No, Runaway The Label is not considered a fast fashion brand. Its business model aligns more with slow fashion, featuring seasonal collections and a focus on timeless design and quality rather than rapid, trend-driven production cycles.
While the brand shows a genuine commitment to ethical manufacturing and sustainable sourcing, its progress is hampered by a lack of third-party verification for its environmental efforts. Here's a deeper look into Runaway The Label's practices.
Runaway The Label deviates from the classic fast fashion playbook by emphasizing longevity, quality, and a slower production pace. Its core operations do not support the high-volume, quick-turnover model that defines the industry's giants.
Runaway The Label has built a strong ethical foundation into its brand identity, but there are notable gaps in its transparency that prevent it from being a top-tier ethical choice.
The brand sources its garments from factories in Portugal, Turkey, and India, regions with more regulated labor rights than typical fast fashion hubs. Runaway states it works exclusively with suppliers compliant with SA8000 and BSCI standards and even publishes a list of manufacturing partners. However, while they claim to pay fair wages, specific data is limited. For example, some Indian factory workers may earn above the minimum wage ($150-$180/month) but still fall short of a living wage (est. $250/month).
Publishing a list of suppliers is a commendable step toward transparency that many larger brands refuse to take. However, this transparency is limited without publicly available third-party audit reports or detailed data on factory working hours, safety conditions, and specific wage figures. This makes it difficult for consumers to independently verify the brand's claims.
Runaway The Label is entirely cruelty-free. The brand does not use wool, fur, exotic skins, or any other animal-derived materials in its collections, focusing instead on plant-based materials like organic cotton and synthetics like recycled polyester.
Runaway The Label has made significant strides in sustainability, particularly with its material choices and circularity initiatives. However, the true scale of its environmental impact remains unclear.
Approximately 70% of Runaway's collections utilize certified sustainable materials, which is impressive. Key materials include GOTS-certified organic cotton, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Tencel, and GRS-certified recycled polyester, which reduce water usage, pesticide dependency, and reliance on virgin plastics.
The brand reports using water-efficient dyeing techniques and closed-loop chemical processes to minimize pollution. It also has an ambitious goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 and reduce emissions by 50% by 2025. However, it does not publish comprehensive emissions data (Scope 1, 2, or 3), making it hard to track its progress.
Runaway The Label promotes product longevity by offering free repairs and a garment take-back program for recycling. Packaging is minimal, using recycled paper tags and compostable polybags. These efforts directly combat the throwaway culture fueled by fast fashion.
The brand has set clear goals: 100% sustainable fibers by 2025, a 50% emissions reduction by 2025, and full circularity by 2030. They publish annual sustainability reports, but these often lack the granular data and third-party verification needed for full accountability.
Runaway The Label is a good choice for shoppers moving away from fast fashion, but it has yet to reach the leadership tier of a truly ethical and sustainable brand. Its intentions are strong, but its verification and transparency need significant improvement.
The brand earns a B for its transparent supplier disclosures, use of factories with higher standards (SA8000, BSCI), and cruelty-free policies. Points are lost due to the lack of public audit reports, unverified living wage claims, and the absence of key third-party certifications like Fair Trade.
Runaway The Label gets a B in sustainability for its high percentage of certified eco-friendly materials (70%), robust circularity programs, and clear reduction goals. The grade is held back by a lack of verified emissions data and a reliance on carbon offsets over proven absolute reductions in its core operations.
If you appreciate Runaway The Label's style but are looking for brands with even stronger, third-party verified commitments to people and the planet, these are excellent options to explore:
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is a certified B Corp and guaranteed Fair Trade member that ensures living wages and safe conditions in its supply chain. The brand uses 100% sustainable materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton and offers timeless styles built to last.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Reformation offers trendy, feminine pieces with a strong focus on sustainability, providing detailed "RefScale" impact reports for every garment. The certified Climate Neutral brand prioritizes deadstock fabrics, recycled materials like ECONYL, and water-saving production methods in its own Los Angeles factory.
Shop now at thereformation.com
An undisputed leader in ethical and environmental practices, Patagonia is a B Corp that uses 87% recycled materials and guarantees its products are made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Its Worn Wear program offers repairs and resells used gear to promote a circular economy.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Known for its minimalist essentials and "Radical Transparency," Everlane shares detailed information about its factory partners and production costs. The brand is progressing toward eliminating virgin plastic and reducing its carbon footprint, with strong commitments to using premium, lasting materials.
Shop now at everlane.com
For footwear, Veja is a standout B Corp that creates stylish sneakers from organic, Fair Trade-certified cotton and Amazonian rubber. The brand is lauded for its complete supply chain transparency and payment of fair, living wages to its farmers and factory workers in Brazil.
Shop now at veja-store.com
Runaway The Label is better because it operates on a slower, seasonal production model, uses a high percentage of sustainable materials, and shows greater supply chain transparency. Unlike Zara or Shein, it prioritizes quality and longevity over producing thousands of micro-trend items weekly.
Yes, Runaway The Label is considered vegan and cruelty-free. The brand explicitly states that it does not use any fur, exotic skins, or other animal-derived materials in its products, focusing on plant-based and recycled synthetic fibers instead.
The brand's primary weaknesses are a lack of third-party verification for its ethical claims, insufficient transparency around worker wages, and unpublished, unverified data on its greenhouse gas emissions. While its goals are ambitious, its progress lacks independent validation.
