People Tree: the Slow Fashion Pioneers
In a nutshell:
What do they sell? All the essentials for your everyday and work-appropriate wardrobe.
Why are they so great? People Tree are the gold standard of modern ethical fashion – they’re fair & responsible, they give back, and they’re paving the way for the future.
People Tree go to the roots to make the garment production industry a force for good, and are pioneers in the slow fashion movement.
The full story:
Who are People Tree?
People Tree, founded by Safia Minney back in 1991, is regarded as a pioneer in the ‘slow fashion’ movement – they were doing it way before it was cool, becoming a certified fair trade organisation in 1996. People Tree works exclusively with Fair Trade makers and distributers, has high ecological standards, and promotes slow fashion principles.
From high-quality cigarette pants, to pretty work dresses and the occasional slogan tee, People Tree has all of the basics as well as a hearty selection of sophisticated pieces, all at an affordable price. The range is mature but versatile, and if you want to shop in absolute certainty that you’re supporting a responsible production line, you need look no further.
Safia Minney is another name to keep an eye on if you want to immerse yourself in ethical living. She’s an inspiring ethical entrepreneur and has written extensively on the anti-fast fashion movement, including her books ‘Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics’ and ‘Naked Fashion’.
Why is what they do important?
The video below shows why companies like People Tree are so important to manufacturers around the world:
Rather than just trying to minimise the negative impact that making clothes has on communities around the world, at People Tree, giving people the opportunity to make their communities better is at the heart of the business. They want to provide job security for all their makers and contribute to the financial and social prosperity of the communities they operate in. As the video exemplifies, they also want to provide job satisfaction and aim to both develop and praise highly-skilled workers. Rather than fuelling repetitive and unfulfilling garment assembly, where a worker spends 12 hours sewing the same seam onto 1000s of identical garments, People Tree want workers to make whole pieces from start to finish, and to be a valued asset rather than a cheap tool to the production process. You can read profiles on all of their makers here.
But it's about the materials used as much as it is about the people handling them. In their SS 16 collection, 90% of garments were made from certified organic cotton and they’re in the process of exploring new innovative materials in order to reduce even further the negative impact of their clothing’s raw materials on the world. They are investing in working with new materials such as Tencel & new types of organic wool, and using them in their collections as soon as possible.
Where can I find them?
Shop People Tree’s collection here, and find out more about their initiatives and practices on their YouTube channel.
