In recent years, the word fast fashion doesn’t have the same meaning it used to. Back in the day, fast fashion meant buying at lower prices without sacrificing quality.
In recent years though, consumers have started to expect a lot more.
Terms like fast fashion and sustainable fast fashion are becoming popular in reference to brands that put forth as much effort environmentally as they do in terms of speed.
Volcom is a clothing brand known for its t-shirts, boardshorts, and short sleeve button-up shirts.
But is Volcom fast fashion? Let’s find out!.
What is Volcom?
Volcom is a skate, surf & swimwear, and snowboarding clothing and accessories brand founded by Richard Woolcott in Laguna Beach, California.
Volcom designs, markets, distributes and sells lifestyle clothing, footwear and accessories for men, women and children.
Volcom designs are sought-after by board sports enthusiasts worldwide. Volcom’s garments are often emblazoned with the company’s black and white logo.
Who Owns Volcom?
Authentic Brands Group acquired Volcom from a private equity firm in 2019.
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a global brand development and management company that owns and operates over 200 brands including Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand Dungarees, Adidas Originals and Vans Footwear.
“Volcom is a globally recognized lifestyle brand with a strong heritage in action sports,” said, the CEO of ABG in a statement. “We are honoured to have the opportunity to join forces with Volcom’s talented team and build upon their proud history while applying our proven operating expertise.”
Is Volcom Fast Fashion?
Volcom is known for its high-quality products made with attention to detail.
Their clothing line is a sought-after lifestyle brand by board sports enthusiasts, skaters, surfers and snowboarders alike.
Volcom prides itself on its innovative design and quality materials which make its products durable enough to withstand any adventure you throw at them.
You can buy Volcom products from their website or at stores like Nordstrom Rack, Macy’s, PacSun and more.
Volcom’s designs and logo are influenced by the Southern California lifestyle, with a focus on quality and craftsmanship.
Their products are more expensive than those of fast fashion brands. Because Volcom does not sell cheap quality and inexpensive clothing, we can say that it’s not a fast-fashion brand.
Where are Volcom clothes made?
The company’s clothing was manufactured in such countries as China and India and only t-shirt screen-printing in the United States.
Volcom’s management team decided to relocate the manufacturing of their clothing from these foreign countries to the United States. They have several reasons for doing this.
First, they want to keep their costs down by having one location do everything, including design and production.
Second, they want better quality control over their products by having all manufacturing done under one roof.
Finally, they want to be able to produce more designs as well as respond quickly to market changes by having their own manufacturing facility in place.
Is Volcom an ethical brand?
Volcom is an ethical brand. Their clothing is made from recycled materials, recycled bottles, and recycled fibres. They are making efforts for sustainability by using materials that can be recycled or reused in their products.
Volcom has partnered with ECONYL for the ECO-TRUE Simply Solid collection. This collection features ECONYL Regenerated Nylon fibre, which is made from at least 95% post-industrial and post-consumer waste. 11 litres of water is saved for every pair of clothing produced with this material.
Volcom has also partnered with Repreve Recycled Fibre to create their Eco line of products. These products are made from at least 95% post-industrial and post-consumer waste, which means they are better for the environment than traditional cotton products!
What “Good on You,” Says About Volcom?
Volcom has received some attention for its labour practices, which have been rated as poor by groups such as Good On You, which evaluates companies based on their environmental impact, animal welfare and worker safety.
Volcom has also been accused of using excessive amounts of water during production processes. This can cause problems when it comes to wastewater treatment and waste disposal at wastewater treatment plants in China.
For example, one Chinese factory that produced apparel for Volcom discharged about 1,000 cubic metres (35,300 gallons) of wastewater every day into a nearby river, despite having the capacity of only 50 cubic metres (1,700 gallons).
Conclusion:
Whether you agree with the company’s marketing tactics or not, all companies, especially fashion brands, have to be more sustainable. The more customers know about that fact, the more likely they are to make choices as consumers that will affect their companies’ practices in the long run.
Volcom has a lot to gain from being more sustainable. The company is already successful. It doesn’t need to follow the path of fast fashion just to stay in fashion.
Volcom has taken several steps to create more sustainable manufacturing and operations, but they’ve made a lot of progress in the past few years.
They’ve scored quite a few industry accolades for their efforts, and it’s not too late for them to take things to the next level.
