Om and AH – Remarkable Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry
OM and AH is an ethical lifestyle brand founded by Claire Cooper and Charlotte Girdwood. They are well known for their simple and inspirational clothing (tees, hoodies, vests, yoga wear) for women. According to one of the statements attributed to them, they are lovers of Vegan and Yogi, their hoodies, Tees’s, vests and other products are ethically sourced and made of very soft cotton. This is one brand that is passionate about constantly putting out good vibes.
There’s nothing that endears people more to a brand than the fact that they produce good quality products, care about their customers, and also care about the environment. It is everything!
During an interview they had a few months ago, the founders threw more light on their brand, and why they do what they do.
You can read about them here: https://www.stylenest.co.uk/lifestyle/five-minutes-with/om-ah-london-founders-claire-cooper-and-charlotte-girdwood/.
What’s the Place of Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry?
Being an ethical brand especially in the fashion industry is like being saddled with a huge responsibility. It involves you having values, being morally upright, and showing this in your dealings. So, ethical brands:
- Act morally
- Considers social, economic and environmental responsibilities
- Have integrity, honesty, and commitment to doing the right thing
- Are accountable
- Involve and create added value for all parties; the firm, customers, and stakeholders.
The place of ethics in the fashion industry cannot be over-emphasized because, it’s an umbrella term that shows the connectivity across various industries; farming for supply of raw materials, design, manufacturing, design, transportation, advertising, retailing, and purchasing.
Like OM and AH, when a brand is committed to doing things the right way, it tells on the brand and the way they are ultimately perceived.
Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry
Ethical practices can be good or bad and can highlight the loopholes across a range of issues present in the industry. Some of these are issues that have put the fashion industry in a certain light over the years. Examples of such practices are:
- Working conditions,
- Exploitation,
- Fairtrade,
- Sustainable production,
- The environment,
- Animal welfare, amongst other issues.
This is an almost in-exhaustible subject matter as it dissects all about the brand from their why, to their brand promise, mission, vision, and everything branding. To get a more comprehensive picture though, click here to read this guide as it sheds loads of light on the subject.
How Do Brands Like Om and AH Make a Difference?
Brands that have made a positive difference in this industry have a number of characteristics in common. Top among these characteristics include the fact that their clothes are:
- Ethically sourced.
- Easy to wear, yet stylish.
- Wardrobe staples; soft and comfy, yet luxurious.
- Known for exclusivity especially if you belong to their inner circle.
- Designed to spread positivity like having inspirational messages on them.
- Care about humanity, wellness, and the environment.
Your Role – Choosing Fashion Brands
Choosing a brand to buy from isn’t supposed to be a herculean task. Considering all that has been mentioned above, the following consideration factors should be helpful.
- Ethical brand – this shouldn’t just be a matter of lip service, it should be a “verb” in the operations of any brand that maintains that stance. Being a good ethical brand affects everyone along the value chain, customer inclusive.
- Inner circle/exclusivity – It is one of the best ways to actually own most fashion pieces and still get an opportunity to belong to an advantaged community and save some money. This mostly works based on a subscription basis and you can do as low as a monthly subscription.
- Social media – These days, brands have built leverage through social media so irrespective of where you are on the planet, you can own their amazing piece. All you need do is find them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or other platforms and shop away.
In Conclusion
The Internet as you know it has been a blessing to so many small and budding businesses over the years and availed them the kind of growth they wouldn’t have dreamt of considering the bigger brands that have been around for much longer. This has created a level playing field of some sort. More brands can now come aboard, offering their unique style and approach and find acceptance with millions of eager customers. This is especially the case when such brands hold themselves to a high ethical
