Transparency

In this consumer driven world where not a whole lot is made publicly visible, I was pretty taken aback when I read on PSFK that ex-Hugo Boss designer Bruno Pieters' new venture, "Honest By", was to provide a cost breakdown of all manufacturing costs associated with products. Taking ethical fashion to a new level, they offer a plethora of information from how much the buttons cost to how much of a mark up is placed on items. As an industry that has been plagued with controversy regarding production processes, they also aim to educate consumers by providing information on this section of the supply chain. 20% of profit will go to charity chosen by the designers, while 80% will fund growth, including hiring new staff and expanding collections as "Honest By" looks to expand into more democratic products, engaging a wide range of people with the concept. They state that:

"We want to offer total clarity, because we are consumers ourselves. We want to give you the opportunity to shop with complete awareness of what you are buying. Only then, every purchase can be made conscious of its true cost."

Whilst I think this is a wonderful idea and I openly encourage fashion brands to consider their supply chain as a whole, it did make me question whether I would actually want to know how much of a mark up I pay for a brand name. I am fully aware the mark up will be more than I care to admit, so I'm not sure actually being aware of the true cost would make me covet the brand as much. What are your thoughts?

Victoria

xo