We are living in a world where attention is valuable. To get the most attention, one needs to show up as much as possible and be well-dressed each time. Different fashion stores are mass-producing trendy clothing at unprecedented rates in a “fast fashion” business model to cater to this need. Mango is one of the leading fashion brands, and you may wonder how it keeps up with the competition. Is Mango fast fashion?
Yes. Mango is a fast fashion brand, and there are some markers we used to arrive at this conclusion. We looked at its characteristics and whether it is in the same boat as different fast fashion brands like Dolls Kill, Fashion Nova, Adika, or Zara. We will delve deeper into Mango characteristics. But first, what is Mango?
What is Mango?
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Mango was launched back in 1984 and has since become more popular and affordable, providing new collections of stylish high-street fashion. Mango was founded in Spain by Nahman and Isac Andic and is privately owned, with a worth of over 1 billion Euros. The Spanish fashion retailer has over 1200 stores worldwide, making it one of the most successful brands in the fashion industry.
Is Mango Fast Fashion?
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With a revenue of over 2 billion Euros annually, we wonder whether Mango is sticking to the slow-fashion trends. However, that is hardly the case, as Mango exhibits almost all the fast fashion traits. Here are some Mango characteristics that give us the opinion that it is a fast fashion brand.
1) High Production
Many fast fashion brands are in cutthroat competition, and to keep up, Mango releases a new collection of stylish and cute outfits every two weeks. The brand further designs 18,000 garments each year. This production rate can only be attributed to fast fashion, as the brand does everything to keep up with the contemporary style.
2) Materials
While Mango is committing to use eco-friendly materials, organic cotton, by 2025, its production rate can’t sustain using such sustainable materials. Even as the brand is pledging to switch to 100% sustainable materials, it will be nearly impossible to achieve that goal, not with its current production level.
3) Foreign, Cheap Labor
Just like other fast fashion brands, Mango has to resort to foreign, cheap labor to sustain its constant production of cheap clothing. The brand has factories in countries like Turkey and China, where garment workers produce many clothes at a relatively low living wage. This is a trend we see with almost all brands in the fast fashion industry.
4) Rapid Fashion
Mango has new releases after almost every two weeks. The brand is leading in contemporary stylish, casual women’s and men’s clothes. Fast-changing trendy clothing is a phenomenon we see within the fast fashion culture and has grown within the past few years.
5) Many Stores
While a sustainable fashion approach would require a brand almost entirely online, Mango has 1200 stores and counting. While this makes Mango one of the most visible brands, it only thrusts it further into the fast fashion hole while reducing its sustainability as a brand.
Is Mango a Sustainable Fashion Brand?
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While Mango claims on its page to be doing a lot to achieve its sustainable fashion goals, however, its actions indicate otherwise. The brand is one of the leading fast fashion brands in Europe, making it difficult to make a case for sustainability when it comes to Mango. The brand has a business model that can’t allow it to be on the list of sustainable brands. With new apparel being produced at a high rate, the chances of the clothes ending up in landfills are higher.
Mango claims to be reducing its carbon footprint. However, the sheer amount of energy that goes into the supply chain does not make it practical to stay green. Even as we can see how impractical it is for Mango’s business model to stay green in the fast fashion industry, the brand has put in place certain initiatives to join the list of eco-friendly brands.
Mango Sustainability Initiatives
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On its side, Mango is putting up sustainable strategies to achieve by 2030, including using eco-friendly materials to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mango is committing to the environment, people, and the planet in its plan and looking at transparent ways. The brand plans to add a QR code on its products that redirects people to its website pages. The pages can provide information on cloth composition, production location, and other valuable information concerning the brand.
On its website, Mango is committing that all the products in its supply chain will be made of sustainable material, recycled polyester, or other fiber. Furthermore, the brand promises to reduce emissions, water, and plastic use in its products. Mango is looking forward to updating its animal welfare policy and biodiversity protection.
In 2020, Mango joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, which measures the social and environmental impact of brands within the supply chain. However, this is a test that Mango would fail terribly due to its past history of workers getting into accidents without compensation or clear action.
Is Mango Ethical?
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While Mango claims to be keeping off exotic animal skin and hair and using recycled materials, there are instances where Mango ranks very poorly on the ethical scale. It would be hard to pass Mango as an ethical brand because of an accident where a factory collapsed, killing more than 1100 people. Mango allegedly refused to discuss compensation for the families involved while other involved companies did. This is a huge ethical issue for us.
Other than the unfortunate accident, the company uses cheap labor in its production process in countries where labor laws are probably not as strict as expected. This puts Mango in the same category as other fast fashion brands.
Mango mass produces clothes to keep up with trends. This may lead to clothes ending up in landfills and causing pollution. Mango’s supply chain is not as green as they claim in its sustainability plans.
Bottom Line
Mango Leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to its ethics and sustainability initiatives. Furthermore, the brand is fast fashion but has goals similar to those of slow-fashion brands. While it takes the big brands to make the necessary changes, you, as an individual, can’t avoid fast fashion brands. It will be interesting to see what Mango does soon to achieve the sustainability plans that it has set in place. However, for now, Mango is, without a doubt, a fast fashion brand.
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