Our take on Sessùn’s ethical and sustainable approach

Non-exhaustive list

Percentage of eco-friendly products in the whole collection

Information published by Sessùn:

Sessùn provides information on the materials used in its pieces.

• The natural materials used by Sessùn are cotton, linen, wool and leather (1/3 of its leather products are vegetable-tanned). The brand states that 50% of the materials it uses are of natural origin and that 143 items are made of more than 75% of these materials.

• As for man-made materials (viscose, lyocell), the goal is to reach 100% materials from sustainably managed forests by 2025. Today, a third of its viscose products come from sustainably managed forests, with a goal of 50% by 2021.

• Finally, as for synthetic materials (polyester, acrylic, polyamide), 60% of the polyester is recycled. 7% of synthetic materials are non-recycled, and the goal is to get below 3% non-recycled synthetic materials by 2025.

Sessùn has banned the use of phthalates, alkylphenols and fluorocarbons in its production processes, as well as sandblasting for washing its jeans.

The brand does not use exotic leathers, angora or fur.

The brand has developed a set of pictograms that highlight the most important information about the composition of its clothes. There are eleven of them. Here is a non-exhaustive list: natural material, recycled material, certified material, certified factory, long-standing partner and animal welfare.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ The brand is committed to transparency, explaining the materials it uses and listing them on every product. Offering a set of pictograms that makes some information easier to understand is also a good thing.

🔴 However, the classification it uses actually gives fairly little information on the percentage of eco-friendly materials used. A natural material is not necessarily an eco-friendly material. Likewise, putting viscose and lyocell in the same category can be confusing : Lyocell is a form of viscose whose production process is far more eco-friendly than "conventional" viscose, which isn't always eco-friendly.

Approach to environmental labels

Information published by Sessùn:

Sessùn states that it works with partners who comply with REACH, the European regulation ensuring that products sold on the European market do not contain certain chemical substances and are therefore not harmful to consumers' health (minimum legal requirement).

The brand has joined the Fur Free Retailers association, committed to not selling animal fur. As a result, the feathers and down in Sessùn pieces are certified no-live plucking, and Sessùn states that the merino wool it uses is certified no-mulesing, although no certifying label is given.

Sessùn mentions that some of the man-made materials it uses (viscose, lyocell, tencell) come from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) forests.

24% of Sessùn products are Oeko-Tex certified.

Finally, in 2020 the brand joined the ICS (Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability), a multi-sector initiative aiming to improve working conditions in global supply chains. This led the brand to set up a new, structured audit policy. Today, 70% of Sessùn's partner factories are audited.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ The brand seems committed to a certification approach.

🔴 However, some of its communication can be confusing. For example, some materials such as merino wool are described as "certified" although no label is mentioned.

One more quick reminder: complying with REACH is a legal requirement for selling products in Europe. A brand that doesn't comply with REACH cannot be sold.

Other eco-friendly initiatives

Information published by Sessùn:

For transport, Sessùn favours shipping by sea and by land, and prefers companies developing alternatives such as electric vehicles or bike deliveries in urban areas.

For energy, since 2020 Sessùn's shops and offices have been powered by green energy from Enercoop.

For recycling, the brand gives its faulty or unrepairable pieces, as well as unsold stock from previous collections, to a company that recycles them into supply materials for the furniture and automotive industries.

The brand's packaging is made from recycled materials and is itself recyclable, plastics included. Finally, the head office has a compost heap used for the brand's garden.

For the construction and decoration of its shops, the brand works with local artists and craftspeople, who are showcased in videos on the brand's website. These include the Vannerie de Vilaines (the last basket-making cooperative in France) and Maison Drucker (specialising in rattan furniture). This approach reflects a wish to preserve French craftsmanship and small local businesses.

Finally, Sessùn's wish to take a more eco-friendly approach shows in its collaborations, notably with the eyewear brand Waiting For The Sun and with the artist Marie-Sophie Lockart on embroidery.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ The brand seems to be taking action on several levels to reduce its environmental impact and favour local players.

Support for environmental NGOs or associations

Information published by Sessùn:

For several years, the brand has donated part of its turnover to various NGOs, including Planète Urgence, which works on environmental issues.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ Even though information on the effects of this partnership is scarce, the brand seems committed to the environment through grassroots associations.

