Good On You turned 10 years old in September and celebrated the completion of our 7000th brand rating shortly after. But that’s not all. Here’s what the team achieved in 2025.
Good On You reached new milestones in 2025
We always knew it was going to be a tough year. McKinsey’s 2024 State of Fashion report predicted as much, and with so many geopolitical shifts, cost constraints, and ESG rollbacks happening, we’ve seen brands struggle more than ever before. We’ve faced challenges too, and we’ve heard the same from industry peers. But we kept on going. Because while some policymakers and lobbyists work to water down sustainability initiatives, we remain committed to holding the industry to account.
This year, we were buoyed by reaching our tenth anniversary, and celebrating a milestone of having rated 7000 brands in that time. What’s more, our reporting uncovered major gaps in the industry, we worked on methodologies for new verticals, and more. Read on for some of the highlights.
Good On You celebrated its tenth anniversary
On closing out our first decade in September, journalist Megan Doyle surveyed industry thought-leaders to find out exactly what had changed in that last 10 years in sustainable fashion. And while there have, of course, been frustrating setbacks during that time, Doyle uncovered 10 concrete signs of progress, including an 85% decline in animals killed for fur, and more than 66,000 factory safety inspections since the Rana Plaza disaster. Elsewhere, Good On You’s analysts shared what they’ve learned in their time rating brands, noting something we keep on seeing: small labels are the ones leading the charge.
We celebrated rating 7000 brands, with 1000 ‘Good’ and ‘Great’ scores
In December, we passed the milestone of having rated 7000 brands on their transparency and sustainability disclosures, with 1000 currently receiving our two highest scores, “Good” and “Great”. This is positive news, because the more brands that improve their transparency, the easier it is for you to make better choices.
Industry interest built around our Sustainable Retail Index—a partnership with URW
The Sustainable Retail Index (SRI), a benchmarking tool for shopping centre owners powered by Good On You’s rich brand sustainability data and co-created with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) in 2023, garnered even more industry interest in 2025. We co-hosted with Ingka Centres—the group behind IKEA and a SRI signatory—a breakfast in Paris with leaders from commercial real estate, and held a global webinar to share more about the tool.
Our reporting helped to hold the industry to account
When we assess brands, we collect publicly available data on their actions and impact. Not only does this inform our ratings, but it helps build pictures that hold the industry to account. One example is our partnership with Solidaridad on its Cotton Rankings Report, which analysed the material mix of 100 brands and retailers and revealed that many brands are promoting their use of “sustainable” cotton while mostly using synthetics. Another key piece of data journalism this year was our Fashion Planet Benchmark Report, which found an alarming gap between industry action and environmental reality, with major brands scoring just 30% in the planet pillar of Good On You’s brand ratings.
We continued our partnership with the British Fashion Council
In 2024, we partnered with the British Fashion Council (BFC) to guide emerging fashion brands as part of the organisation’s NEWGEN programme, and that continued through early 2025. Since then, our partnership has continued to evolve: in April, for instance, we hosted a webinar for BFC members moderated by journalist Megan Doyle, guiding industry stakeholders in what’s needed to close fashion’s environmental performance gap.
Our reporting shone a light on solutions (and asked tough questions)
Who should pay for decarbonising fashion? How feasible are lab-grown materials, really? And what are some of the solutions to fashion’s problems that could prove promising with the right investment and scaling? These are the questions journalist Megan Doyle explored in her Industry Insider column. Other industry-leading voices contributed to the Good On You Journal this year, too, including journalist Sophie Benson, who asked, “does fashion have no backbone?” while exploring the industry’s spinelessness in the face of political extremism. Elsewhere, beauty reporter Theresa Yee helped readers decode the complexities of microplastics in cosmetics; Emma Håkansson, founding director of Collective Fashion Justice, interviewed the Indigenous community working on a new leather alternative; and activist Mikaela Loach shared an excerpt from her latest book that shows us how to keep hope alive amidst challenging times—it’s a great read as we head into 2026.
Most searched brands in 2025
One final note: Thank you. You kept showing up to find more sustainable brands, learn about the key issues in fashion and beauty, and demand better from the industry. We couldn’t do what we do without you, and we can’t wait to see what next year has in store for the sustainability movement as a whole. It may not always be easy in the face of global challenges, but we’re committed to holding the fashion and beauty industries to account and helping you make better choices. We’re so glad to have you here.
