Navigating the world of slow fashion is often a maze of terminologies, logos, and certifications. In our quest to shop ethically, how can we discern the genuine efforts of brands from mere marketing tactics? A surefire way is to familiarize ourselves with the leading sustainability certifications in the industry.

Below, we unpack 10 esteemed sustainability certifications, shedding light on their significance, and highlighting brands, including our own, that are championing the slow fashion movement.

1. Fair Trade Certified™

What It Means: Fair Trade ensures that producers in developing countries get a fair deal. This includes decent working conditions, local sustainability, and equitable wages.

Brands to Watch: Patagonia and Hola Gwapa, both prioritize Fair Trade practices, ensuring that every hand that contributes to their products is treated with dignity and respect.

2. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

What It Means: GOTS is the worldwide textile processing standard for organic fibers, ensuring environmental and social criteria are upheld.

Brands to Watch: Coyuchi produces luxurious organic bedding and bath products, while Hola Gwapa integrates organic materials in its made-to-order clothing, crafted with innovative technology.

3. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100

What It Means: Products carrying the OEKO-TEX label are tested for harmful substances and are proven to be ecologically harmless.

Brands to Watch: Pact and Threads for Thought both boast this certification, ensuring that their clothing is safe for consumers, workers, and the environment.

4. Cradle to Cradle Certified™

What It Means: This certification assesses a product’s safety for human and environmental health, design for future use cycles, and sustainable manufacturing.

Brands to Watch: Stella McCartney leads in luxury fashion with this certification. Similarly, Hola Gwapa's hand-drawn prints and designs emphasize sustainable lifecycles.

5. B Corp Certification

What It Means: Certified B Corporations balance purpose and profit, ensuring they meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance.

Brands to Watch: Allbirds and Eileen Fisher are exemplary B Corps, showcasing how fashion can be both stylish and sustainable.

6. Carbon Trust Standard

What It Means: This certification recognizes organizations that successfully measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions.

Brands to Watch: Marks & Spencer has made significant strides in reducing their carbon footprint, setting an example for other global brands.

7. Leather Working Group (LWG) Certification

What It Means: LWG assesses environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers.

Brands to Watch: Everlane, known for its radical transparency, sources its leather from LWG certified tanneries, ensuring its products are sustainably produced.

8. Rainforest Alliance Certified™

What It Means: This seal guarantees that products come from farms that prioritize the well-being of their workers and the environment.

Brands to Watch: Veja, an eco-friendly sneaker brand, has integrated this into its ethos, ensuring that their rubber sourcing does not harm our rainforests.

9. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification

What It Means: FSC ensures products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Brands to Watch: While more common in the paper and wood industries, brands like TENTREE incorporate FSC-certified materials into their products.

10. Bluesign® Certification

What It Means: Bluesign represents the vision and mindset of responsible and sustainable manufacturing of textile consumer products.

Brands to Watch: The North Face, with its commitment to sustainable practices, is a noteworthy brand in this domain.

Certifications can be your compass in the vast sea of sustainable shopping. By understanding these symbols, you empower yourself to make conscious choices, not only supporting eco-friendly brands but also championing the cause yourself.

As champions of the slow fashion movement, we at Hola Gwapa strive to keep our processes transparent, merging age-old craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. By shopping with us, you aren’t just getting a unique hand-drawn print; you're investing in a brand that cares for the planet and its inhabitants.

Ready to explore ethically crafted designs? Dive into our collection at Hola Gwapa.