Just Ethical
Curated ethical streetwear collections, with music artists as the centrepiece.
Initial inspiration
Inspired by volunteering and leading a homeless outreach group in Birmingham, I found over the course of 18 months that I saw the same people on the streets again and again. When I asked them why they seemed to be stuck in the cycle of homelessness, the answer was always the same: no job = no accommodation, no accommodation = no job.
This inspired me to create jobs, and my passion for social enterprise was born.
How it all started
At university in Birmingham I started several different Social Enterprises to help the local homeless community, eventually landing on a longer-term project (BuyBetter) to enable clothing shoppers to be able to quickly compare the ethical credentials of similar items from a range in brands. I successfully got onto an incubator with this start-up, but found myself unable to give it the time it needed once I started full-time work on London with the civil service post-university.
Recently I’ve found the space to dream and create again, and so came about Just Ethical with my brother who has 10 years experience in start-ups and the music industry.
Memorable highs along the journey
Gathering a team for BuyBetter
Getting onto the incubator scheme in Birmingham
Spending time with the homeless community in Birmingham; so many great memories of chatting and praying with these people.
Working with my brother on Just Ethical, and feeding off his excitement!
Formational lows
Failing quickly early-on with several start-ups at university.
Having to close down BuyBetter after two years of hard work.
Coming back feeling helpless from nights with the homeless community in Birmingham.
Foundation verses that have inspired along the way
Isaiah 6:8 - “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!””
Micah 6:8 - “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
1 John 4:19 - “We love because he first loved us.”
Key advice to other pioneers
Know your motivating factor and maintain closeness to it throughout your planning and strategising. One of my key failures was that I stopped volunteering with the homeless to focus on these projects - but I found I quickly lost focus when I wasn’t spending time with the people I wanted to help. Know why you are doing the work and stay close to that reason, reminding yourself of it as regularly as possible.
Our why
We make sustainable streetwear collections with music artists as the centrepiece.
Team
Chris Brees
Timing
Started April 2020
Funding
None needed for either so far (except some minor investment from ourselves). Just Ethical isn’t a capital-intensive model.
Structure
Not yet registered, but will be Private Company Limited by Shares.
