Yes, ESNT is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid production cycles, high-volume manufacturing, and trend replication at low prices. While the brand is notable for its vegan-friendly material choices, it faces significant criticism for its lack of transparency in the supply chain and minimal commitment to environmental sustainability.
ESNT's ethical and sustainability efforts are insufficient, reflecting the typical shortcomings of a fast fashion company. Here's a detailed breakdown of its practices.
ESNT follows a classic fast fashion model, prioritizing speed and affordability to bring runway-inspired trends to a mass market quickly.
ESNT's ethical practices are concerning due to an extreme lack of transparency regarding its workforce and supply chain oversight.
Manufacturing primarily in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China, ESNT operates in countries with known risks of labor exploitation. The company fails to provide a public list of its suppliers or publish detailed factory audit results. According to the Fashion Revolution Transparency Index, ESNT scores below 30%, and reports indicate workers in its Bangladeshi supplier factories earn around $180/month, far below the estimated living wage of $350/month.
The brand's supply chain is opaque. ESNT does not hold any credible third-party certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000 to verify its ethical claims. Without access to audit information or a factory list, it is impossible for consumers to know if workers are paid fairly, operate in safe conditions, or are protected from exploitation.
On a more positive note, ESNT's products are predominantly vegan-friendly. The brand avoids animal-derived materials like leather, wool, fur, and down, relying instead on synthetics. While it lacks official certifications like PETA-Approved Vegan, its commitment to avoiding animal materials is a clear and commendable aspect of its operations.
ESNT's environmental performance is poor and aligns with the high-impact, disposable model of fast fashion. Its sustainability claims are vague and lack substantive action.
Over 85% of ESNT's materials are virgin synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, which are derived from fossil fuels. These materials shed microplastics and require significant energy to produce. Less than 10% of the brand's collection consists of more sustainable fabrics, and it lacks certifications like GOTS or the OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
The brand has not published any data on its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. Manufacturing polyester and operating in fossil fuel-dependent countries implies a high carbon footprint. Furthermore, ESNT has made no visible commitments to using renewable energy in its supply chain or improving its wastewater management practices, which are major environmental concerns in textile dyeing.
ESNT has no recycling, take-back, or repair programs to manage its products at the end of their life. Unsold inventory and manufacturing scraps likely contribute to the growing textile waste crisis. Its packaging uses standard plastic polybags with only a reported 20% recycled content.
The company's environmental goals are weak and lack clear targets or timelines. A stated goal to increase recycled content to 25% by 2025 is not supported by public progress reports, raising concerns of greenwashing. ESNT currently holds no major sustainability certifications like B Corp or Climate Neutral.
ESNT's business model is fundamentally at odds with ethical and sustainable principles. The brand prioritizes profit and speed above all else, resulting in a business that negatively impacts both people and the planet.
ESNT earns a D for its severe lack of transparency on labor conditions. While its cruelty-free materials are a positive, this does not compensate for the failure to disclose its factory list, provide audit results, or demonstrate that its workers earn a living wage. The brand's opacity makes it impossible to verify any claims of ethical production.
The brand receives a D for its reliance on virgin synthetics, absence of credible environmental goals, and complete lack of circularity initiatives. Vague promises to "improve sustainability" without measurable targets or transparent data amount to greenwashing, while its core business model continues to fuel overconsumption and textile waste.
If ESNT's poor ethical and environmental ratings are a concern, consider supporting these brands that offer stylish apparel with a genuine commitment to sustainability and fair labor.
An industry leader in sustainability, Patagonia is a certified B Corp and 1% for the Planet member that uses a high percentage of recycled materials and ensures fair labor practices through Fair Trade certification. Although pricier, its focus is on high-quality, durable outdoor and everyday essentials.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Known for its commitment to "Radical Transparency," Everlane provides detailed information on its factories and pricing breakdowns. The brand uses an increasing amount of sustainable materials like recycled fabrics and is working towards ambitious climate goals.
Shop now at everlane.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is Fair Trade certified and uses sustainable materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton. Its classic, timeless designs are made to last, directly opposing the fast fashion model.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
For trendy styles created with sustainability in mind, Reformation is a great choice. The brand prioritizes deadstock, recycled, and eco-friendly fabrics and provides detailed "RefScale" reports on the environmental footprint of each garment.
Shop now at thereformation.com
As a certified B Corp, Kotn focuses on creating high-quality basics from ethically sourced Egyptian cotton. The brand ensures fair wages for its farmers and garment workers while investing in community development projects in its production regions.
Shop now at kotn.com
ESNT's low prices are a direct result of its business model. It relies on mass production, economies of scale, the use of inexpensive synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels, and manufacturing in countries where labor costs are extremely low.
Yes, from a materials perspective, ESNT is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. Its products are made from synthetic fibers, and there is no evidence that it uses animal-derived materials such as leather, wool, or fur. However, it does not have an official third-party certification to verify this claim.
ESNT has made very few public commitments. The only specific goal mentioned is to reach 25% recycled content by 2025. However, this commitment is not backed by a public roadmap, progress reports, or transparency measures, which raises doubts about its authenticity and execution.
