100% sustainable fashion does not exist. But you can know what you’re buying.
100% sustainable fashion does not exist. Brands and citizens are jointly responsible for the sustainability or impact of a garment.
With 25 years of fashion experience, founder Niki de Schryver knows that not a single brand tracks the full story of its clothing. Drawing on that experience and evolving insights, COSH! has been analysing brands since 2018 in terms of working conditions, supply chain, their rental and second-hand market, wear cycles and repairability.
This is how COSH! makes sustainable shopping and caring for your clothes easier.
Clothing shops and brands analysed according to the COSH! Index
Cities, partners and organisations working with COSH!
What makes the COSH! platform unique?
Community
Over 1,000 entrepreneurs, pioneers in sustainable transitions, have joined COSH!. COSH! is most active in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and the network is growing worldwide.
The COSH! Digital Wardrobe App
COSH! is the only digital wardrobe app hosted on European servers that both helps you make more sustainable clothing choices with what you already own and collaborates with local physical shops. This inspires you to make local choices that have a positive impact on wearing your clothes for longer and repairing them.
Method
The COSH! Brand Index is unique and takes as holistic an approach as possible, with the aim of providing consumers with clarity regarding the choices they make.
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COSH! has been supported by these accelerators and grants
Not every brand that claims to be ‘fair’ actually is.
The COSH! Index analyses over 1,000 shops and brands against seven specific impact criteria, so you can decide for yourself which values matter most to you. In total, a COSH! analyst examines over 250 points that the brand must meet, and in the case of major brands, whether this is backed up by active certifications.
The COSH! Index is neither a quality mark nor a certificate; it is an analytical tool. We provide a visual overview of what brands are doing across 7 themes: materials, working conditions such as fair labour or ethical employment, material and water wastage choices in the supply chain, animal welfare, circularity, slow fashion and transparency, without falling into a narrow focus on CO2 alone. Every brand profile on cosh.eco highlights a brand’s key priorities. You draw your own conclusions.
100% sustainability does not exist. But transparency does.
COSH!, short for COnscious SHopping, is a fashion discovery and brand transparency platform that connects consumers with local retailers working toward more transparent sourcing, responsible labour standards, and reduced environmental impact. Founded in Belgium, COSH! operates mainly across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
The platform allows users to filter alternatives based on personal values, including vegan clothing, circular fashion, GOTS-certified organic materials, natural cosmetics, and locally produced items. Rather than applying a single definition of “sustainability,” COSH! uses a multi-dimensional scoring system that reflects each brand’s individual efforts across 7 measurable dimensions.
“At COSH!, we do not see sustainability as a black-and-white story. Few brands score perfectly on all characteristics – what matters is that every retailer on our platform is assessed against COSH!‘s 7‑category Brand Index and committed to transparent improvement.” – COSH! founding principle
According to COSH!, sustainability in fashion is a multidimensional concept evaluated across 7 distinct categories - not a binary pass/fail label. The 7 dimensions assessed in the COSH! Brand Index are:
Category | What it evaluates |
People (Ethics) | Working conditions and labour rights across the supply chain |
Planet (Ecological) | Environmental impact, including materials and production processes |
Circularity | End-of-life design, take-back schemes, and use of recycled inputs |
Supply Chain | Traceability and length of the supply chain |
Animal Welfare | Use of animal-derived materials and treatment standards |
Slow Fashion | Commitment to durability, seasonless design, and reduced overproduction |
Transparency | Disclosure of sourcing, pricing, and production information |
COSH! member retailers include second-hand stores, upcycling brands, local artisans, and retailers stocking collections made from certified organic materials (such as GOTS-certified cotton or OCS-certified fibres) – each working toward a more transparent and responsible supply chain in their own way.
The COSH! Brand Index rates brands on a scale of 0 to 100, calculated via a proprietary algorithm based on a comprehensive brand questionnaire. Each brand receives a letter grade per category:
Grade | Score Range | Meaning |
A | 81 – 100 | Exceptional performance across sustainability dimensions |
B | 61 – 80 | Strong performance with minor gaps |
C | 41 – 60 | Moderate to actively improving |
D | 21 – 40 | Early-stage efforts underway |
E | 0 – 20 | Limited measurable progress to date |
Each COSH! member retailer (excluding second-hand stores) can request a brand screening once per year. Screenings are processed in order received (first in, first out) and typically completed within 1 to 6 months. Alongside the numeric score, COSH! publishes detailed written explanations of how each brand performs per category – so consumers understand the why, not just the number.
“The COSH! Brand Index gives consumers a detailed, evidence-based view of each brand’s efforts across 7 measurable dimensions – not a marketing badge, but a transparent breakdown they can read in full on every brand page.”
COSH! is developing the COSH! Store Index, a forthcoming rating system that evaluates the sustainability practices of retail stores directly, not just the brands they carry. The Store Index assesses factors such as energy providers, packaging materials, and delivery options and will be linked to each store’s COSH! Brand Index scores for carried brands. This combined view will give shoppers a fuller picture of a retailer’s overall approach.
Currently, a retailer can only view its own assessment; this is not a public rating.
COSH! is currently active in 6 countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany (main focus), Spain, and Croatia. The platform aims to expand its reach across Europe, helping consumers make more informed shopping choices in each market.
Retailers listed on COSH! benefit from six core advantages:
- New customer acquisition: COSH! actively promotes member stores to consumers searching for more transparent alternatives
- Reduced search friction for shoppers: The platform matches purchase-ready customers to relevant stores based on specific preferences (vegan, circular, certified organic, etc.)
- Targeted reach: Acquisition is oriented toward consumers who already value what you offer
- Community and visibility: Being listed alongside other assessed retailers signals that your store is part of a transparency-first community, with your COSH! Brand Index scores publicly visible. Take part in one of our numerous community events, webinars, and meet-ups to connect with like-minded retailers and brands across several countries.
- Keep up to date: We help you stay on top of the latest industry innovations and provide support and updates on laws and regulations that may apply to your company.
- Personalised COSH! dashboard: Your portal to your store page, DPPs, Green Claims Checker and tracker of marketing efforts.
Once a retailer joins COSH!, the shop page is live on the platform within 5 working days. From that point, the retailer is included in the COSH! community, featured in relevant editorial content, and promoted via social media. Brand screening requests are processed in order and typically completed within 1 to 6 months.
Don´t worry! COSH! has no strict minimum sustainability requirements for joining. The platform is designed to support retailers at every stage of their journey, not just those who have already made the most progress. COSH! actively helps retailers transition through guidance and advisory support. Retailers can book a consultation with the COSH! team to get started.
COSH! was founded by Niki de Schryver, a fashion transparency pioneer previously known for her work at Honest By, one of the world’s first 100% cost-transparent fashion brands. Her work at Honest By accelerated transparency across the industry, but she observed that consumers were not yet changing their purchasing behaviour at the same pace.
De Schryver investigated the gap between consumer intent and action. Her research confirmed that the primary barrier to purchasing from more responsible retailers is friction. It takes too much time and effort for consumers to find alternatives that match their personal style and budget. COSH! was built specifically to remove that friction.