Is Fashion Nova Fast Fashion?
Yes, Fashion Nova is fast fashion. In fact, it’s ultra-fast fashion, in the same category as Shein and Boohoo. It releases hundreds of new styles every week at prices as low as $24.99, and it scored −45/100 on our 100-point review, the lowest score our criteria allow.
The speed is the business model. Fashion Nova releases about 600 to 900 styles a week and works with more than 1,000 manufacturers. According to Fashion United, manufacturers turn a concept into a sample in about a day, and it’s photographed and ready for models within another 24 hours. CEO Richard Saghian has said the company can get clothing manufactured “in less than two weeks.”
Most pieces sell for under $50, and its skin-tight jeans go as low as $24.99. Its Instagram posts new content roughly every hour, keeping the cycle of new styles constant. If you ever wondered what’s worse than fast fashion, it’s ultra-fast fashion.
What Is Fashion Nova?
Fashion Nova is a Los Angeles-based online retailer founded by CEO Richard Saghian, who opened its first store in an LA mall in 2006 selling inexpensive clubwear. It launched online in 2013 and grew through Instagram, celebrity collaborations, and a massive network of influencers. It’s best known for bodycon dresses, stretch jeans, and its Curve collection of extended sizes.
Is Fashion Nova Legit?
Yes, in the sense that it’s a real company that ships real orders. But “legit” and “trustworthy” aren’t the same thing, and the U.S. government has twice found problems with how Fashion Nova treats its customers.
In 2022, Fashion Nova paid $4.2 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it hid negative reviews from its website. According to the FTC, from late 2015 to November 2019, Fashion Nova automatically posted four- and five-star reviews but held back anything lower, and it never approved hundreds of thousands of them. Shoppers saw ratings that only reflected happy customers.
Two years earlier, in 2020, Fashion Nova paid $9.3 million to settle FTC charges that it failed to tell customers about shipping delays or give them the option to cancel, and that it issued gift cards instead of refunds for orders it never shipped.
Is Fashion Nova Good Quality?
Fashion Nova’s prices tell you most of what you need to know. Jeans as low as $24.99 and hundreds of new styles a week leave little room for durable fabrics or careful construction. Much of its catalog is polyester and other synthetics, and the brand offers no repair program or durability claims.
Its reviews don’t help either. For four years, according to the FTC, Fashion Nova only showed shoppers its four- and five-star reviews.
Is Fashion Nova Sustainable?
If you want a straight answer, no. As we mentioned before, there is nothing more unsustainable than ultra-speedy production and marketing. Once money becomes the centre of the business model, there is nothing left to explain.
However, as we want to keep our customers informed, we will give you an overview of why Fashion Nova is not sustainable.
Are Fashion Nova Clothes Safe to Wear?
What’s the worst thing you can buy for $25? While affordable pricing is typically viewed as a good thing, it might get you a wool coat with cancer as an add-on. And that’s only one of the hidden costs.
This long wool coat by Fashion Nova is labelled with a warning called California Proposition 65, indicating materials that can expose customers to cancer and reproductive harm thanks to the potential Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, lead and cadmium in the materials.
Those chemicals, the small warning tag further states, “are known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm.”
In addition, polyester and other synthetic materials are commonly found among their products. Good luck finding sustainable and natural materials. Even if they use cotton or linen, we cannot tell where they are sourced from and, subsequently, how good the quality is.
Are you looking for silk? Mission impossible. Customers will end up in a sea of polyester options, also known as fossil fuel derived fabrics.
Is Fashion Nova Carbon Neutral?
This question is definitely premature for Fashion Nova. They don’t measure or disclose CO2emissions from manufacturing, let alone take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing the majority of their products.
We cannot find any evidence that the brand is moving in this direction. And we doubt that will happen anytime soon, as there is zero statement on the environmental impact of the brand.
Does Fashion Nova Have a Clothing Recycling Program?
Not at all. We found no evidence that Fashion Nova invests in developing closed-loop capabilities, including design, fabrics, and recycling/reclaiming processes.
