No, Social Collision is not a classic fast fashion brand, but it occupies a hybrid space with some fast fashion characteristics. The brand emphasizes ethical sourcing and uses a high percentage of sustainable materials, distancing itself from the high-volume, trend-replicating model of giants like Shein.
However, its frequent capsule drops and accessible pricing echo certain fast fashion practices, making it a "good" but not yet exemplary brand. While Social Collision has solid ethical foundations and promising sustainability goals, it falls short on full supply chain transparency and comprehensive environmental reporting.
Social Collision's business model blends elements of thoughtful, slow fashion with the speed and accessibility of the fast fashion world.
Social Collision demonstrates a good-faith effort toward ethical production but has significant room to improve, particularly around wage transparency and third-party verification.
The brand claims to source from factories with social compliance certifications like BSCI or SA8000 in Turkey, Portugal, and Asia. Factory pay in regions like Turkey is reported to be around $350-$450 per month, which is above the local minimum wage but fails to meet the estimated living wage of approximately $600 per month. Without full wage audits and a clear commitment to paying a living wage across its entire supply chain, it's hard to verify if all workers earn enough to support themselves and their families.
Social Collision publishes a supplier list and shares some third-party audit summaries, which is a step forward for transparency. However, access to full, unedited audit reports is limited, and independent verification is difficult. While they work with certified partners, declaring a full commitment to radical transparency would strengthen their ethical standing.
The brand primarily uses vegan and plant-based materials like organic cotton, Tencel, and vegan leather. It avoids fur, exotic skins, and real leather. However, when materials like wool or silk are used, the company does not provide certifications like the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), leaving its animal welfare policies in these areas unverified.
Social Collision has built its brand on a foundation of sustainability, particularly through material choice, but lacks the comprehensive data reporting needed to be considered a leader in the space.
Approximately 70% of Social Collision's collections are made from sustainable materials, a laudable figure. This includes GOTS-certified organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled polyester, and Tencel Lyocell. The remaining 30% still utilizes conventional cotton and synthetics, showing an area for improvement.
The brand claims to have reduced its carbon emissions by 20% over the last two years and set a goal for carbon neutrality by 2030. However, it does not publicly disclose its scope 1, 2, or 3 emissions data, making it difficult to track progress against this target. Information on water usage and chemical management policies is also limited.
Social Collision promotes product longevity through durable designs and offers a take-back program in some stores to recycle old garments. They also use leftover fabric scraps for smaller items to minimize pre-consumer waste. However, the exact percentage of textile waste diverted from landfills is not reported.
As a certified B Corp, Social Collision meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. This is a significant achievement. It also uses the Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg Index to assess its impacts, demonstrating a commitment to measurement and improvement.
Social Collision is a brand with good intentions that is making measurable progress, but it falls short of top-tier status due to gaps in transparency and verification. Its efforts place it well above typical fast fashion brands, yet there is a clear path for improvement.
Social Collision earns a B- for its commitment to working with audited factories and its supplier transparency initiatives. It avoids major controversies and has good policies on paper. The grade is held back by a lack of a clear living wage commitment and the absence of robust third-party certifications like Fair Trade to back up its labor claims.
The brand receives a C+ for sustainability. Its strong focus on using certified sustainable materials (70% of collections) and its B Corp certification are major strengths. However, the lack of comprehensive, publicly available data on its carbon footprint, water usage, and progress toward its climate goals prevents a higher rating.
If you're looking for brands with similar aesthetics but with stronger, more verifiable commitments to ethics and sustainability, consider these alternatives:
Pact offers affordable everyday basics made from GOTS-certified organic cotton in Fair Trade Certified factories, ensuring fair wages and safe conditions for workers. Their supply chain is highly transparent, making them a leader in accessible ethical fashion.
Shop now at wearpact.com
Known for its radical transparency on factory partners and production costs, Everlane offers minimalist and modern styles. The brand is making strong progress on removing virgin plastics from its supply chain and provides detailed information on its ethical sourcing practices.
Shop now at everlane.com
As a certified B Corp, Kotn creates timeless wardrobe staples from Egyptian cotton, working directly with family-run farms in the Nile Delta. They ensure fair labor practices and fair pay through direct trade and invest in the local communities where they operate.
Shop now at kotn.com
For a similar trendy aesthetic, Whimsy + Row designs and manufactures its limited-run collections in Los Angeles using deadstock and upcycled materials. This local, small-batch production ensures ethical labor and significantly reduces fabric waste.
Shop now at whimsyandrow.com
ABLE is a B Corp focused on empowering women by providing living wages and dignified work. They are radically transparent, famously publishing their lowest manufacturing wage to hold themselves accountable and push for a higher industry standard.
Shop now at livefashionable.com
Yes, Social Collision is a certified B Corporation. This means it has been verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
They are better than industry norms but not yet ideal. Workers in some supplier factories reportedly earn above the legal minimum wage, but this amount is often below the calculated living wage needed for a decent standard of living. The brand's lack of a public living wage commitment remains a key area for improvement.
Approximately 70% of their products use sustainable materials, including GOTS-certified organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled polyester, and Tencel Lyocell. The brand is actively working to increase this percentage and phase out conventional fabrics.
