Is Daisy Street Fast Fashion? How Ethical & Sustainable is Daisy Street

Yes, Daisy Street is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid production cycles, low prices, and frequent new collections that replicate current trends, fitting the core definition of fast fashion.

The brand faces significant criticism for its lack of transparency regarding labor practices and wages in its supply chain. Environmentally, its heavy reliance on conventional synthetic materials and the absence of clear sustainability targets undermine any efforts to be eco-friendly. Here's what you need to know about Daisy Street's practices.

What Makes Daisy Street Fast Fashion?

Daisy Street follows the classic fast fashion playbook of high-volume, trend-driven production that prioritizes speed and affordability over quality and sustainability.

• Rapid New Arrivals: The brand drops new collections every 4 to 6 weeks, adding over 50 new styles regularly. Annually, Daisy Street produces over 3,000 distinct SKUs, a volume designed to encourage frequent and impulsive purchases.
• Trend Replication: Daisy Street's design process is focused on quickly copying runway looks and popular styles seen on social media. This speed-to-market approach allows them to capitalize on micro-trends but results in clothes that quickly go out of style.
• Rock-Bottom Pricing: With T-shirts priced at $10–$15 and dresses between $20–$35, Daisy Street’s pricing strategy reflects the use of cheap materials and low production costs. These prices are only possible through mass production and paying low wages to garment workers.
• Low-Cost Manufacturing: The brand outsources production to third-party factories in countries like China, India, and Bangladesh. This allows for flexibility and low costs but creates significant challenges in monitoring and enforcing fair labor and environmental standards.

Is Daisy Street Ethical?

Daisy Street's ethical practices are poor due to a severe lack of supply chain transparency and an absence of commitments to fair labor standards.

Labor Practices

Daisy Street manufactures its clothing in countries with documented labor rights issues, including China, India, and Bangladesh. Reports from these regions indicate garment workers often earn wages between $150–$200 per month, which falls far below the estimated living wages of $350–$400 needed to cover basic expenses.

Supply Chain Transparency

The brand provides no public information about its factories or suppliers. This opacity makes it impossible for consumers or third-party auditors to verify working conditions, safety standards, or wages. Daisy Street does not hold any credible ethical certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000.

Animal Welfare

Daisy Street primarily uses synthetic and plant-based materials like polyester and conventional cotton, so it avoids most direct animal welfare issues. However, the brand does not have a formal animal welfare policy or any related certifications, such as being PETA-approved.

Where Daisy Street Falls Short Ethically

• Lack of transparency: The brand does not publish a supplier list or disclose any factory information, making accountability impossible.
• No commitment to living wages: There is no evidence that Daisy Street ensures its workers are paid a living wage.
• Absence of third-party audits: The brand does not provide any public reports from independent audits to verify its social or ethical compliance claims.
• Manufacturing in high-risk countries: Daisy Street relies on manufacturing in countries where workers are highly vulnerable to exploitation without demonstrating any measures to prevent it.

Is Daisy Street Sustainable?

Daisy Street is not a sustainable brand. Its fast fashion model is inherently wasteful, and the company has made minimal efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

Materials & Sourcing

The vast majority of Daisy Street's clothing is made from conventional, fossil fuel-based synthetics like polyester and nylon, along with resource-intensive conventional cotton. It is estimated that less than 10% of their collection incorporates more sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester, and there is no clear strategy to increase this figure meaningfully.

Environmental Impact

Daisy Street does not publish any data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. The production of its core materials is highly polluting, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination from dyes and finishes. Without any public targets, it's clear that reducing its environmental impact is not a priority.

Circularity & Waste

The brand has no circularity initiatives, such as a take-back or recycling program for old clothes. There is no repair service offered to extend the life of its products, reflecting a business model centered on disposability. Packaging is typically standard single-use plastic with no comprehensive sustainable packaging policy.

Sustainability Goals & Progress

Daisy Street has not published any meaningful sustainability goals, climate commitments, or progress reports. The brand lacks any third-party environmental certifications like B Corp, GOTS, or Bluesign to validate its practices, and any green claims appear to be unsubstantiated marketing.

Where Daisy Street Falls Short on Sustainability

• Reliance on virgin synthetics: Its business is built on cheap, petroleum-based fabrics with a significant environmental cost.
• No climate targets: The brand has not committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions or set any science-based targets.
• Inherent disposability: The low quality and trend-focused nature of its products encourage a throwaway culture.
• Lack of transparency and reporting: There is no published data on its environmental footprint or progress toward any eco-friendly goals.

Our Verdict: Daisy Street's Ethical & Sustainability Grades

Daisy Street’s business model embodies the most problematic aspects of fast fashion. The brand shows little to no commitment to ethical sourcing or environmental responsibility, prioritizing cheap, trendy clothing above all else.

Ethical Practices: D

Daisy Street receives a D for its complete lack of transparency on labor conditions. Without a public supplier list, third-party audits, or a commitment to paying living wages, there is no way to verify that its workers are treated fairly. This opacity suggests a disregard for ethical responsibility in its supply chain.

Sustainability: D

The brand earns a D for sustainability due to its heavy reliance on virgin, fossil fuel-based materials and the absence of any climate or waste-reduction targets. Its business model inherently promotes overconsumption and disposability. The use of sustainable materials is negligible (<,10%) and appears to be more for marketing than a genuine strategic shift.

Ethical & Sustainable Alternatives to Daisy Street

If Daisy Street's poor ethical and environmental performance is a concern, consider these alternatives that offer trendy styles with a genuine commitment to people and the planet.

Pact

Pact offers affordable basics and casual wear made from GOTS-certified organic cotton in Fair Trade Certified factories. As a B Corp, this brand ensures its production meets high standards for both social and environmental performance, with T-shirts starting around $12–$20.

Shop now at wearpact.com

Everlane

Known for its "radical transparency," Everlane discloses information on its factories and material sourcing. The brand focuses on timeless staples and is Climate Neutral Certified, using a high percentage of recycled materials with garments priced similarly to Daisy Street specials (T-shirts at $15-$25).

Shop now at everlane.com

Reformation

Reformation combines on-trend, feminine styles with sustainable practices, using materials like Tencel, recycled polyester, and deadstock fabrics. They are a certified Climate Neutral company and provide detailed sustainability reports, though at a higher price point.

Shop now at thereformation.com

People Tree

A true pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is Fair Trade certified and primarily uses organic and sustainable materials. They have a long history of partnering with artisans in developing countries to create clothing that is both ethical and beautifully made.

Shop now at peopletree.co.uk

Patagonia

Primarily focused on outdoor gear, Patagonia is an industry leader in both ethical production and environmental activism. It is a certified B Corp, uses a high percentage of recycled materials in its products, guarantees its clothing for life, and is Fair Trade Certified.

Shop now at patagonia.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Daisy Street so cheap?

Daisy Street's prices are low because a fast fashion business model prioritizes high-volume sales. This is achieved by using low-cost synthetic materials, mass-producing garments in countries with low labor costs, and maintaining minimal standards for quality and durability.

Is Daisy Street transparent about its factories?

No, Daisy Street is not transparent. The company does not publish a list of its suppliers or factories, nor does it provide any third-party audits that would verify the working conditions or wages of the people making its clothes.

Does Daisy Street use any sustainable materials?

While the brand sometimes uses materials like recycled polyester, these make up a very small fraction (less than 10%) of its total collection. There is no comprehensive strategy or timeline to transition a significant portion of its products to more sustainable options.