What Is Ethical Fashion & What are Our Values?
Fast fashion—cheap clothing and accessories produced rapidly through low-cost, high-volume manufacturing—may seem affordable at checkout, but its true cost is paid elsewhere: in environmental degradation, social inequality, and long-term planetary harm. Found across most major retail chains, these garments are often designed for short lifespans, encouraging overconsumption and waste.
Since the expansion of mass textile production in the mid-20th century, the fashion industry has increasingly prioritised speed and profit over sustainability and ethical responsibility. Many large corporations continue to operate with a “grow at all costs” mindset, where environmental impact and labour conditions remain secondary to shareholder returns.
The consequences of this system are far-reaching. Pollution, water waste, and carbon emissions are embedded throughout the supply chain, while garment workers—predominantly in developing countries—often face long hours, unsafe conditions, and extremely low wages. In some cases, vulnerable workers, including women and children, may also be exposed to exploitation and abuse.
While awareness of these issues is growing and some improvements have been made, progress remains uneven and insufficient. Ultimately, the impact of fast fashion is not isolated—it affects communities, ecosystems, and consumers everywhere, making it a global responsibility rather than a distant problem.
How Can You Be Ethical?
We consider fashion to be ethical when the rights of humans and animals are not violated and when the environment is left as undamaged as possible.
Ethical fashion & Velvety complies with all moral standards, such as:
✓ Sustainability
Ecological, economic and social. Focusing on using fewer resources and producing fewer emissions.
✓ Fairly Made
Fair-trade certifications offer consumers a tool to reduce poverty through their everyday consumption practices. It offers producers a better deal and commercial terms and promotes fair wages.
✓ Vegan / Cruelty-Free
100% cruelty free products which have been made without the use of any kind of animal leather or derivatives. At Velvety believe that a product or item can't be ethical if it's not vegan.
✓ Organic Material
Raw fibres that grow without human intervention. Organic agriculture excludes the genetic modification of organisms and the use of pesticides, fertilisers, and insecticides during the production stage to reduce the negative impacts of chemicals on the soil, the health of workers and also final consumers. Examples of organic materials in the fashion industry are organic cotton, bamboo fibre and the newer fibre, Tencel.
✓ Recycling And Ecological Use Of Resources
Recycling, upcycling or simply minimising the impact of negative energies in the environment, reducing the consumption of water, energy, etc.
These are some of the certifications we value the most:
GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD
Velvety is a curated platform and Marketplace dedicated to showcasing low- to medium-scale production brands that uphold strong ethical standards. Every product featured is carefully selected to ensure it is vegan, ethically made, and aligned with sustainable practices.
Velvety champions a Vegan + Ethical + Sustainable philosophy, going beyond ethics alone by firmly rejecting the use of animal-derived materials in fashion. The platform believes true sustainability must include compassion for animals as well as people.
Many of its partner brands innovate by transforming waste materials into new products or using organic, responsibly sourced fibres to reduce environmental impact. This commitment extends across every touchpoint, including packaging and office materials, which are made from recycled or sustainably sourced resources.
In response to today’s environmental challenges, Velvety encourages conscious consumption as a meaningful way to protect the planet and its animals. Through its curated collection of cruelty-free fashion, accessories, and lifestyle products, it makes it easier to shop beautifully while choosing better for the world.