Eco-responsible fashion: the Sloweare label passes the 70 mark mark
aunched in 2017 with the idea of helping consumers identify responsible fashion offers, Sloweare has gradually turned into a benchmark label in the field. More in demand than ever, the structure now labels 70 brands, but intends to continue to limit itself to the labels offering a balanced responsible approach, checked annually by audit.
The Sloweare team and brands present at Impact (Who's Next) in September 2019 - Thomas Ebélé / Sloweare
From twenty brands in the first year, Sloweare rose to forty in 2018, before reaching 70 at the end of 2019, while a large number are currently under audit. Initially very positioned in women's fashion, the label now references an offer of 30% accessories and 70% ready-to-wear, with a balance between man and woman. What has mainly changed is the number of requests and labels.
"Before, among the brands that contacted us, one in three could claim to be labeled. Today, it's one in thirty," explains co-founder Thomas Ebélé, an engineer by training who specializes in traceability. "The demands are diverse and varied, everyone wants to gain visibility, and says that it is easy to be labeled. But we are not a consumer label, we are a label for consumers.
Because of the label it was not always a question at Sloweare. Everything starts from the will of Eloïse Moigno who, then collaborator of a large brand, set herself the goal of supporting customers in their transition to a more responsible fashion. "It was by meeting the creators that this desire to promote them came about, via meetings, from the Eco-Fashion Tour in Paris, and via the Eco Fashion Paris blog," recalls the co-founder, who explains that Sloweare started to be considered a label by professionals and consumers long before it was one.
"We are not looking for the perfect brand but, without making anyone feel guilty, we are not intended to label everyone"
But what is this label based on? To claim this, brands must submit to a scripted audit of up to 400 questions depending on the profiles. Questions relating to four main points: governance, sustainable development, commitments and the value chain. Sloweare refuses, however, to limit its approach to a series of check boxes: brands are indeed expected to be consistent in their approach, and a continuity thereof.
"We are not looking for the perfect brand but, without making anyone feel guilty, we are not intended to label everyone", insists Thomas Ebélé. "We are looking for brands that are balanced from a sustainable development point of view. Many brands adopt the discourse, but only tackle one aspect of its different problems. It must be a comprehensive approach. We do not label not products, but the sincerity and commitment of a brand. All of this means that, behind, these brands offer eco-responsible products. We are not an industrial label that validates you for 3 to 5 years. "
Eloïse Moigno and Thomas Ebélé - Sloweare
The label is mainly funded through audits, by which Sloweare offers support and advice to labeled brands, which can also take part in thematic training and workshops . They can also take part in events and fairs in which Sloweare takes part, like the Made in France trade fair MIF Expo , the Impact area of Who's Next, or the Berlin trade fair Neonyt. The Sloweare teams are now also called upon by an increasing number of fashion schools, in order to make future designers aware of the challenges and realities of responsible fashion.
The share of brands placing sustainable development among their strategic priorities rose in one year from 8% to 26%, according to the French Fashion Institute ( read our dedicated analysis ), which also points out that 29% of French people say they have bought responsible fashion products in 2019, and spent on average between 136 and 166 euros for these products during the year. But the dedicated labels all take their meaning in another figure: to date, according to 50.1% of French people, the lack of information is the first obstacle to the purchase of responsible fashion .