While mass brands like H&M, C&A, Nike or Adidas still attract negative attention because of environmental or social issues and partially (had to) make big improvements, most of the high-end designer labels get off scot-free. On the contrary: Many consumers assume that luxury goods are inherently more sustainable than others, since they were more sophisticatedly produced and more durable. But is there any truth to this myth?

Already in 2007, WWF has found in his readable study ,Deeper Luxury‘ that most luxury brands are hardly sustainable. Four years later little has changed. Since last week, a new study by the Ethical Consumer Organization is at hand. In ,Style over substance‘, Designer labels are being checked against various sustainability criteria. On the accompanying interactive website, the results can be sorted according to the user‘s own priorities.

The result is staggering. No brand can score as a truly sustainable one. And even flagships such as Stella McCartney (no fur, no leather) or Vivienne Westwood (climate change activist) fell short of expectations.