Fashion / ethical fashion
Bristol fashion-brand launches UK’s first ‘tipping’ scheme
Would you tip the person who made your clothes?
Bristol-based ethical clothing brand Yes Friends thinks people will. The brand claims to be the first UK-based clothing company to give it’s customers the opportunity to directly tip garment workers on the other side of the world.
Sam Mabley, the co-founder of the “affordable, ethical and sustainable” brand claims the company is giving its consumers the chance to guarantee that their workers are paid a living wage.
is needed now More than ever
Sam has partnered up with Tip Me, a German start-up, to create a new range of jeans that will offer consumers the opportunity to tip their garment workers at the check out.
Would you tip the person that made your clothes? Photo: Yes Friends
The jeans, which will cost consumers £39.99 and are made in a living wage factory in Vietnam, are, reportedly the first fashion product in the UK where people are given the option of directly tipping the workers in the cut-and-sew factory where the clothing is made.
Kieu Diem, one of Yes Friend’s garment workers in Vietnam, said: “The tips have allowed me to buy diapers and cakes for my children. It makes such a difference having that extra income.”
The model has already been tested in Germany, where Tip Me’s founder, Jonathan Funke, launched the company in 2014. The scheme was a huge success, with around half of all shoppers tipping within the year of its release.
Speaking about the new scheme, Sam said: “We are giving customers a connection with garment workers on the other side of the world. Enabling them to show their support and thanks, whilst knowing they’re making a genuine impact with each tip.”
He continued: “By using direct-to-consumer margins and paying our workers well, we want to make ethical and sustainable clothing accessible to the mass market.
“We believe consumers want their clothing to be ethical, but we know that affordability is the number one barrier for ethical brands. Yes Friends provides a new way forward. We’re making ethical clothing accessible to everyone.”
Fast-fashion tycoons such as Pretty Little Thing and Boohoo have been criticised in recent months for their treatment of garment workers. The industry has a long way to go in creating sustainable and ethical supply chains.
The move to buying online however, which has only increased since lockdown, offers an opportunity for companies to change the way consumers shop. Yes Friends could be taking a big step in the right direction.
Yes Friends is currently an online store, and the Tip Me button is available on their website on certain items of clothing.
Main photo: Tip Me
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