Frequently Asked Questions

COSH! stands for COnscious SHopping and helps people wanting to live more ecologically find more sustainable clothing. On our platform, you can discover more sustainable alternatives to fashion, cosmetics and lifestyle products. COSH! considers many personal preferences such as vegan clothing, circular options, organic raw materials or natural ingredients.

How did COSH! start? Our founder Niki de Schryver’s pioneering work for Honestby has already kick-started growth in the transparency of other brands in the fashion world. However, she noticed the brands were on board with this revolution, but the consumer wasn’t. The gap between consumer behaviour and the supply chain intrigued her, so she investigated this and found a solution.

She wondered why so few people were buying sustainable clothing and suspected that personal style and budget were the main reasons. The research conducted confirmed her hunch. It takes too much effort for the consumer to find ethical and sustainable fashion, and COSH! is here to solve that problem!

At COSH!, we do not see sustainability as a black-and-white story. There are many different aspects to sustainability. Few brands score on all characteristics such as circularity, natural fibres, a short supply chain, chemical-free, ethical and local production, zero waste and carbon neutrality. All brands on the COSH! platform are building a better future for fashion in their own way. They are all committed to a more sustainable and ethical industry and therefore deserve COSH!‘s and the customer’s full support!

At COSH! we check for elements comprising seven categories: ethics (working conditions), ecological (impact on the environment), circularity, supply chain length, animal-friendliness, slow fashion, and transparency. COSH! emphasises ethical and local artisanal production, with a focus on the workforce. By displaying the COSH! index rating for each brand, consumers can easily see what aspects the brand scores well in. At the same time, the detailed texts explain how each brand works towards a more sustainable future.

Once you join the platform, we can set up your COSH! retailer page in less than five working days. From that point onward, you will be included in the COSH! community and relevant articles and social media posts. The brand screening you requested will be completed as soon as possible, following the sequence they’re requested (first in, first out), but most likely within 1 – 6 months.

Don’t worry! COSH! can help you transition towards becoming a more sustainable store. COSH! has no strict minimum sustainability requirements because we believe everyone can improve and become more sustainable with the right help and advice. So book a meeting with us, and we will gladly guide you through the process.

The COSH! index currently operates at a brand level. We developed an algorithm to calculate a brand’s sustainability with a rating from 0 to 100. This calculation is based on an extensive questionnaire divided into seven categories: People, Planet, Circularity, Short chain, Animal well-being, Longevity and Transparency. You can find the rating of each screened brand on the brand page, shown both as a percentage and in a visual representation. Alongside this rating, you’ll find a text explaining how the brand performs in each category.

COSH! is developing a system to rate the sustainability of stores. By taking into account a lot of different aspects of the store, we rate its level of sustainability and advise its owners on how they can improve. For example, we look at the store’s energy provider, packaging materials and delivery options for this. Apart from that, we also consider all the brands the store sells. The store rating is linked to the brand COSH! index ratings.

COSH! is a start-up meeting the demands of the market. We aim to help shoppers find more sustainable fashion and textile initiatives quickly and effortlessly. COSH! will also provide this information if there is a demand for sustainability analyses at the product level. At the moment, we look broader at a brand level to assess the organisation’s sustainability; in this, we consider many different aspects of the organisation to give a detailed screening of each brand.

No, but we try to keep it as accurate as possible. Many rating systems or certificates look at a brand from one angle or level. For example, the Higg index (MSI) only looks at a fibre’s usage level and pollution level. Rank-a-brand strongly emphasized the energy management of production units and headquarters. Certificates related to fair production or cradle-to-cradle are often only achievable for multinationals like G‑Star and C&A. At the same time, smaller brands sometimes offer more circular products but make too small a turnover to afford such a certificate.

COSH! focuses mainly on processing information about sustainable fashion brands and wants to make it easier for consumers to make more sustainable clothing choices. To do so, we use the information we receive through our assessments, a brand’s online claims, our industry knowledge, sustainability certificates and our critical eye. When in doubt, we search databases or request factual information. COSH! cannot go on-site to check a production process or perform checks. Therefore, we check certificate numbers whenever possible.

