In a move that sparked widespread debate, ultra-fast fashion brand Princess Polly has joined the ranks of certified B Corporations—a designation meant to signal a company’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
The announcement was met with immediate backlash from sustainability advocates, who questioned how a business model built on rapid production, low costs, and constant newness could align with the values B Corp claims to uphold.
So, what’s really going on? Is B Lab contradicting itself? Or does this decision reveal a deeper truth about it? What makes a certification reliable for conscious consumers?
The Fast Fashion B Corp Dilemma
At the centre of the debate is B Lab, the non-profit behind the certification.
On one hand, B Lab defends its decision as part of a necessary effort to include diverse industries in the movement for better business practices:
“Doing so requires that we build a community that mirrors the diversity of our economy, including high-impact sectors like fashion.”
——Sarah Schwimmer, Co-Executive of B Lab, The Times
On the other, critics see it as a classic case of greenwashing—one that undermines the credibility of certifications and confuses consumers who trust the B Corp logo.
B Lab’s Mission
To understand this decision, we must first look at B Lab’s grand goals. The organization plays a crucial role in advancing a stakeholder-driven economy. Its vision is inclusive and systemic: to change the very “behavior, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism.”
To do this, it aims to build a “big tent” that includes not only already-perfect companies but also those from high-impact industries with significant room to improve. Its updated standards, which require measurable progress at three- and five-year milestones, show that B Lab values encouragement and development over static excellence.
From this angle, certifying Princess Polly isn’t a contradiction—it’s consistent, even inevitable. It aligns with B Lab’s theory of change: to meet companies where they are and guide them toward better practices.
The Trust Gap
Yet herein lies the fundamental disconnect. While B Lab sees itself as a starting line for progress, the public sees the B Corp certification as a finish line.
Consumers, investors, and many brands view the seal as a trust mark—a guarantee that a company has already met high standards. As a Harvard Business Review article by Kim, Karlesky, Myers and Schifeling noted, certifications like B Corp help companies “communicate their values to customers” and allow people to “clearly distinguish” them from traditional firms.
B Lab has benefited enormously from this hard-earned trust, which translates into market appeal and credibility. To retreat now to the position of a “starting point” during controversy appears strategically ambiguous, and is the root of its current credibility crisis.
Can You Still Trust B Corp?
In this short video, we break down Princess Polly’s B Corp certification—what it reveals about B Lab’s evolving standards, and how it affects your trust as a conscious consumer.
Where Do We Go From Here?
So what does this mean for us as consumers? The conclusion is clear: we should no longer view B Corp as a finish line. Our trust and interpretation must be recalibrated.
This becomes especially clear when we look at the spectrum of companies that hold the certification. In the fashion industry, we see pioneers like Patagonia and MATE the Label holding the B Corp stamp, but the ultra-fast fashion brand Princess Polly is also a certified member. This clearly demonstrates that the B Corp certification alone does not place a brand on a “sustainability finish line” podium.
Looking across industries, a similar pattern emerges. For example, the coffee brand Nespresso, which was criticized for the environmental impact of its aluminum capsules, is also a certified B Corp. This further proves that B Corp acts as a “big tent,” inclusive of companies at various stages of their sustainability journey, rather than an exclusive “honor roll” for only the top performers.
Therefore, while B Corp certification is a valuable starting point, it’s time to look more critically at sustainability labels. We must ask tougher questions:
- Who does this certification truly serve?
- Is it designed to guide companies through gradual improvement, or to help consumers make informed and trustworthy choices?
A New Way Forward
So, if you’re looking for a true “finish line” for trustworthy sustainable fashion today, you can start with our list of sustainable fashion brands. Eco-Stylist only certifies true sustainable fashion leaders and we never certify fast fashion.
This naturally leads us to the next question: How does Eco-Stylist, as a fashion-focused certifying organization, differ from B Corp? How do we build trust differently?
In Part II of this series, we explore exactly that. We break down the differences in mission, methodology, and transparency between B Lab and Eco-Stylist—and what that means for you.
Yutong is a sociology student exploring labor, culture, and sustainability through human-centred storytelling. She writes about people, practices, and ideas shaping the future of fashion and society.
