B Corp has responded to criticism with stricter standards and third-party audits, attracting brands like Princess Polly, Longchamp, and Etam Group under a revamped certification model.
The next time your tween drags you to the mall to visit Princess Polly, you may cringe a little less knowing it now carries a B Corp certification. The fast-growing Gen Z favorite is one of several fashion brands that have recently signed on to the updated standards set by B Lab, the nonprofit behind the label.
Once widely viewed as the gold standard for mission-driven companies, B Corp lost some of its shine in recent years. Critics questioned whether its scoring system was too flexible, allowing companies to offset weak performance in one area with stronger performance in another. Some brands left the program. Others publicly challenged whether the certification still carried weight.
B Lab has responded with a reset.
A tighter rulebook
Under its updated 2025 and 2026 standards, B Lab eliminated the old 80-point threshold model that allowed companies to trade off strengths and weaknesses. Instead, certification now requires companies to meet mandatory minimum standards across seven core impact areas, including governance, labor, climate, environmental management, human rights, equity, and collective action.
In practical terms, that means no more compensating for poor climate performance with strong philanthropy. If a company falls short in one pillar, it can be disqualified regardless of its performance elsewhere.
“By moving away from individual point scoring, the focus shifts to collective impact — aligning efforts across industries to tackle the world’s most urgent challenges together,” Dr. Ellonda L. Williams, former interim Co-Executive Director of B Lab U.S. & Canada, said in a statement last year.
Applications are also now subject to third-party audits rather than being validated solely through in-house review. That shift toward independent oversight aligns with tightening European green claims regulation, including the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, which requires companies to substantiate environmental claims with evidence.
B Corp has framed the changes as a way to reinforce credibility. According to B Lab, nearly 10,000 companies across about 100 countries are currently certified, representing more than one million employees worldwide. The scale of the network has made scrutiny inevitable. The new framework appears designed to show regulators, investors, and consumers that the label is more than a marketing stamp.
Heritage and high-growth brands step in
The recalibrated standards are attracting both established luxury houses and youth-driven retailers.
The nearly 80-year-old French accessories label Longchamp is the latest fashion brand to achieve certification under the updated model for its leather goods division, marking a formalization of sustainability efforts across its vertically integrated operations. Adrien Cassegrain, the fifth-generation family member overseeing transformation and CSR, underscored the scope of the evaluation.
“This is a bit different, because the complexity is also different,” he said. “It is not only the product that is certified — it is the whole company and operations.”
Longchamp committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2033. In 2024, it reported a 95 percent reduction in emissions related to energy consumption compared with 2023, as well as a 60 percent reduction in air freight emissions. The certification process also required it to expand supplier oversight and formalize governance policies across 25 countries.
“It’s not our job to just judge and assess,” Cassegrain said of supplier engagement. “The idea of partnership that we try to build with our suppliers to work on their improvement.”
Meanwhile, Princess Polly’s certification spans its entire business. Eirin Bryett, its co-founder and co-CEO, described the milestone as part of a broader shift.
“We are deeply honored that Princess Polly’s commitment to purpose-driven practices has been recognized with a B Corp Certification,” she said. “This is an incredible accomplishment, and it marks a significant step in our ongoing journey to embed sustainability and purpose into every part of our business. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and remain committed to continuously improving and holding ourselves to high standards in everything we do.”
Acting CEO for B Lab AANZ, Angie Farrugia, welcomed the brand into what she described as a growing community. “We’re excited to welcome Princess Polly to the global community of nearly 10,000 B Corps. In an industry facing complex social and environmental challenges, their B Corp Certification signals a serious commitment to raising fashion industry standards and prioritizing outcomes for people and the planet, alongside profit. After a two-year journey to this milestone, we commend Princess Polly’s determination and willingness to be held accountable to high standards, now and into the future.”
In France, Etam Group certified its entire portfolio, including Etam, Undiz, Maison 123, and Ysé. The group reported that 61 percent of its sales volumes align with its WeCare sustainability commitments and pledged to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80 percent between 2019 and 2030.
“It’s a source of pride. We have certified the group in its entirety for all operations worldwide. It took just over a year of preparation to mobilise the teams and then move into the certification process,” said Kachen Hong Zwart, its CSR director.
Laurent Milchior, the group’s co-CEO, framed certification as a long-term commitment. “This certification is consistent with our history and with what we have been building for several years: a company that creates desire with high standards, acts responsibly and embraces its role in the transformation of its industry.”
Marketing badge or compliance tool?
For shoppers, the B Corp logo may simply mean a little extra reassurance at checkout. Surveys consistently show that price, fit, and style remain the primary drivers of fashion purchases. Certification alone rarely determines buying decisions.
But B Lab’s revised structure suggests the label is positioning itself less as a feel-good marketing halo and more as governance infrastructure. Companies must now embed environmental and social commitments into corporate documents and demonstrate measurable progress over time. Recertification will require higher standards at three- and five-year intervals. The visible B Corp seal has not changed, but, it seems, the expectations behind it have.
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