The ethical fashion brand championing change across the industry

For years, affordable fashion has been associated with the rapid production of cheap clothes, low wages and a throwaway approach to consumption. Clothing company Yes Friends is challenging this model and proving that fashion can be both sustainable and affordable. 

The Bristol-based brand, which was founded with the aim of making ethical clothing accessible to more people, launched in 2021 with a £7.99 sustainable and ethically made T-shirt. It has since expanded its range to include everything from underwear to corduroy jackets, while putting workers’ rights and lower-impact production at the heart of its business.

“There’s a big myth going around the fashion industry that it’s expensive to make ethical clothing,” says founder Sam Mabley. “We’re running a profitable business selling ethical clothing at affordable prices so I think we’ve proved that it doesn’t need to be expensive.”

“We’ve only really put into practice what all the research has been saying, it’s not news to the industry that it’s affordable to pay living wages, that’s not a radical thing to say,” Mabley continues. “Every brand should be doing it, regardless of price point.”  

One way Yes Friends is attempting to improve conditions for garment workers is through its tipping scheme, which allows customers to give money directly by adding a tip at checkout. Alongside a living-wage premium, the scheme has raised more than £56,000 for garment workers to date.

The brand’s approach has attracted renewed attention after Mabley appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den earlier this month, securing £20,000 from Deborah Meaden in exchange for 2% of the business – twice the amount he originally asked for.

“I was quickly impressed by both the high quality of the clothing and the impact that Yes Friends has already had, and knew this was a business I wanted to be a part of. I’m excited to see the brand continue to transform the fashion industry,” says Meaden. 

The investment comes at a time when governments and cities around the world are increasingly questioning the environmental and social costs of fast fashion, and looking at ways to reduce demand for it.

France has introduced restrictions on advertising for fast fashion, while Bristol City Council has this week also announced limits on advertising for fast fashion alongside products including SUVs, cruises and fossil fuels on council-owned advertising sites.

Every brand should be doing it, regardless of price point

From an industry sustainability perspective, Mabley believes better fabrics are needed “across the board”. Yes Friends uses Fair Trade and organic cotton and is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, but he says the industry needs to look towards creating a more circular fashion system. “That’s going to be a big part of the sustainability conversation,” he says.

Now, with Meaden’s investment and expertise behind it, Yes Friends hopes to take its approach to a wider audience and grow its impact further. For Mabley, changing the fashion industry means more than persuading consumers to shop differently.

“We want to be the brand at the forefront of championing change across the industry and working with other brands to do that as well, because we’re very aware that one brand is not going to do it on their own, it’s going to be brands together.”

Images: Sam Mabley / Yes Friends