Sale season is upon us and again has us in two minds here at The One Six.
We stand for quality over quantity, and the mindful curation of a forever wardrobe.
We advocate slower and more ethical consumption which means consciously collecting high quality pieces that you'll actually wear again and again, made in more sustainable fabrics by workers being paid a living wage. And then treasuring these pieces for years.
The reality of sales such as Black Friday is that they encourage the opposite of this - mindless consumption, impulse (and incorrect) purchases, and yet more clothing ending up in landfill. Yet consumers expect and appreciate regular sales (and with the cost of living and economy at the moment, I understand why!).
As a designer of an independent brand, I can't see the logic of putting my all into a new collection only to put it on sale just a few months after it's launched. At the same time, I appreciate that pieces produced ethically and in more sustainable fabrics come at a premium price point, and for our customers sales can offer a chance to purchase quality from their favourite brands for less.
To protect the planet, and ensure we're not overproducing, we make our pieces in very small amounts (even in single digits sometimes), and very rarely carry any excess stock. From time to time, it may be necessary for us to put certain items on sale, for example colours that don't sell well. However, constantly running sales is against our values.
So it's a complex issue and we're only a very small voice in a very big industry full of mass marketing and mass overproduction. But I ask you to consider these things if you make a purchase this sale season:
- Who made your product?
- Where was it made? Was it made ethically, i.e. by a maker being paid a minimum wage or higher?
- What it is made from?
- Will you wear it again and again, and will it transcend seasons?
Because the world cannot take more fast fashion, right?
-Shiv, One Six Founder & Director