of full public access to audit reports, which would provide greater accountability.

Sustainability: B

Coramoon receives a B for its solid sustainability efforts, particularly its use of certified materials (40% of its collection) and ambitious public goals for carbon neutrality and B Corp status. It avoids a higher grade due to a lack of detailed carbon footprint reporting and the small scale of its circularity initiatives. The brand is making significant progress, but needs more robust data and scaled-up circular systems to become an industry leader.

More Ethical & Sustainable Brands Like Coramoon

If you appreciate Coramoon's focus on timeless staples and responsible production, here are some other brands with similar values and even stronger ethical and sustainable credentials.

Kotn

A certified B Corp, Kotn specializes in high-quality organic Egyptian cotton basics ($30-$150) and works directly with farmers to ensure fair pay and safe conditions. They fund schools in their farming communities and offer full farm-to-hanger transparency.

Shop now at kotn.com

ABLE

ABLE is committed to empowering women and publishes its lowest wages to prove its commitment to paying a living wage. This B Corp offers wardrobe staples in leather, denim, and apparel ($50-$250) and focuses on providing economic opportunity for women.

Shop now at livefashionable.com

Outerknown

Founded with a radical commitment to sustainability, Outerknown is Fair Labor Association accredited and uses 95%+ preferred fibers like organic cotton and recycled materials. It offers coastal-inspired essentials ($50-$300+) with a lifetime guarantee on its S.E.A. JEANS.

Shop now at outerknown.com

Everlane

Everlane is famous for its "radical transparency" model, sharing cost breakdowns for its minimalist wardrobe staples ($25-$200). It focuses on high-quality, long-lasting materials and uses over 90% recycled or certified preferred fibers in its products.

Shop now at everlane.com

Ninety Percent

This London-based brand shares 90% of its distributed profits between charitable causes and those who make the collections happen. They focus on elevated, minimalist basics ($60-$300) made from sustainable materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton and TENCEL™.

Shop now at ninetypercent.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Coramoon completely vegan?

Yes, Coramoon is a 100% vegan brand. It does not use any animal-derived materials in its products, including leather, fur, silk, wool, or down, making it a reliable choice for consumers seeking cruelty-free fashion.

Where are Coramoon's clothes made?

Coramoon primarily manufactures its products in factories located in Portugal and Turkey. These regions are known for having more stringent labor laws and higher manufacturing standards compared to many traditional fast fashion production hubs.

Is Coramoon working on its shortcomings?

Yes, Coramoon has publicly acknowledged areas for improvement and set clear goals to address them. The brand is actively working towards improving worker conditions in Turkey, achieving B Corp certification, becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and increasing its use of sustainable materials to 70%.

Why is Coramoon more expensive than fast fashion?

Coramoon's higher price point reflects its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. The cost includes paying workers fairer wages, using higher-quality and more expensive certified sustainable materials, and investing in environmentally responsible manufacturing processes that cost more than typical fast fashion methods.