Brothers We Stand launches flagship store in Bristol
Posted on: 25 Oct 2017Online ethical clothing retailer Brothers We Stand has opened its first UK retail outlet in Bristol’s Wapping Wharf, selling exclusively ethically-sourced men’s clothes. The flagship store is headed up by 23 year old Bristol University graduate Sam Mabley whose vision is to make ethically produced clothing accessible.
“My vision is to provide every individual with a genuine ethical alternative to what is currently found on the high street. Here in Bristol there’s a community of people who are taking more responsibility for their buying decisions. Brothers We Stand has created an excellent online menswear collection sourced from independent designers and we felt that this city was the perfect place for a store where people can see, feel and try on garments in person,” said Mabley.
Sam Mabley, owner of the Brothers We Stand store in Bristol
Brothers We Stand aims to support men with a range of tastes to build an ethical and sustainable wardrobe. Its range features a mix of wardrobe staples and more unique pieces. Prices vary with Brothers We Stand own brand basic organic t-shirts selling at £12.50 and Ecoalf jackets made from recycled fishing nets priced at £155.00. All the brands stocked are independent, and the collection includes items from designer-makers such as London College of Fashion graduate Alec Bizby, who makes items in his London studio from locally milled fabrics.
Telling the story of the clothes is at the heart of Brothers We Stand philosophy, giving shoppers a transparent window into the product’s supply chain.
“Every garment in the new store has a ‘footprint’ tag explaining its social and environmental impact, supporting customers to make informed decisions,” explains Mabley.
In an impressive show of transparency, both the strong points and the areas for development are shared. For example, the footprint tag for a sweatshirt explains that the item was made in a wind powered factory in Tamul Nadu, India, where workers are treated well with a medical room, free lunches and recreation space. The ‘areas for development’ section of the tag explains that although the stringent Global Organic Textile Standard means that cotton pickers aren’t exposed to harmful chemicals, and that all cotton farms are independently audited, it does not directly measure the working conditions of the pickers. In this way, the positive aspects of production are celebrated without ‘greenwashing’ the areas where there is genuine room for improvement.
Hand-painted Brothers We Stand logo, using organic, VOC-free paints
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what made you get in to ethical fashion?
I’ve always been creative, so have loved all things art and music growing up, fashion was naturally an extension of that. Then just before I moved to Bristol, I went shopping and my conscience would not let me buy anything I didn’t know was ethical, I hadn’t thought about the ethics of clothing before that, but from that point onwards I started buying from ethical fashion brands.
Are there any types of clothing you avoid wearing?
Haha, girls clothing.
How has it been preparing to open your first store?
It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of waiting. I had been speaking to Wapping Wharf since January and at the end of July we got the keys. We then started the shop fit out which was such a highlight, learning to lay a floor, putting up a wall etc. all with a bunch of friends who on the whole were equally unexperienced. We then opened on the 24th August.
What makes your clothing ethical?
To get into our collection, all products have to have a positive social or environmental impact that sets them apart from the mainstream. That could look like a t-shirt made in a wind-powered factory with a carbon footprint 90% lower than that of a conventional t-shirt or a pair of trousers hand-made by the designer in London using locally sourced fabrics.
Who or what has inspired you in the fashion industry the most?
Ed Vickers, who actually introduced me to Jonathan who founded Brothers We Stand. He runs Jollie Socks and I interned with him a while back. He has created such a strong brand identity and that comes across every time you chat to him. He’s also ran with his idea with such confidence that he’s now got Jollie’s in Fortnum & Mason, John Lewis etc. and very soon they’ll be at Brothers We Stand!
Jonathan Mitchell, founder of Brothers We Stand
What makes your clothing ethical?
The goal is to make ethically produced clothing as accessible as possible, I think one of the best ways to do that is having places where people can see, feel and try on clothing. So we would love to continue opening stores all over the country and give people a genuine ethical alternative on the high street.
If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before the beginning of your career, what would it be?
I would have told myself not to ignore the petrol light, to avoid breaking down days before the shop opened.
Will you be bringing out a womens line in the future?
We’d absolutely love to at some point. There’s just two of us guys currently running the business so we’ll definitely need some female input before embarking on that venture!
Brothers We Stand are located at Unit 20, Cargo 2, Museum Street, Bristol, BS1 6ZA. Visit their website at www.brotherswestand.com and keep up to date through their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.