Stepup

A. The main facts about the activities of the company.

Ethical Clothing Company, who employ only 6 people. They produce specifically aiming for:

• no discrimination against employees,
• no child labor,
• no forced labor,
• safe and healthy working conditions,
• organic cotton,
• no pesticides,
• 90% reduced CO2 rate on each shirt.

This a young, vibrant and (mostly) positive company that is seeking more than to just sell it’s own name, and promote it’s own brand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMTs...

B. The Ethical challenges this company is addressing.

It addresses ethical issues in two ways - firstly the clothes produced are sustainably sourced and manufactured which justifies a higher price, and makes it more of a unique company.

Secondly many designs are produced for a reason, a specific purpose. highlighting current ethical issues - for example deforestation, polar bear extinction, issues in the Gaza strip, waling debates.

Also on the website and Facebook/twitter pages, the company often post articles or debates of interesting on ethical debates that may not be widely known (or in the mainstream media).

C. What makes you believe this company is really ethical and why you trust it?

The age and size of the firm imply it is run by driven and active people. the Facebook and twitter accounts are not simple tools used to promote it’s own name, but to talk of ethical issues. This implies it sticks to the values it promotes.

It seems to me the fundamental basis of the company is more than clothing. This isn’t a designer brand. They don’t sell especially cheap clothes. The uniqueness of this company is that they don’t only produce ethically, but they highlight ethical issues.

D.The possible challenges facing the company in the future and how you think this company may improve.

Firstly temptation to produce cheaper, and therefore sell cheaper, and therefore expand - changing it’s values more to money and profit than to ethical issues. if the company comes under threat - maybe losing money, then this could be a temptation.

Another challenge could be that people buy and wear the products not to become involved in the issues and/or debates, but because they find the brand popular - simply as yet another clothing brand.

to improve the company could address more issues - at the moment they only promote/highlight a few topics, maybe they could consider more, different topics to discuss.

Also if they do expand and improve, there is a danger the company could become more like others - investing in itself, in promotion, using profits simply for the company - rather than maintaining it’s current values and ethics.