Anya, one of the joint founders of Frank & Faith, talks to Kucha about why they created the brand and as shoppers, we have great purchasing power and should use it wisely...

One of the most frequent question we are asked is why did we decide to launch an ethical brand. I did try to think of something edgy and interesting to say but the truth is and this may sound like a big fat cliché but as soon as I had my first child three years ago I started to look at the world in a different way.

I had worked in fashion for over 20 years and when I became a mother I knew I didn’t want to buy clothes for myself or my children that had been made by other children in sweat shops. It wasn’t an over night eureka moment, for years my trips to the Far East had been leaving a bad feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. Working for some of the biggest high street retailers for all this time meant I had seen a belly full of the realties of what sweatshop manufacturing is all about.

Rachel Cardigan in Cranberry

Over 40 million workers, mainly woman and children suffer long hours, poor wages, unsafe working conditions, abuse, and discrimination. So we turned to our home market for our manufacturing needs. Once huge, employing thousands of skilled and unskilled workers across the UK but now sadly struggling to keep their heads above the tidal wave of cheap imported clothes coming in from the Far East. By manufacturing all our goods in the UK was the only way Frank & Faith felt completely confident that our garments would be made fairly. But what got to us the most was the ignorance around why our clothes on the high street are now suddenly so cheap.

Less than 10 years ago we didn’t think it bad to pay a fiver for a good quality white T-shirt from Marks and Spencer’s, now we’re not happy unless our fiver buys us a pack of five T-shirts and change left over. We need to know the full story behind the things we buy, whether it’s the food we eat, the way we invest our savings or the way our clothes are manufactured.

	Founder, Anya, her son James (who models the childrenswear) & their Dog, Daizy

Frank & Faith is a small brand, growing year on year. By establishing Frank & Faith we have given people a choice and the small changes we make now with our shopping habits, will have a huge impact on our futures and even more importantly our children’s futures.

So make your money talk, consumers are the reason for the move towards ecologically and socially conscious choices. You are the reason that things are starting to change. Remember how small the organic fruit and veg sections were at some super markets? Now look at the organic, fair-trade and sustainable offers we have on food now!

The money in our pockets is as powerful as your vote. Make your shopping decisions matter. We all get fed up with how long it takes governments to change things around, but the power of the pound is a potent tool, which we should all put to good use!

Click here to view Frank & Faith Ladieswear, Childrenswear & Homewares >>