Brands We Love : Ethical Made Easy

We are so stoked to announce another one of our beloved Brands We Love features, and it couldn't have come at a better time! While we're all stuck at home, it's become apparent how quickly we've all taken taking to shopping online as a safe alternative and this has gotten us thinking about how and where we put our money. 

Sustainable fashion is something we've been conscious of for a long, long time and that's all because of our wonderful friend Jasmine Mayhead and her incredible ethical directory, Ethical Made Easy. If you haven't heard of them already, we are thrilled to make the introduction for you. Keep reading for our interview below, and click over to Jasmine's Guide to Sustainable Shopping over here while you're at it!

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Hey Jas! We’re so excited to feature your brain baby, Ethical Made Easy, as we’re already such super fans of everything you do. 

Can you tell those who might not know you, who you are and what you’re about? 

I’m Jasmine, a Kiwi girl who grew up on a flower farm in New Zealand and somehow ended up living in the big smoke of Melbourne. Somewhere amongst leaving the flower farm for University and moving to Barcelona for a semester abroad, I stumbled across the concept of ethical fashion. 

To put it simply (‘cause that’s our thing here at Ethical Made Easy) ‘ethical fashion’ is knowing where your clothes are made, and whether the people who made your clothing are treated with respect and are given the same basic human rights that we in the west are so accustomed to. 

Was there an inciting incident that inspired the start of Ethical Made Easy? 

I watched a documentary called The True Cost, which I highly recommend every single person watch, and it really opened my eyes to an industry rife with exploitation, throwaway culture, and completely trashing our planet. I was frustrated and angry, and I couldn’t seem to find a place online that offered ethical brands in one place, where I could learn as much as I wanted about a brand and the founder behind it. So, I created Ethical Made Easy (EME). 

I’ve found that as a society we’re so conditioned to be aware of the price of things, and getting the best price, but we never stop to think that if a top costs $5 (sometimes even less), there’s someone else, somewhere paying the price for that. 

Ethical Made Easy at its core is about making it easy to find ethical alternatives to fast fashion, homewares and the day-to-day items we all use. Not only that but we aim to meet people where they’re at. Not everyone has the disposable income to afford the luxury of purchasing ethically for every item, so we offer solutions for if you have a little money, none at all, or a fair amount. Similarly, not everyone is versed in ethical fashion, so we welcome them with open arms and never make anyone feel judged for not being perfect. 

What have been some of the most challenging moments of your journey with Ethical Made Easy so far? 

Hmmm good question! A few come to mind. 

I struggle daily with EME when it comes to educating people on the most incredible ethical brands that are changing the narrative of what it means to do business, whilst also trying to educate people to not purchase something if they don’t actually need it. It’s a fine line, and I’m constantly trying to walk the tightrope of it. 

I also find talking about ethics with friends and family quite challenging. When I tell people I run Ethical Made Easy, I’m often met with completely blank stares. Trying to not make people feel bad for their lack of awareness is difficult, that’s why we make acceptance and inclusivity the top of our brand values. 

One of the most consistent challenging moments I’ve had the last four years is finding time for Ethical Made Easy. I’m so passionate about it, but to date it’s just been a passion project of mine and something I do and try and learn more about when I have a spare minute as I also run another business called Common Intent where I help ethical and sustainable businesses grow and market themselves, and compete with their mainstream competitors. 

So trying to find the balance across both businesses, when you’re equally passionate, whilst trying to also look after my health and not burn myself into the ground has been the biggest struggle, and something I’m working on more and more each day. Whilst I’m definitely not there yet, when I put my mind to something there is nothing stopping me. 

What’s up next for you? We’re so excited to see EME continue to grow! 

My goodness, so much! I don’t know where to begin. 

All I’ll say is that we’ve got some huge things planned both online with our website to make it even easier to both find ethical brands, but also to be educated more about it, and we’ve also got some offline things planned. Watch this space!

Head over here, to check out Ethical Made Easy's directory of ethical brands!