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Rouje may consider itself “a love letter to all women”, but how ethical is Rouje? Here we dive into the brand’s “Not Good Enough” rating, which was published in August 2022 and may not reflect claims the brand has made since then. Our ratings analysts are constantly rerating the thousands of brands you can check on our directory.
La vie en Rouje is not so bright
Founded by Parisian model and creative director Jeanne Damas in 2016, Rouje has quickly gained popularity as a French label that embodies feminine chic with a retro charm.
While the brand outlines some of its actions in sustainability and charity work on its website, we decided to dig deeper and see if Rouje is one worth supporting. So how exactly is Rouje impacting people, the planet, and animals? We ask, how ethical is Rouje?
Environmental impact
There are some things Rouje is doing right by the planet, like incorporating some recycled materials into designs and disclosing what percentage of its products are made with lower-impact fabrics, shifting to 100% paper packaging, and reusing some offcuts to minimise textile waste.
However, the lower-impact fabrics in its designs only make up a relatively small percentage of its overall listings, and are described only as “certified”, making it hard to track which fabrics the brand is actually using.
Rouje is, at least, committed to improving its ways and being transparent about the progress: “We are not perfect but we are constantly setting ourselves ambitious goals to do better, at our level,” it says. Unfortunately, at the time of rating in August 2022, Rouje is rated “Not Good Enough” for the environment. It should take meaningful action to reduce its carbon footprint and eliminate hazardous chemicals in the supply chain to improve its score.
Labour conditions
Rouje also rates “Not Good Enough” on the people front, which is especially worrying for a brand that claims to put women at the forefront and works with important charities like La Maison des Femmes de Saint-Denis. Women, especially women of colour, make up the vast majority of garment workers around the world, and they must be included in the conversation.
Despite its positive work with women’s organisations in France, transparency and tracing in some of its supply chain, and a Code of Conduct that covers all of the ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles, there is no evidence Rouje pays a living wage in its supply chain. This assurance is a crucial step in becoming a responsible and more sustainable brand in the current fashion climate, so Rouje has work to do to achieve a higher rating on the labour front.
Animal welfare
The wellbeing of the animals in fashion supply chains makes up an important part of the conversation, and while Rouje does not use fur, down, angora, or exotic animal skin, it does use leather, wool, and exotic animal hair in its products.
Despite having a general statement about minimising animal suffering, with no formal animal welfare policy in sight, there is no way to guarantee the animal-derived products in use by Rouje have come from ethical sources. “Not Good Enough” for animals, too.
Overall rating: Not Good Enough
We rate Rouje as “Not Good Enough” overall based on our research. For a brand that claims to be prioritising people and the planet, it needs to be doing much more on all fronts. Rouje should work to strengthen its environmental practices, use more eco-friendly and less animal-derived materials, and stick to its word to set and report on its greenhouse gas emissions targets in 2023. The brand must also ensure its workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage. Only then might the brand be considered a more ethical and sustainable choice for shoppers.
Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.
If you love the Parisian-chic look, we’ve found some better alternatives to Rouje to help out. Also be sure to check out our articles on responsible Parisian brands, French brands, and how to get the Parisienne look more sustainably.
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