Our commitments
Ever since she was a little girl, Agnès has been driven by strong ethics and values: respect, sincerity, solidarity, sharing, generosity, mutual aid and loyalty to what she believes in. Since the brand was founded, Agnès has remained true to these values.
agnès b. is first and foremost a responsible brand, mindful of its manufacturing processes and impact on the planet, attentive to the bonds of trust and loyalty established with its suppliers, and respectful of its customers and employees. It is also a brand committed to solidarity, the environment and artistic expression.
Timeless fashion
agnès b.'s fashion is deliberately timeless. In fact, Agnès refuses to be called a “fashion designer” at all, since the clothes she creates are destined to stay in style. She prefers to say simply that she makes clothes to make people feel good. In this way, she goes against the trend towards “disposable” fashion, which encourages us to over-consume clothes.
The clothes Agnès designed ten or twenty years ago are still very much in tune with the times. She imagined a whole series of models that have become “iconic”: the snap cardigan, created in 1979, the striped t-shirt, the white shirt, the work clothes... have been worn for years.
A family business
This is becoming a rarity in the fashion world. Yet agnès b. is a family business. Firstly, because the company's capital is owned by Agnès and her family, who keep a firm grip on decision-making. But also because agnès b. employees form a big family. They feel at home in the company, and have often been here for a long time. I love the people I work with,” says Agnès. Without them, I'd be nothing.
Priority to Made in France
agnès b. supports Fabriqué en France. “We've been making in France for a very long time, because in France we have know-how, workshops, skilled people,” Agnès points out. “It's a major know-how that I've been helping to maintain since the brand was founded in 1973. It's important to keep this industry alive, to prevent it from dying out and leaving whole towns unemployed.
Today, the company can no longer manufacture 100% of its collections in France. In fact, some suppliers have had to transfer part or all of their production facilities abroad. Others have disappeared, although it is not always possible to replace them in France.
But the brand still produces over 30% of its garments in France, with the remainder made in Europe at most. And the company carefully selects the suppliers it works with, in countries where their know-how is well established. For example, agnès b. makes its alpaca sweaters in Peru, its cashmere in Mongolia and its jackets in Lithuania, a country renowned for its tailors. It also carefully selects all its suppliers, and has long-standing privileged relationships with most of them, regarding them as valuable partners.
GOTS certification
In 2021, Maison agnès b. obtained “Global Organic Textile Standard” (GOTS)* certification, the global benchmark for garments made from organic fibers.
Since then, several of its garments have been GOTS-certified, starting with its “organic” press-on cardigan. GOTS-certified products must be made from natural fibers, respecting the principles of organic agriculture: in particular, they must be grown without synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and with reduced water use.
The GOTS standard is one of the most demanding in the world. To obtain it, companies must meet environmental and social criteria throughout their supply chain, from the harvesting of raw fibers to the finished product, for example: banning the use of certain chemicals or hazardous inputs, Limiting and treating waste, compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards on working conditions and respect for human rights.
A GOTS-certified product must also meet durability criteria, such as resistance to rubbing, perspiration, washing and shrinkage.
*Issued by Ecocert Greenlife, license no. 251251
Vegetable tanning
agnès b. offers a collection of leather bags and belts made with vegetable tanning, which is more environmentally friendly! Tanning is the step that transforms hides into leather. It not only makes the skins rot-proof and resistant, but also colors them. Vegetable tanning uses natural tannins from plants, bark or berries. This is the oldest and most natural tanning method, with the least impact on the environment.
Ecological viscose
agnès b. now uses ecological viscoses: Ecovero® and Tencel®. These are textile fibers obtained from wood pulp from sustainably managed forests. This wood pulp is transformed into yarn without the use of toxic solvents. The result is a strong, breathable and eco-friendly fabric!
agnès b. joins ICS
Since 2021, Maison agnès b. has been a member of the ICS (“Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability”) initiative. This initiative aims to support suppliers, particularly in the textile sector, to enable them to sustainably improve their employees' working conditions and better protect the environment.
Maison agnès b. has always chosen its suppliers carefully. We regard them above all as partners, and have often worked with them for many years, in some cases since the House was founded in 1975!
Through ICS, we ask them to respect certain social and environmental commitments, such as non-discrimination, compensation standards for their employees, monitoring of their water and energy consumption, and wastewater treatment. These commitments are verified through independent audits.
100% of our suppliers sign the agnès b social and environmental ethics charter every year.
agnès b.'s humanitarian commitments
Agnès has always been committed, both personally and through her brand, to humanitarian and solidarity causes. Through her endowment fund, Agnès supports associations and NGOs working for causes close to her heart: the fight against AIDS, the fight against inadequate housing, support for migrants and refugees, access to water, child protection...
In her boutiques, she sells “sharing products”, all profits from which are donated to associations. It's a way for her to raise awareness of the causes she considers important, and to offer her customers the chance to join in.
In addition, since 1993, Agnès has been distributing free condoms in its boutiques to combat the spread of AIDS.
Humanitarian selection
Protect the environment!
agnès b. is also committed to protecting the environment. For years, the company has been committed to actions in favor of the environment: it seeks to limit its greenhouse gas emissions, sorts its waste, offers ecological bags to its customers, uses antique furniture for its boutiques...
Since the brand was founded, the company has never destroyed a single item of clothing. It regularly donates its stock to humanitarian associations. It recovers its fabric scraps to make pouches or donate them to associations. The vast majority of the company's garments are made from natural fibers, which can be worn “as long as they're not worn out”, says Agnès.
Commitment to the environment is also part of the Tara adventure. This schooner was acquired in 2003 by Agnès and her son Etienne Bourgois, to become a floating laboratory for biodiversity and ocean protection. Tara has enabled major scientific advances in understanding the impact of global warming and pollution on the oceans.
Agnès and art
agnès b. is a lover of art, or rather of the arts in all their diversity. She's been collecting art for as long as she can remember: photographs, paintings, graffiti, precious books... Not to invest, but because she likes it. Agnès has always trusted her instincts and eclectic tastes when it comes to acquiring works of art. Today, she exhibits her collection in a unique venue, La Fab, opening in February 2020 in Paris.
Agnès has also always supported artists and artistic projects, in various ways: by introducing music labels in her boutiques, by exhibiting young artists in her Galerie du Jour or in her rue Dieu headquarters in Paris, by supporting artistic projects or festivals, by creating an audiovisual production company, by lending clothes for film shoots...
Finally, since 1997, Agnès has been publishing Point d'ironie, a magazine distributed free of charge around the world. Each issue is a work of art in itself, created by an artist, filmmaker, photographer, musician, writer...
