In 2005, activist Ali Hewson and husband Bono of U2 fame kick-started Edun to catalyse trade in the African continent and encourage production as well as sourcing from within the region. If impact were to be measured by numbers, it reportedly did not take long for Edun’s sales to touch enviable heights. The brand’s Spring Collection this year is said to be largely produced in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the last decade, Edun and other big names in fashion have taken charity to the mainstream in their efforts to ‘give back’.

But the concept of ‘ethical brands’ is not new. Gav and Dru Lawson, two brothers, started THTC about 15 years ago with organic clothing on their mind. Along with Living Crafts, THTC has now been named ‘UK’s second most ethical non-high street clothing brand.’ THTC, a streetwear label, gives off that ‘low key’ vibe but is a big hit with a diverse set of activists, artists and celebrities. In the same year that Edun was founded, THTC was runner-up at the first Observer Ethical Awards.

Notably, India’s very own socially conscious brand Being Human turned profitable in its first year. Not a mean feat, considering its positioning as a casualwear and accessories brand. On the sidelines of a stationery collection drive being run across 23 Being Human outlets nationwide, Kunal Mehta, Vice-President (Marketing and Business Development) at Mandhana Industries, says, “That’s what has worked for us. The positioning of Being Human as a casual but fashionable brand that enables people to give back. It’s a powerful combination and it works for us no matter where in the world we are.” Mandhana is behind the Being Human brand.

The world definitely seems to have become its oyster. Mandhana Industries, one of the largest textile producers and exporters in the country, worked with one key distributor to first tap into the European market. France and Belgium were the early targets. Two years on, Being Human reports 70 selling points across France.

In a second phase of expansion, the brand zeroed in on West Asia where it is now present in 10 countries across more than 100 outlets. Landmark Group’s largest retail arm Splash has been the brand’s main retail platform.

The Indian market came next. Being Human’s first store here was set up on Linking Road in Mumbai. “Eighteen more outlets will be added to our existing 23 all over the country. Our capitalisation of shop-in-shop opportunities has strengthened our reach. We will grow from 115 shop-in-shop points in large-format retail stores across India to nearly 175 by the end of this year,” says Mehta.

Mandhana Industries has leveraged its partnership with the Salman Khan Foundation for its social outreach activities. Being Human’s impact is now undeniable. Among celebrities here, Salman Khan has arguably the largest following; and with schools opening after the summer, NGOs that reached out to Being Human for help with collecting good quality unused stationery for underprivileged children expect the momentum to be sizeable.

While the social initiatives continue, Being Human continues an aggressive global spread. From 2015, it’s slated to showcase in two Selfridges outlets. A deal inked with one of Canada’s large retail names means Autumn/Winter 2015 will see Being Human in some outlets there. Its move into South Africa is on similar lines, with an e-commerce partner included. Autumn/Winter 2014 will feature Being Human in six outlets across Sri Lanka, where a large retail entity with 18-20 stores across the country has partnered with the brand.

Plans are on to move into Tier 2 Indian cities and metros such as Kolkata and Lucknow. The brand’s e-commerce partnerships have been successful so far. “Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong and Koovs bring in a substantial 15-20 per cent of our topline. We closed last financial year profitably. Our first year gave us ₹179 crore which is significant for a casualwear brand,” Mehta reveals. It sells a range of apparel but it is the T-shirts that are most popular, priced Rs 699 onwards.

In recent years, many young entrepreneurs have been venturing into the opportunity that comes with being an ethical brand. Besides the Oxfams of the world, it certainly helps that both large names and pioneering entrants have proven the space to be lucrative as well as beneficial to communities.

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