In addition, we check whether the textile suppliers a brand works with actually produce the fabrics the brand mentions. COSH! looks critically at a brand and considers whether the sustainability story matches the clothes the brand manufactures and sells in physical shops or via other sales channels.

COSH! works with local, sustainable stores to find and screen brands. At the beginning of 2023, over 900 brands were screened by COSH! at the request of our members (retailers). Depending on their subscription, retailers that joined COSH! can annually pass on one or two sustainable brands to us for analysis. We investigate these clothing brands’ sustainability characteristics and claims and evaluate them according to the COSH! Brand Index.

By working this way, we hope to one day cover the entire market and be a reliable platform driven by that market. Retailers can incentivise brands to operate more sustainably, prompting us to re-analyse those brands that have made additional efforts or are suspected of having lessened them. COSH! then stays a market-based platform with up-to-date information.

Only retailers who affilliate with COSH! are clearly visible on the COSH! platform. Potential customers can select these shops and boutiques to plan a sustainable shopping trip. Retailers interested in joining COSH! can find more information here.

Continuous subscriptions ensure that COSH! can provide up-to-date information. This form of fair compensation is necessary to ensure marketing efforts that include sustainable stores are presented to shoppers reliably. This way COSH! can also independently research the sustainability of the brands that are sold by the subscribing retailers to provide detailed and reliable information to consumers. Cities can contribute to retailers’ costs on a one-off or annual basis. For example, some cities cover (part of) the COSH! subscription for their sustainable shops. 

Thanks to the income COSH! receives through its subscriptions, we can invest in marketing tools to increase shoppers’ awareness of sustainable fashion, guiding them to sustainable retailers with an offer that suits those shoppers.

COSH!‘s retailers are part of a community that amplifies living more sustainably. Our platform allows you to involve your customers in that story. We want to summarise these four reasons for choosing COSH! You attract new customers. You help (potential/​new) customers save time in their search for sustainable fashion. You increase your turnover and reduce your costs through target group-oriented acquisition.

You are part of a reliable network. Do you also believe in a more sustainable and transparent fashion industry as a retailer? Then join COSH now!

COSH! started out in Belgium, but has since grown and expanded into the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. COSH! aims to be your go-to platform, guiding you in your sustainability journey and helping you make more informed and inspired conscious shopping choices.

In our vision, Green Fashion relates to a textile and apparel industry with core values: transparency, quality and circularity. It’s what the entire COSH! platform is built around and what we radiate. But, of course, there is never a perfect choice. Still, there are always options in terms of sustainability. A Green Fashion industry should respect the environment, people, and cultural heritages.

The stores and labels on COSH! fulfil our sustainability criteria:

Circularity: Through repair services, reuse platforms, renting systems, redesign techniques and recycling technologies, the lifetime of products is extended, and the value of materials is increased. Brands and stores in this category work towards implementing a Circular Economy.

Environmental consciousness: The products stand for careful use of resources, commitment to environmental protection, and avoidance of chemicals and resource-intensive materials. Therefore the label is involved in environmental campaigns and environmental actions.

Fair Fashion: the store or the label is certified or uses certified materials and works with accredited manufacturers for at least 80% of the products. You can find a list of certifications online on www​.getchanged​.net

Innovation: The label contributes innovatively to sustainable development using cutting-edge materials, technologies and production processes.

Local: The products are made directly at the designer’s atelier or a manufacturer: The overriding goal is to achieve the shortest possible transport routes and support local designers, the local manufacturing industry and craftsmanship.

Second-hand: Buying second-hand is an act of sustainable consumption. It reduces the waste we create with fast fashion consumption and keeps clothes in longer life cycles.

Social & Cultural approaches: Different local social groups or artisans worldwide are involved in the design processes. The brand aims for human empowerment, social inclusion and keeping traditional craftsmanship alive.

Sustainable Jewelry: At least 80% of the jewellery products are certified fairtrade or made of certified or recycled materials. Also, lab-made diamonds and other gemstones are considered sustainable. In addition, the company can provide 100% transparent information about their value chain.

