Is Kourtney Kardashian’s “sustainably sourced” Boohoo collection actually sustainable?
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Kourtney Kardashian has linked up with online fashion brand Boohoo to release a sustainably sourced clothing collection dubbed “Boohoo by Kourtney Kardashian Barker” The collection will apparently include 46 exclusive pieces made from “recycled fibres, traceable cotton, recycled sequins and recycled polyester” as well as “transparent practices for shoppers who want to learn more about the apparel.”
But you’re probably wondering, how is such an infamous fast fashion brand making the move towards sustainability? The short answer is they’re probably not. Earlier this year, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that Boohoo was under investigation over “greenwashing”, the practice of using inaccuracy or exaggeration in branding something as sustainable or environmentally sound. In particular, it was their Ready for the Future line which came under fire after the brand vaguely suggested that items in the line “are made of more than 20% of more sustainable materials,” which was pretty meaningless considering a lack of evidence to support it.
Kardashian herself admitted to being cautious about the collaboration. “When Boohoo first approached me with this idea that was all about sustainability and style, I was concerned about the effects of the fast-fashion industry on our planet,” she said in a statement — but unfortunately she didn’t stop there. “It’s been an enlightening experience speaking directly with industry experts. There’s still lots of work to be done and improvements to be made, but I truly believe that any progress we can make when it comes to sustainability is a step in the right direction and will open up the conversation for future advancements,” she continued.
The pieces in the line range from $6 to $100 and it’s still not abundantly clear how sustainable the collection actually is. Boohoo says it’s making 12 items “in the UK including our own British factory,” which isn’t exactly much to brag about considering reports of working conditions so poor that they amount to modern slavery. The US even threatened an import ban unless changes were made, and two years later over half the workers say they’re being paid less than minimum wage.
It seems that most of the sustainable aspect of the collection will come from the social video content that’s being released alongside the collection. In the videos, Kardashian talks with several experts about how fast fashion is killing the planet, before going on to approve some more of it being made.
Let’s say if Kardashian’s collection was actually sustainable, would it really be all that groundbreaking for the brand considering a large majority of their clothing isn’t sustainably sourced? Her endorsement would only be making the company more money and in turn, help them continue making their far less sustainable options. Unfortunately, just one sustainable collection can’t help reverse the landfill of fast fashion that Boohoo has already produced and will likely continue to produce for as long as there’s demand for it.