Yes, Quiksilver is a fast fashion brand.
Quiksilver is the flagship brand of Boardriders Inc., a fashion conglomerate that also owns Billabong, DC Shoes, and Roxy. It has 5,700 employees in 57 stores worldwide and reported an annual revenue of $1.81 billion in 2013.
Quiksilver and its sister brands are a fast fashion brands due to their lack of transparency and the scale of clothes that they produce and sell.
Fashion Revolution Transparency Rating: 7/100
Ethical Consumer Score: N/A
Good On You Sustainability Rating: 1/5
Additional Reasons Why Quiksilver Is A Fast Fashion Brand
- Quiksilver, Billabong, and Roxy all received a 0/100 score for transparency in the Fashion Revolution Index 2021.
- Despite having a Sustainability section on their site, Quiksilver relies heavily on its use of recycled polyester and not much else. Great, they made 275+ million garments out of plastic bottles, but those garments will still end up in landfill (as almost all will not be recyclable, and Quiksilver has no take-back scheme either).
- Quiksilver also greenwashes with claims like they aim to “Drive 50% of our business via sustainable goods and services.” but they do not define what sustainable goods or services means. This would not pass the Green Claims Code.
- Due to their lack of transparency, it is unclear as to the minimum age of the brand’s garment workers, as well as the sustainable materials they use (other than recycled polyester), the number of collections they make, or if they design with circularity in mind. I have reached out to Quiksilver for more information.
Sustainable Alternatives To Quiksilver & Its Brands
If you’re looking to stop shopping at Quiksilver, Billabong, DC Shoes, and Roxy, I recommend checking out my guides on ethical activewear and sustainable sneakers, as well as my more general guide to 150+ sustainable fashion brands and my favourite second-hand fashion sites.
This post is part of a larger guide to UK fast fashion brands, which goes into more detail about the issues with fast fashion, why it will never be sustainable, and how to make your wardrobe more sustainable.
Data for this review is taken from the brand’s website, corporate website, Wikipedia, and sites linked throughout. The Transparency Rating is from Fashion Transparency Index 2021. All information is assumed correct at date of publication.