Transparency: The label knows every single manufacturer, the origin and composition of the materials used. All products and services are produced under fair and transparent conditions.

Guided by an expert in sustainable fashion, a Green Fashion Tour is a journey of knowledge and personal experiences discovering alternatives to conventional fashion.

During a Green Fashion Tour, the guide shares important background information about the global fashion industry and personally introduces you to the entrepreneurs behind selected concept stores, design studios, start-ups and initiatives. Different tour guides have different backgrounds and expertise, let’s find the right one for you. On top, you will hear stories of social businesses and sustainable design strategies directly from their creators and get answers to all your questions.

The number of stops depends on the tour duration and the distances between each stop. Usually, we visit 3 – 4 places during the 2−2,5 hour-long tour. More stops can be added in more extended, customised tours.

Absolutely not! Our public tours are for every person who is interested in the topic. The guide will provide the participants with the basic information necessary to understand the fashion industry and sustainability strategies.

Suppose you are already a sustainable fashion guru and want to learn something new; we invite you to book a private tour. This way, we can tailor your Green Fashion Tours experience to your needs and wishes.

You can purchase your tickets here on our website. Just choose the city where you would like to take the tour, and you will directly receive the city’s upcoming tour dates.

If you want to book a customised tour or a tour package, please fill out our form (see above) or send your request to [email protected]. Please specify how many people will come with you, when the tour should take place and your main interests. We will contact you asap to give you more information about prices and possible routes.

For the customised tours, we set a group price (max. 15 participants per group). The price starts from € 352,- (ex. VAT, services are invoiced from COSH! Belgium) for the 2.5‑hour experience.

Small groups of 2 to 6 people pay € 95 per hour (ex. VAT).

The tour package price varies depending on its duration, activities, and group size. Please get in touch with us if you want to have a price quotation. All the public ticket prices displayed on the website are inclusive of VAT.

The customised tours or tour packages must be paid in advance via bank transfer, Paypal, Mollie or Stripe. Please indicate your preferences.

If you request this kind of service, we will send you a quotation referring to our Terms & Conditions with the specific payment conditions.

For private tours:
Since a cancellation affects a guide’s schedule and income, we would like a two-week notice to organise another tour for the guide.

For public tours:
Yes, you can cancel your participation through Eventbrite within 48 hours before the tour takes place.

If you decide to buy a ticket on short notice (48 hours before the tour), we cannot refund your ticket. However, the 48 hours give us enough time to inform the other participants and the entrepreneurs we visit about eventual changes.

Unfortunately not. Please book your ticket in advance. This way, we can tell you if the tour is fully booked, or we can punctually provide you with the exact information about the meeting point.

However, if you want to join a tour last minute, drop us a message via email or on Instagram, and we will try to inform the guide. We will let you know asap if it is possible to join.

There is no minimum number of participants for a customised tour. You can even book a one-on-one experience. We have different prices for groups of various sizes (see the question: What is the price for a customised tour or a tour package?)

The maximum number of participants per group for the customised tours is 15. However, tour packages can usually be booked for 6 – 15 people depending on your chosen activities.

We also accept requests from bigger groups, which we can divide into smaller groups.

Are you looking to explore the local scene and discover all steps of the supply chain and its pioneers that are building a new economy?
Please get in touch with us if you want more information about our 1 – 5 days packages. To create the most valuable experience for your group, we would be pleased to discuss all the details with you and choose the right program modules together in Belgium, Berlin or the Netherlands.

Please write us at: [email protected]

German Green Fashion Tours offers tours in German, English, Spanish and Italian.

In Belgium and the Netherlands, one can book in English or Dutch.

Not all our guides speak all the languages, so this is subject to availability. Please note that tours with bigger groups are generally run in English.

Usually, we don’t cancel a tour because of weather conditions. However, in case of bad weather, we recommend bringing your umbrella, waterproof shoes, and clothes ☺.

Please request our full Terms & Conditions for more information regarding our insurance policies for group tours.