Everlane promotes radical transparency in its 2 week pop-up. Everything inside contains a breakdown of elements and cost!
There's a fine line between partial truths and complete nonchalance when it comes to corporate responsibility in the fashion industry. Self-disclosure is a touchy topic; pique public interest beyond the "Made in [insert country here]" label and customers may become dissuaded by the hefty profit margin or questionable ethics over waste and wages. Fortunately for many brands, the average consumer is so far removed from the production process that the normalcy of what caused the catastrophe in Bangladesh or the child labor situation in Australia strikes as an unexpected surprise. So why is internet retailer Everlane taking to the City of New York with a campaign of conscience?
Day 1 of Everlane's pop-up is christened with a "housewarming" party
Full transparency is markedly scarce in manufacturing. Yet, despite the curtain of comfort that separates product consumers from product creators, Everlane encourages customers to "Know your factories. Know your costs. Always ask why." In the spirit of "radical transparency," Everlane has parked a 2-week, $234,000 "Open House" pop-up on 199 Lafayette St. (in Soho) to share its business model and connect with customers. After all, an understanding of a brand's cost-to-market practices leads to an overarching understanding of its value proposition. Without the strain of funding a traditional brick-and-mortar space, Everlane is able to pass on substantial savings without scaling back quality.
Promotional tote and swing trench
Forging ahead with unparalleled sincerity, Everlane has partnered with simplehuman, Kaufman Mercantile and ABC Home and Carpet to build a model home and tag its contents with a breakdown of the materials, labor and cost used to create each item. Who would've guessed the dining table in the entry way took 8 furniture makers 102 hours + $1,320 in plywood + $38 in hinges to make? Or that the Scott toilet tissue in the washroom costs 7 cents to produce, but retails for $1.00?
800 guests attend the "housewarming" Friday evening
Along with food-focused organizations Gather Journal and Edible Schoolyard NYC, Everlane's pop up will host a roster of events including talks, tastings and recipe testing. Browse upcoming events and sign up to participate here. The Open House will be open to the public until June 28th. Curb your curiosity about the factories used in Everlane's manufacturing process here.
Product wall. Select items are for sale in-store. Others can be purchased online via the Apple products littering the pop-up
The Slingback style costs $49 to produce. Everlane sells the shoes for $98 where other retailers would charge $195
Shoppers stop in Saturday morning for brunch and browsing
The Petra magazine tote in cognac costs about $187 to manufacture and sells for $325 at Everlane. The traditional retail price is $1,100
Organic fruit + reading materials for a relaxing morning
A healthy crowd gathers Saturday morning
A relatively quiet start to brunch featuring Baz Bagels
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