Our take on EKYOG’s ethical and sustainable approach

Materials used by the brand EKYOG :

*Non-exhaustive lists

Percentage of eco-friendly products in the whole collection

EKYOG uses almost exclusively (80 to 90%) eco-friendly materials. Very few non eco-friendly materials are used. The detailed percentage of the materials that make up EKYOG products is available.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ EKYOG seems committed to using eco-friendly materials.

Approach to environmental labels

Information published by EKYOG: EKYOG highlights its use of several labels. The GOTS label, which has certified the brand for ten years, covers 20% of the brand's whole collection. EKYOG also uses the Oeko-Tex and Global Recycled Standard labels, as well as the Responsible Wool Standard certification (which guarantees animal welfare and soil protection). The RWS certification reportedly applies to a Chinese supplier.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ The brand shows serious environmental labels. What's more, details of the labels and what they mean are available on the brand's website.

🔴 The brand could go further by communicating about its cruelty-free approach. Although EKYOG uses many animal materials (leather, mohair, wool), very little information is available about them. The wool reportedly comes from Australia, a country where mulesing is widely practised.

Other eco-friendly initiatives

Information published by EKYOG : The LAB EKYOG showcases eco-friendly brands sold on the website and in shops. Among them are Veja, an ethical sneaker brand, Théluto, which offers leather sandals made in Greece, Nailmatic, a brand of bio-based nail polishes made in France, and Chaussettes Orphelines, which offers upcycled socks.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ This is a very good initiative from EKYOG. The brand could go further by sharing information about its transport policy, team life, offices/shops, future projects, etc.

Support for environmental NGOs or charities

Information published by EKYOG : No information published by the brand.

R&D efforts and laboratory testing

Information published by EKYOG : No information published by the brand.

💬 Our opinion

🔴 The brand could go further and offer laboratory tests or durability analyses to back up its claims.

Transparency about manufacturing sites

Information published by EKYOG : It is not possible to find out where the brand's items are made. The brand only communicates on where some of the raw materials it uses come from. The only items whose place of manufacture is mentioned are those from the LAB EKYOG. The brand says it has its partners sign an ethical charter, but this charter is not available.

💬 Our opinion :

🔴 For a brand that claims to be part of eco-responsible fashion, it would be better to communicate on its manufacturing sites. EKYOG says it works with partners who guarantee decent working conditions for their employees. However, this is not enough without more transparency about the factories.

Approach to labels and social audits

Information published by EKYOG : The brand mentions an Indian factory it works with for its scarf collection (seven items on the website), which is SA 8000 certified. The certification covers issues such as forced labour and child labour, health and safety at work, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, pay and management systems. The factory has developed various relevant social measures : hiring women is prioritised, wastewater management, a free bus service between home and work, etc. The brand's audits are not public.

💬 Our opinion :

🔴 A commendable but insufficient approach. The factory EKYOG has communicated about is not necessarily representative of all the practices in place in the brand's partner factories. The scarf collection represents only 7 items out of 113, which is not an exhaustive sample. Furthermore, SA 8000 certification is a first step, but the brand could seek other certifications/labels (Fair Wear Foundation, Fair Trade, ...). SA8000 certification is not sufficient. The association Public Eye highlights several points:

• "SA 8000 certification applies to the factory, so the factory supplying the products bears sole responsibility (and the costs) for complying with social standards "

• "Certificates can give false guarantees. In September 2012, a fire killed around 300 people in a factory in Pakistan. Yet the factory was SA 8000 certified, so it should have complied with international factory safety standards "

Once again, the brand could go further by making its audits public.

Traceability of the entire supply chain

Information published by EKYOG : EKYOG provides a certain amount of information on where the raw materials it uses come from. The organic cotton comes from China, and the brand says it has built a relationship of trust with its supplier, knows its production site and knows that its workers are treated well. The lyocell comes from Austria and is made by the Austrian company Lenzing, which says it recovers and recycles 99% of its solvents. The silk comes from China. As for the wools, the origin of some of them is mentioned : the alpaca comes from Peru and the cashmere from Mongolia. The sheep's wool reportedly comes from Australia and New Zealand. However, nothing is said about where the merino wool or the mohair comes from.

EKYOG says it knows its suppliers and every detail of the items' manufacturing process : " From sourcing materials to making the garments, including the dyes and the nature and composition of the products used to create our eco-designed clothes, everything is recorded in the traceability sheets ".

💬 Our opinion :

🔴 Not all materials come with information about their origin: linen, leather and merino, for example. EKYOG could go further by communicating precisely which suppliers it works with and their tier. Saying it knows its suppliers is not enough to ensure good working conditions for workers. It would be good for the brand to communicate on this subject.

Support for NGOs or associations working to improve workers' social conditions

Information published by EKYOG : The brand has not published any information.

Governance

Information published by EKYOG : The brand has not published any information.

Sales and marketing

Information published by EKYOG : EKYOG holds sales, sometimes with more than 50% off. The brand offers pieces from past collections in its outlet category. The outlet contains 319 items, whereas the spring-summer 2020 collection contains 138 items. Stock management raises questions: overproduction may be an issue.

💬 Our opinion :

🔴 Sales are not in line with mindful consumption.

Raising awareness and education about overconsumption

Information published by EKYOG : The brand does not seem to be involved in raising awareness about overconsumption.

💬 Our opinion :

🔴 EKYOG could go further by genuinely raising awareness about the issues of overconsumption.

This article was written by: Anna Demont, Beryl Tirali and Marie Nguyen.