Passion Lilie: Rated & Reviewed

Update as of October 2025: Katie has let us know that Passion Lilie has now launched a resale store called Pre-Loved, allowing customers to submit their gently used Passion Lilie clothing for resale. Participants can either ship their items back using a free prepaid label or drop them off directly at the brand’s New Orleans store. In return, sellers receive a Passion Lilie gift card worth up to 75% of the original retail price, with bonus credit offered for in-store drop-offs

As an independent brand and a Fair Trade Federation (FTF) member, Passion Lilie is recognized for its organic, vegan, ethically sourced, and handcrafted line of apparel, accessories and housewares. With a small and carefully vetted group of India-based production partners, their fully traceable supply chain also provides additional training for aspiring female tailors that goes above and beyond their FTF commitment to fair wages and safe work environments.

Awarded our top overall rating of “Disrupting”, the brand’s business practices provide a beneficial blueprint for aspirational sustainable operations.

About Passion Lilie

Launched in 2013 by entrepreneur and mother Katie Schmidt, Passion Lilie is a female-founded fair trade fashion brand based in New Orleans and India.

With a passion for travel and university degrees in Costume Design and Fashion Management, it became Katie’s vision to make Fair Trade fashion more well-fitting, stylish, and affordable. Her commitment to thoughtfully crafted collections that feature bold prints, colors, and organic fabric is matched by her brand’s deep dedication to positive social impact and minimal ecological impact.

Product Categories

FashionAccessoriesClothingHome TextilesHomewaresMen's ClothingWomen's Clothing

Attributes

Certifications / Memberships

Fair Trade GOTS

Location

United States

Pricing

$$$$$

Ships from

United States

Ships to

Worldwide

Rating Summary

Nature & Animals

As of Spring 2024, Passion Lilie began using exclusively GOTS-certified organic cotton and 100% AZO-free dyes. Products are compostable at their end of life. During production garments are hand washed in waterways and use less water (instead of commercial washing and the associated waste.) Items are produced with little automation allowing artisans more opportunity to reduce waste and they upcycle old scraps into new designs. Packaging consists of paper bags that aren’t specified as sustainably harvested, but are recyclable and reusable. Poly mailers are 100% recycled content and all tags are attached with a small piece of twine. Some action has been taken to reduce emissions by keeping manufacturing within a 50km radius. Footprint calculations are complete but there are no clear targets set yet. However, Passion Lilie is aware that the majority of their emissions are from shipping and these emissions are being offset. On the supply side, production uses 90% solar energy and their block printing unit is carbon neutral. While there is no public disclosure and/or tracking of water, impact on biodiversity, and energy efficiency, the brand is inherently low impact. No animal products are used in production or sold.

Score for Nature & Animals: 63%. Learn more about our scoring here.

Communities & Wellbeing

Owner Katie is the only full-time Passion Lilie employee, with two part-time employees who receive competitive hourly wages, work flexibly, and in a safe and secure work environment. The brand works with a number of small suppliers to produce their line in India that are clearly disclosed on the website, and are visited and carefully vetted using Fair Trade Federation’s screening process before becoming a production partner. The brand aims for long term working relationships and makers are small producers who prioritize uplifting communities. While there is no code of conduct published, Passion Lilie is clear about their expectations (living wage, overtime pay, paid vacation, sick leave, government holidays, low-to no-interest loans, and a safe working environment without discrimination). The brand has a fully traceable supply chain but lacks published key policies on human rights and modern slavery. The garment factory is Fair Trade certified. Passion Lilie provides additional job training for female tailors, which enables more seniority and better pay. The brand features female leadership and diverse models appear in their marketing. Current products are mostly made with certified organic materials and safe for consumers, plus there is a privacy policy in place and all consumer data is safely stored through Shopify.

Score for Communities & Wellbeing: 80%. Learn more about our scoring here.

Values & Governance

Owner Katie manages single-handedly at the helm of Passion Lilie. The brand provides an annual social impact report and clear disclosures on their website. The annual report could go further by disclosing governance, ethical protections, and detailed reporting on initiatives and progress. Passion Lilie provides responsible marketing and communications and has no history of greenwashing or misleading consumers. The brand educates and promotes sustainable fashion ideals to consumers. Every April, Passion Lilie gives 10% of sales to The Green Project.

Score for Values & Governance: 75%. Learn more about our scoring here.

Product Performance

Products are highly rated on the Passion Lilie website and are not reported to have any durability issues.

Score for Product Performance: 100%. Learn more about our scoring here.

Reviews & Testing From Our Team

Coastal Organic Wrap Dress

The Coastal Organic Wrap Dress is my favorite of their two dresses I own. Fun fact: It’s actually a really similar wrap style to a dress I once had as part of a job uniform that had to be returned. In a rare instance of actually loving my uniform, I've been trying to find another ever since, so to say I was ecstatic when it arrived is an understatement. With an inner hole to thread one of the ties through before wrapping around, it’s super secure and comfortable, even when in motion. No need to worry about it coming untied, even on a windy Wyoming day where I live (which is most of them).

Amber McDaniel, SJ Head of Content

Floral Organic Dress

While I love the wrap style of the Coastal Organic Dress, this style is a close second, being really similar in overall cut and aesthetic, just without the wrap. The bright salmon color is perfect for providing a bright pop of color to my summer wardrobe and the ultra soft organic cotton is incredibly breezy and cool.

Amber McDaniel, SJ Head of Content

Review Summary From Other Customers

Pros

Passion Lilie's customers consistently report that the products are of extremely high quality.
In particular, durability, comfortable fit and style are frequently highlighted with positive reviews.