Yes, Kimchi Blue, a brand sold by Urban Outfitters, is a fast fashion brand. It follows a business model centered on rapid trend replication, frequent new releases, and affordable price points that encourage disposability and overconsumption.
While Kimchi Blue and its parent company, Urban Outfitters, have made some vague commitments to sustainability, they fall significantly short on both ethical and environmental fronts. The brand's opaque supply chain lacks transparency and key certifications, and its core production model inherently drives waste and pollution. Here's a closer look at Kimchi Blue's practices.
Kimchi Blue's operations align perfectly with the fast fashion business model, prioritizing speed and volume over durability and ethical production.
Kimchi Blue's ethical practices are concerning due to a lack of transparency and evidence of poor labor conditions within its parent company's supply chain.
Production for Kimchi Blue occurs in countries with known labor rights issues. Third-party audits of Urban Outfitters' supplier factories in 2022 revealed significant violations, including workers putting in over 60 hours per week for wages below the local living minimum. For example, some workers in Vietnam were paid as little as $180 per month, while the estimated living wage is around $350 per month.
While Urban Outfitters publishes a supplier list, the information is limited and meaningful verification of ethical standards is difficult. The brand does not hold key certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000, which are designed to ensure worker safety, fair wages, and ethical treatment. This lack of third-party validation makes it hard to trust the company's internal claims.
Kimchi Blue primarily uses synthetic materials like polyester and viscose. While it doesn't appear to use fur or exotic animal skins, the brand lacks a formal, publicly available animal welfare policy. Without a clear commitment, shoppers cannot be entirely sure of its stance on animal-derived materials.
Kimchi Blue's sustainability efforts are minimal and largely overshadowed by the negative environmental impact of its fast fashion business model.
The brand's collections are dominated by synthetic fabrics like polyester and viscose, which are derived from fossil fuels and resource-intensive processes. While Urban Outfitters claims that around 20-30% of materials are more sustainable (such as recycled polyester or organic cotton), the vast majority of products are still made from environmentally harmful, conventional fabrics.
Kimchi Blue's clothing is manufactured in countries like China and Bangladesh, where textile production is notorious for high water usage, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions. The brand's parent company, Urban Outfitters, has not publicly disclosed any data on its water footprint, chemical use, or wastewater management, indicating a profound lack of accountability for its environmental impact.
The brand has no formal take-back, repair, or recycling programs in place to manage its products at the end of their life. Kimchi Blue's model is linear: produce, sell, and leave the waste for consumers and landfills to handle. Its constant stream of new collections also leads to significant deadstock and textile waste from unsold inventory.
Urban Outfitters has set a vague goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, but it provides no clear roadmap, specific targets, or transparent progress reports for brands like Kimchi Blue. This lack of concrete data raises concerns about greenwashing, where brands make ambitious claims without taking meaningful action.
Kimchi Blue's business model prioritizes rapid trends and low prices above all else, resulting in significant ethical and sustainability shortcomings. Its vague corporate commitments fail to address the core problems of overproduction and a lack of supply chain transparency.
Kimchi Blue receives a D+ due to its opaque supply chain and evidence of labor violations within its parent company's supplier network, including low wages and excessive hours. The complete absence of meaningful third-party certifications like Fair Trade means there is no way to verify its claims about ethical production, leaving consumers in the dark.
The brand earns a D for its detrimental environmental impact. Its foundation on overproduction and reliance on fossil-fuel-based synthetic materials is inherently unsustainable. While it uses a small percentage of recycled materials, this minimal effort amounts to greenwashing that distracts from the core issue of its high waste, resource-intensive business model.
If you're concerned about Kimchi Blue's poor ethical and environmental ratings, consider these brands that offer stylish alternatives with a provably better commitment to people and the planet.
A certified B Corp, Reformation offers trendy dresses and apparel using sustainable materials like TENCEL and recycled fabrics. The brand is Climate Neutral Certified and provides detailed "RefScale" reports on the environmental impact of each garment, offering transparency at a similar price range ($60-$200).
Shop now at thereformation.com
Known for its "radical transparency," Everlane discloses information on its factories and material sourcing. It focuses on timeless wardrobe staples and has committed to eliminating virgin plastic, using 90%+ recycled or organic materials across its modern collections ($20-$100).
Shop now at everlane.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is guaranteed Fair Trade by the WFTO and uses GOTS-certified organic cotton. Its garments focus on handcrafted techniques and timeless designs ($40-$150), actively supporting artisans with living wages and safe working conditions.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Patagonia is a B Corp and Climate Neutral certified brand that uses over 87% recycled materials and guarantees its products are sewn in Fair Trade Certified factories. Known for its durable outdoor and casual wear ($50-$200), the brand offers lifetime repairs and actively campaigns against overconsumption.
Shop now at patagonia.com
A B Corp focused on slow fashion, Eileen Fisher uses high-quality, sustainable materials like organic linen and recycled fibers. The brand has a take-back program called "Renew" to resell or remake old garments, championing circular design with elegant, enduring pieces (though at a higher price point).
Shop now at eileenfisher.com
Kimchi Blue is an in-house private label brand owned and sold exclusively by the multinational retail corporation Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN). Therefore, accountability for its ethical and sustainability practices ultimately rests with Urban Outfitters.
Yes, Kimchi Blue's sustainability efforts show clear signs of greenwashing. Its parent company, Urban Outfitters, promotes its use of some recycled or organic materials without disclosing the small percentage they represent overall. This tactic distracts consumers from the much larger environmental harms caused by its overproduction-based fast fashion model.
No, there is no evidence that Kimchi Blue products are manufactured in factories that hold rigorous third-party certifications like Fair Trade Certified or SA8000. This lack of independent verification means consumers have no assurance that workers were paid fairly or treated safely during production.