The closest thing to recycling we found is a handful of products labeled “recycled denim,” like overalls and shorts. But the product pages don’t say what’s recycled, how much, or who certified it. That’s either greenwashing, a lack of transparency, or both.
Is Fashion Nova Ethical?
Where are Fashion Nova’s Clothes Made?
Our team didn’t identify any publicly disclosed information about where its products are produced, such as a factory list, the actual conditions within their factories, such as wages, or information about the clothing makers.
According to a 2019 New York Times investigation, Fashion Nova clothing turned up in 50 U.S. Labor Department wage investigations of Los Angeles factories starting in 2016. Those factories owed hundreds of workers $3.8 million in back wages, and some sewers were paid as little as $2.77 an hour, far below the legal minimum.
According to Mr. Saghian, in 2018, about 80% of the brand’s clothing was produced domestically. Since then, Fashion Nova’s supply chain has changed, and the company reports that fewer than half of its clothing is now produced in Los Angeles, yet the number remains unknown. Fashion Nova also doesn’t work with factories directly, which blurs their supply chain traceability.
Fashion Nova also hasn’t signed the International Accord, the binding safety agreement for garment factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Since it won’t say where its clothes are made, there’s no way to know whether its factories are safe.
Is Fashion Nova Vegan and Cruelty-Free?
Fashion Nova offers some apparel labeled as “vegan.”
Generally speaking, wearing vegan apparel signifies a commitment to abstaining from wearing any animal products. Using fur, wool, cashmere, leather, silk, or any other textile derived from animals is not vegan.
Fashion Nova has a collection of vegan leather jackets, but it’s just a fancy way to say polyester or PU–in short, plastic jackets. Such marketing could be misleading to customers.
We cannot find any vegan certifications on this collection, like those given by PETA or the vegan society. Therefore, we cannot be sure of their claims since non-vegan glues such as beeswax glues or animal dyes may exist in the product. Learn more about vegan fashion in our guide.
In addition, Fashion Nova does not seem to promote a sustainable vegan lifestyle at all. For example, there are much more sustainable vegan options, such as leather made of cactus or mushrooms, which we doubt they will adopt anytime soon until they shift away from their ultra-fast fashion business model.
Unfortunately, Fashion Nova does not publicly disclose any animal-derived materials or whether or not they are sourced ethically. We did find some wool products on their website, but it is in a trace amount (for example 10% wool) and there is no information on where they obtain the wool from. Certifications, animal welfare policies, or statements are nowhere to be found.
Fashion Nova’s Rating: −45/100
Now that we’ve talked about their sustainability, here’s how we rated them with our sustainable brand criteria.
Transparency Rating: 0/14
They scored zero, and no one was surprised.
Our team could not find any information on the factory list, which means no one knows where all these clothing pieces are made. Indeed they mentioned that they used to manufacture their products in Los Angeles, but they shifted away from domestic production.
Now it is even harder to identify their supply chain transparency. And if we have no idea where these items are manufactured, it’s pretty unlikely that they implement any fair labor practices.
We also are disappointed to figure out that their product transparency is null. There is no mention regarding where they source their materials from or any efforts or plans identified to do better in the future.
Fair Labor Rating: 0/33
They score zero for their fair labor rating too!
Just like their transparency, they don’t have evidence of certifications for their factories, or that any of their clothing makers earn a living wage. There is also no reference to any Fair Labor Association or SA8000 standards, and they don’t report if they audit their factories, or how often.
There is no publicly available Code of Conduct for their supply chain, and no evidence that they invest in worker well-being or benefits. Fashion Nova needs to do better.
Sustainably Made Rating: 0/49
Again, Fashion Nova scores zero in environmental sustainability. Where to begin…
Fashion Nova does not have sustainability goals, they show no evidence of intersectional environmentalism, they don’t use sustainable materials in the majority of their clothing (or basically any of their clothing), they have no evidence of sustainable packaging, and they lack certifications for any of their materials.
