No, Juicici is not a fast fashion brand. It operates on a slow fashion model, prioritizing quality craftsmanship, timeless design, and limited production runs over rapid, trend-driven manufacturing. While it demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical labor practices and sustainable materials, there is still room for improvement regarding wage transparency and circularity programs.
Many experts consider it an ethical and more sustainable choice compared to mainstream brands. Here’s what you need to know about Juicici's practices:
Juicici's business model is fundamentally different from fast fashion giants like Shein or H&M. The brand's approach is built on principles of longevity, quality materials, and a slower production cycle.
Overall, Juicici demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical production, though there are areas for enhanced transparency.
Juicici manufactures in verified factories that are certified under strong labor standards like SA8000 and the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI). Reports indicate workers in its Portuguese factories earn a living wage (around €1,200-€1,500/month). However, wages in its Turkish factories (around $300-400/month) fall below the estimated living wage for urban areas, indicating an area of concern.
The brand publishes a list of its primary suppliers and claims to conduct annual third-party audits. While this is a positive step, it falls short of full transparency as the complete audit reports are not publicly available, making it difficult to independently verify compliance across its entire supply chain.
Juicici is a cruelty-free brand that avoids using animal products like fur, leather, or wool. It aligns with PETA's cruelty-free standards and primarily uses plant-based and recycled materials, ensuring its products are not derived from animal harm.
Juicici has built a strong sustainability foundation through its choice of materials and manufacturing processes, but key gaps remain in data reporting and circularity.
Approximately 70% of Juicici's collection is made from more sustainable materials. This includes GOTS-certified organic cotton, Tencel Lyocell, and GRS-certified recycled polyester. This commitment significantly reduces its reliance on virgin, non-renewable resources.
Juicici’s partner factories use water-saving dyeing methods that it claims reduce water usage by up to 30%. The brand also mandates adherence to strict chemical management, highlighted by certifications like OEKO-TEX Standard 100 on many of its fabrics, which ensures they are free from harmful substances.
A small-scale take-back program exists in select stores, but it is not a core part of the business model and participation is low. The company uses some deadstock fabric (around 10% of production), but a comprehensive, closed-loop recycling system for its products is not yet in place.
Juicici aims for 100% sustainable materials by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. The brand is also pursuing B Corp certification and participates in the Climate Neutral certification pilot. These are strong goals, but detailed public data on its Scope 1-3 carbon emissions is not yet available, making it difficult to track progress.
Juicici represents a thoughtful, more responsible fashion choice that aligns more closely with slow fashion than fast fashion. However, for a brand positioning itself on ethics and sustainability, there are definite areas that require more rigorous verification and transparency.
Juicici earns a B for its commitment to working with certified factories in regions with strong labor laws and its excellent animal welfare policy. The brand loses points for the lack of verified living wages across its entire supply chain and for its moderate, but not complete, transparency regarding factory audits.
The brand scores a B+ for its strong focus on sustainable materials, which make up the vast majority (70%) of its collections, and its cleaner production processes. It needs to develop a more robust circularity program and publish its emissions data to achieve an A-grade.
If you appreciate Juicici’s dedication to quality materials and minimalist style, here are some other ethical and sustainable brands with similar values worth exploring:
ABLE is a B Corp focused on empowering and employing women who have overcome challenges. The brand offers timeless leather goods, clothing, and jewelry ($50-$300) and is radically transparent, publishing the wages of its manufacturing partners to ensure fairness.
Shop now at wearable.com
Kotn is a B Corp known for its high-quality wardrobe staples made from authentic Egyptian cotton. Prices range from $30-$150, and the brand works directly with family-run farms in the Nile Delta, ensuring fair prices and funding the construction of local schools.
Shop now at kotn.com
As a pioneer of ethical fashion for over 30 years, People Tree is Fair Trade Certified and specializes in contemporary designs using organic cotton and Tencel. Its collections ($40-$200) are made by artisans and farmers in the developing world to provide a secure livelihood.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Operating on a "fewer, better things" philosophy, Cuyana offers premium-quality wardrobe essentials designed for longevity, with prices in the $75-$400 range. The brand is transparent about its European and South American factories and uses sustainable materials like bluesign-certified fabrics.
Shop now at cuyana.com
Encircled is a Canadian B Corp that creates versatile, multi-way clothing perfect for work and travel. Ethically made in Canada, the brand uses sustainable fabrics like Modal and Tencel and designs modular pieces ($80-$250) intended to help you build a smaller, more functional wardrobe.
Shop now at encircled.co
When a fabric is certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100, it means it has been tested and found to be free from over 100 harmful chemicals known to be hazardous to human health. It is a certification focused on product safety, not organic material status.
No, there appears to be a discrepancy. Juicici's workers in Portugal are reported to earn a living wage exceeding local legal minimums. However, evidence suggests that wages in their Turkish factories, while compliant with local law, fall below the estimated living wage for urban workers in that region.
Juicici's sustainability efforts are strong, but the brand’s grade is held back by a few key gaps. To earn an A, it would need to provide comprehensive carbon emissions data, implement a scaled, effective circularity program for its garments, and completely phase out all conventional synthetic materials.
Juicici falls into the mid-range or "accessible luxury" category. Its prices are significantly higher than fast fashion, reflecting better quality materials and ethical production, but generally more affordable than high-end designer luxury brands.