R&D efforts and laboratory testing

Information published by Sessùn:

The brand gives no information.

💬 Our opinion:

🔴 The brand could carry out thorough laboratory testing of the durability of its clothes and share the results with its customers.

Transparency about manufacturing sites

Information published by Sessùn:

Sessùn shares the countries where its pieces are made. The factories the brand works with are located in Portugal (Porto region, shoes and jersey), Italy (Prato region), France (Marseille and Trainel, gladiator sandals and socks), Tunisia (denim), Bulgaria, India (embroidery, leather garments and accessories), China and Japan (lace, fabrics with complex weaves).

In the Sessùn Journal, you can find two videos : the first on a fabric supplier in Alsace and the second on a shoe factory in Portugal. Several articles are also dedicated to how some of the brand's pieces are made. This is the case for the clogs and the sandals, both made in Marseille.

The brand seems to have its own workshop for pattern-making and producing some styles.

Finally, Sessùn says it works with social integration workshops and specialist organisations to make its pieces.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ By publishing this information, the brand seems to be starting to commit to transparency towards consumers, so that they can find out where and in what conditions the clothes are made.

🔴 Sessùn does not seem to disclose the factory for each product. So it's hard to really know in which country, which factory and what conditions a garment was made. Sessùn could go further in this transparency approach, for example by giving access to the same information for all its manufacturing sites. It could also share more information on working conditions in the factories the brand works with.

Approach to labels and social audits

Information published by Sessùn:

Sessùn says it builds long-term relationships with its suppliers and service providers. An Ethical Charter is drawn up and signed between Sessùn and its suppliers. Unfortunately, neither this charter nor the audits (if there are any) are publicly available, and no information about a possible annual sustainability report can be found on the Sessùn website.

🔴 The brand could go further by publishing its partners' social audits and giving access to its annual sustainability report.

Traceability of the whole supply chain

Information published by Sessùn:

The brand gives no information on the tier of the suppliers it deals with. However, the brand's textile suppliers appear to include factories in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Japan (non-exhaustive list).

💬 Our opinion:

🔴 The brand could go further by giving access to more detailed information on the whole production chain. It would also be good to know exactly which tiers of suppliers the brand deals with.

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

Information published by Sessùn:

For several years, the brand has donated part of its turnover to various NGOs including Médecins Sans Frontière and UNICEF. Sessùn supports the two annual charity sales organised by AIDES and ARCAT.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ While this approach seems in line with Sessùn's commitment, the brand could go further by being transparent about the amounts and the follow-up of the actions carried out by these NGOs.

Governance

Information published by Sessùn:

The company has chosen to keep its original head office in Marseille. No further information on the company's structure and management is available.

Capital

Information published by Sessùn:

In 2017, Experienced Capital Partners acquired a 43% stake in Sessùn. Emmanuelle François, the brand's founder, remains the majority shareholder with 57%.

Sales and marketing

Information published by Sessùn:

The brand doesn't take part in Black Friday and donates all pre-tax profits made that day to a charity working to protect people or nature. The brand runs promotions and sales of up to -50%).

💬 Our opinion:

✅ Not taking part in Black Friday seems in line with the values the brand stands for.

🔴 We have some questions about sales going up to -50% (and not being exceptional). Of course, we understand that sales mainly help the brand clear its stock, but perhaps the quantities produced need some rethinking?

Raising awareness and educating about overconsumption

Information published by Sessùn:

In 2021, Sessùn presented its Recollection collection, which aims to encourage upcycling. In winter 2020, the brand launched a denim collection campaign to upcycle the fabric into new pieces. The blue denim is entrusted to a Marseille workshop committed to social integration (13 A'TIPIK), which uses it to create four patchwork pieces. All profits go to La Maison des Femmes de Marseille.

In November 2019, the brand opened Sessùn Alma, a concept store in Marseille showcasing artists and craftspeople (books, cosmetics, ceramics, decor). The space also has a food area and weekly creative workshops (indigo dyeing, gardening, weaving and clothing upcycling).

💬 Our opinion:

✅ Offering these kinds of collections and workshops seems to be the brand's way of educating consumers. The brand could go even further by explaining how to care for its clothes and make them last.

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