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Colourful, handcrafted fashion brand Mochi is making its mark by “redefining avant-garde for the modern day woman”. So, how ethical is Mochi? We’re happy to award the brand a “Good” rating overall for its efforts for people, the planet, and animals in production. This article is based on the Mochi rating published in May 2022.
Sustainability embroidered into the garments
Love the crochet tops resurgence but want to avoid the ultra fast fashion brands pumping them out like hotcakes? Meet Mochi.
Artisanal fashion brand Mochi was founded in 2013 by designer Ayah Tabari, inspired by her love of “colour, beautiful fabrics, and traditional methods of embroidery.” Today, the brand is based in Amsterdam and is worn by the likes of Rita Ora, Cara Delevigne, and Blake Lively. Its clothing is colourful, unique, and designed to “contribute to a better world”. Let’s take a closer look at Mochi’s impact on people, the planet, and animals and answer: how ethical is Mochi?
Environmental impact
Mochi gets our highest score of “Great” for the planet. The brand is built on the idea of slow, meaningful creation of long-lasting pieces. Its designs are handmade and combine deadstock fabric or pieces from previous collections with vintage classics sourced from all over the world.
Using a high proportion of eco-friendly materials reduces the brand’s climate impact and limits the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production.
Always working to be better than the day before, Mochi is currently working on finding more sustainable materials for its pieces and working alongside suppliers to reduce the use of water in the supply chain. It is also doing its best to offer less-in-demand sizes on pre-order to minimise overproduction and deadstock.
Labour conditions
When it comes to people, Mochi is doing “Good”. Its final production stage is undertaken in the Netherlands, a low-risk country for labour abuse. It traces most of its supply chain and regularly visits most of its suppliers.
While one of the brand’s three pillars of sustainability is “People”, and it states: “We ensure all our suppliers are providing fair and safe working conditions”, it is unclear whether Mochi ensures payment of a living wage to its artisans. Clarifying this could boost the brand’s score here.
Animal welfare
Mochi is also rated “Good” for the animals. The brand avoids fur, leather, down, exotic animal skin, and angora. However, it does use recycled wool and exotic animal hair in some pieces, so be sure to double-check the garment’s composition before purchasing if you’d rather avoid animal-based fabrics.
Overall rating: Good
Overall, we’re happy to award Mochi our second-highest score of “Good” for its efforts across the board. This fun and popular brand is doing right by people, the planet, and animals in its striking designs and is well worth supporting.
