Fashion label to close online store in protest at BFCM ‘frenzy’

Sustainable knitwear brand, Mia Fratino, is set to shut its doors during the upcoming Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping sale to protest against waste and over-consumerism. 

The brand said it will purposefully pause its online store on November 26 and 29 to raise awareness about considered purchasing and take a stand against sales that encourage mass consumption and retail hysteria.

“We refuse to layer on more unnecessary noise and pressure for our customers to process and scroll through,” said Amy Jones, co-founder of Mia Fratino. “Instead, we are sending out a beacon: slow down, buy less, choose well.”

“This isn’t a gimmick, novelty or ‘token’ action, it resonates true with everything we’ve been working on for years,” says Jones. 

“We don’t price our garments with additional margins so they can be slashed for end of season run-out sales. It’s about being respectful of the customer and not trying to manipulate them with false margin cuts. Our prices are honest and transparent.”

Mia Fratino is also encouraging its customers and supporters to spread their thoughts on slow fashion with #noplayblackfriday tag. 

According to a report delivered to the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) in 2019, an estimated 6000kg of textiles and clothing is dumped into the landfill per 10 minutes in Australia. In addition, Australians buy an average of 27kg of new clothes annually, while throwing 23kg away. 

“Our yearly consumption of textiles is second only to that of the US,” the company said in a statement. 

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