Founders Natalie Grillon and Shahd AlShehail launched Project JUST, which is a much needed online platform that is an open catalog of 150+ fashion brands. From the Press Kit: “Project JUST’s platform technology integrates available data sourced from supply chains, distills and analyzes the information, and then assesses it by a panel of experts and the online community. They analyze a brand and distill its supply chain based on eight different vectors: size and business model, transparency and traceability, social efforts, environmental efforts, innovation, intention, management behavior, and community. Research is sourced from: (a) Self-reported information that comes directly from brands and is publicly accessible: sustainability reports, 10-Ks, company websites, press releases etc. (b) Third-party information published by industry outlets via investigative reporting, such as Not for Sale, Rank-A-Brand, Good Guide, and a deep dive into press features. and other media sources.”
What a refreshing resource this is. The site is elegantly designed, and easy to navigate and read. You have the option of searching for a brand or using the browse feature. I found the browse feature to be easier to use, at this point, as a number of brands are designated as “coming soon.” To browse, select “Brands,” in the upper right corner of the screen. You have entered the catalog and you simply scroll down to browse the brands, which are listed in A-Z order. When you select a brand, you are taken to a page that makes data available via the eight vectors listed above. There is also a brief summary section. Here is the data provided in the summary section for Express, directly quoted:
THE PROS:
Express worked with 91 different community projects through Besa in 2014.
The company has a “(Minus the Leather)” Line available on their website, with 57 items tagged.
THE CONS:
The brand cannot trace its entire supply chain and does not share a complete list of supplier names and addresses.
Express does not report having any goals for decreasing impact of its supply chain.
The brand does not guarantee a livable wage to supply chain employees.
The brand does not use sustainable materials.
This platform is a valuable resource and it will only get better. This is stated on the site: We called this a project on purpose: it’s perfectly imperfect right now. It’s meant to grow through collaboration: we humbly request that you help us make it better.