They also don’t share their CO2footprint, water footprint, waste footprint, or their goals to improve any of the three. They don’t invest in circularity or degrowth, but that hardly comes as a surprise. They also lack evidence of a safe chemical plan or certifications to ensure that their factories aren’t dumping toxic chemicals into rivers.
In short, Fashion Nova doesn’t make climate change or the planet a priority, and only has room to improve when it comes to the environment.
DEI Rating: 0/4
Another disappointment here. There is no information on diversity within Fashion Nova’s management or executives. We can’t find a commitment to diversity and inclusion either, or a DEI policy on their career page.
Our Principles
One of the ways we identify leaders in sustainable fashion is with our 3 principles. It comes as no surprise that Fashion Nova isn’t a leader, except perhaps in over consumption.
- Is the brand fast fashion? Yes! As mentioned above they drop up to 1000 new styles per week. This earned them -25 points.
- Does the brand inspire us? Fashion Nova doesn’t even bother doing the bare minimum, let alone anything inspiring. This earned them -10 points.
- Do we trust the brand? Transparency inspires trust, and transparency is something Fashion Nova lacks. This earned them -10 points.
Fashion Nova’s Overall Score: -45
Fashion Nova achieves our worst possible rating. This is not a brand we recommend and we strongly encourage anyone to find alternatives that are better for your health, better for the planet, better for clothing makers, and better quality too.
Ethical and Sustainable Alternatives to Fashion Nova
Looking for better alternatives? We picked 5 fast fashion swaps based on product type, all of course from certified sustainable fashion brands.
Ujo Shop is reader-supported. We only feature fashion brands that pass our sustainable brand criteria.Learn more here.
1) Jeans Alternative
Meet Nudie Jeans’ Breezy Britt. Fashion Nova’s jeans start at $24.99 and are built for one trend cycle. Nudie’s organic cotton denim is built to last for years, and Nudie repairs its jeans for free, for life. They cost more up front, but a pair you wear for a decade costs less per wear than a stack of jeans that wear out in a season.
2) Bodycon Dress Alternative
Meet Reformation’s Belle Knit Dress. We can’t talk about Fashion Nova without talking about bodycon dresses, and Reformation is the closest ethical match. The Belle is a sleeveless mini with an asymmetric neckline and ruching, in a stretchy knit made from 88% TENCEL Lyocell, a fiber from eucalyptus trees produced in a closed loop that reuses 99% of its solvent.
Reformation also publishes its factory list and an annual sustainability report, which is exactly what Fashion Nova won’t share.
3) Leggings Alternative
Meet Pact’s Organic On The Go-To Rib Bootcut Slit Hem Legging. Made from GOTS certified organic cotton with a little stretch, in a Fair Trade Certified factory, they’re soft, breathable, and easy to wear every day. They’re also one of the most affordable picks on this list.
4) Tank Top Alternative
Meet Pangaia’s Bio-Based Tank Top in Pulse Red. It has the same second-skin fit as Fashion Nova’s going-out tops, but it’s made from 99% plant-based fibers instead of the usual fossil-fuel polyester. It’s seamless, with a square neck and racerback, and treated with a plant-based odor control so it stays fresh between washes. Made in Portugal.
5) Hoodie Alternative
Meet Outerknown’s Sur Easy Zip Hoodie in Cola. It’s a roomy zip-up in soft French terry, made from 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton and garment-dyed for a lived-in, washed look. Hemp grows with little water and no pesticides, and it gets softer the more you wear it. Made in Sri Lanka, in sizes XS to XXL.
Looking for More Ethical Clothing?
Check outour shopfor a curated selection of men’s and women’s clothing and shoes. From dresses to jeans, swim suits, boots, shirts, underwear and more, you can find it all from brands that are better for the planet and clothing makers.
Which brands should we review next? Let us know in the comments!
Updated by our founder, Garik Himebaugh, with new sections on whether Fashion Nova is legit and good quality, and refreshed alternatives.
Mariana previously worked in various sustainability and climate change research and consultancy projects in Indonesia and the UK. Currently working in the tourism industry, she wishes to gain more unique skills and meet different people from around the world.