Honest by. (Bruno Pieters)

[Crying Diamonds]

Bruno Pieters has finally made a return to fashion.. with an innovative take on it.

HONEST BY IS A PIONEERING CLOTHING BRAND AND RETAILER LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2012.
THE LINE IS UNIQUE IN BEING ENTIRELY OPEN ABOUT ITS SUPPLY CHAIN AND PRICING.​

Bruno Pieters conceived Honest by during a sabbatical from the fashion industry in Southern India. An award-winning designer and art director, Pieters spent 2010 exploring the developing world, an experience that profoundly affected his personal philosophy and his thinking about fashion. Observing how native people wore clothes that were grown, woven and sewn from sources they could identify around them, he wondered if such transparency could be operated on an international scale when making designer products. On his return to Antwerp Pieters began to work on a radical new concept.
Honest by is the first company in the world to offer consumers a full cost breakdown of its products. At every stage, from yarn and buttons through to fabric and manufacturing, consumers are shown exactly what their money is buying, revealing even the mark up.
The brand also offers full disclosure of the production process informing about all materials and design, answering two questions: where it was made and by whom.
The brand's team undertook a year-long research into the sources of raw materials, tracing back the origins of fabrics and trimmings to be certain that every element in each garment is as environmentally friendly as possible, that wellbeing of consumer’s skin is taken into consideration and that working conditions are safe. Organic certification, too, was researched rigorously. Supporting animal welfare, the brand chooses not to use leather, fur, shell or horn. The only animal products are wool and silk. The wool is either certified organic, recycled or sourced from selected farms in countries like the UK, where laws on farming ensure the welfare of animals. The raw materials of the silk fabrics are certified organic. There is a vegan option available, entirely free of animal products, for almost every design.

honestby.com/en

 

[Psylocke]

Thanks for the link to the website. I already see a ton of things I want Everything is quite pricey but assuming the pieces are worth the price I hope I can get a few things. Love the beautiful cuts and soft colors. And I'm glad that he uses organic garments and that eco-friendly fashion is becoming more of a trend over here in Europe.

 

[MulletProof]

I don't see anything in that video .. I'm glad for Bruno, he deserves exposure more than most people that get it these days.

 

[Crying Diamonds]

Bruno’s Back

January 31, 2012 9:36 am
Belgian designer Bruno Pieters’ Spring 2010 runway show in Paris was the grand finale of his namesake ready-to-wear line. “Many of my dreams were coming true, but it wasn’t bringing me the happiness I thought it would,” he tells Style.com. After a year-long sabbatical spent exploring the developing world, he’s back with a fresh approach to fashion and a renewed enthusiasm for the industry, fueled by his new fashion brand, Honest By, and accompanying e-commerce site (www.honestby.com), which launched yesterday.

“I was in India and saw this Gandhi poster that said, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world,’ and that just stuck with me. Clothes are considered by many people to be innocent, they think they are just dresses, but that’s not the case and there are consequences to our work,” Pieters explains.

His solution: a high-quality brand with 100 percent transparency about how the clothes are produced and a full breakdown of how each item is priced. Pieters is the first designer for the site, but every three months he will introduce and sell a collection from a different designer (he remained tight-lipped about his April designer). Honest By Bruno Pieters has a different spirit than his more tailored work in prior years. “They are neoclassic hybrids,” he says of the men’s and women’s pieces, many of them unisex, in the new eco-conscious line (with prices ranging from €250 for a shirt to upward of €1,100 for a coat). “It’s mixtures of classic favorites, like one coat is a bomber jacket, T-shirt, and trenchcoat all in one. This is more casual and more daywear than the collections I showed in Paris.”
—Kristin Studeman
Photo: Courtesy of Honest By

style.com

 

[lucy92]

good for him. its nice that designers besides linda loudermilk and rogan are doing lines like this.

 

[Scott]

^not to mention one with his technical prowess.

i don't have time to post everything but here's the full collection.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2012/ready-to-wear/honest-by-bruno-pieters-pre

i think given its concept and direction,i quite like it. it's very easy,accessible and versatile....but still very bruno.

 

[softgrey]

A fashion revolution?

January 30, 2012 2:01 pm by Vanessa Friedman


By far the most exciting thing I saw last week during the couture in Paris wasn’t couture at all, but a website that launches today: www.honestby.com. The brainchild of Belgian designer Bruno Pieters, late of Hugo Boss, it is the most subversive etail initiative I have seen. I think it has the power to transform the fashion industry. Really. You know I don’t say these things lightly. Indeed, my natural instinct whenever a fashion person tells me they have something “revolutionary” happening is to roll my eyes and grimace. But then, Pieters didn’t tell me this – I thought it up all on my own when I saw his project.
Why?
Because this site, which will sell a collection of 56 pieces for men and women (only 20 items of each style will be made, including different sizes) by Mr Pieters, and then start offering collections by guest designers in three months (he wouldn’t tell me who they were), is transparent, and mostly sustainable. Let me say that again: transparent financially and in terms of manufacturing.
Since I know this is hard to imagine, let me explain. You go to “collection” and, say, you click on a coat. Under the section “material information” you will find the description of material used, its composition, weight, yarn or piece-dyed, the origin of the raw material, who spun it, who wove it, whether it is organic, if so, what certificate it has earned (and what said certificate means), and a website for the supplier – and you will find this for the fabric, the zipper, the lining, the trim, the label, the buttons, the thread and so on.
Meanwhile, under “price information”: you will find out the cost per metre of the fabric, how much was ordered, how much was used, how much labour was involved, what the mark-up was, and how the profit was used.
In other words, by the time you press “buy” you will know exactly what you are paying for. Zounds!
Nothing like this has been done in my living memory. Fashion, especially high-end fashion, is a business built on opacity: things cost what they cost because of ephemeral matters like “heritage” and “hand-work” and “brand equity” and the less the consumer knows about the literal value of these, the better off the brands are (and the more they can charge). Though he says most of the suppliers and designers he approached were enthusiastic, some were “upset, and said we shouldn’t communicate on this.”
It is precisely this attitude that Mr Pieters wants to change – he thinks it breeds consumer mistrust – and why he wanted absolute clarity in his own brand. Indeed, he says if orders go up and he achieves economies of scale, his prices will come down.
It seems to me this has the potential to be a real game-changer in fashion, because if consumers get used to having this sort of information available, they could start demanding it from other brands. Once information is out there in the world, it’s impossible to get it back. And then – goodness me. I can barely contain myself.


ft.com

 

[softgrey]

TOTAL COST 115,61 EURO

WHOLESALE MARK UP: X 2,0
= 231,23 EURO
The wholesale mark up covers a part of the Honest by Bruno Pieters collection costs such as staff, design, research, development of new collection,purchasing of fabrics and trimmings, utility costs, insurance, communications, rent, transportation, intellectual property rights, professional association costs, office supplies, maintenance costs, legal and accounting costs.

RETAIL MARK UP: X 2,0
The retail mark up covers a part of the Honest by company costs such as staff, purchasing of new collections, webshop operational costs, utility costs, rent, insurance, communications, transportation, intellectual property rights, professional association costs, office supplies, maintenance costs, legal and accounting costs, and marketing.
* We are able to operate at a 2,0 markup for the Honest by Bruno Pieters collection as we currently sell exclusively on www.honestby.com.

the mark ups are what i know to be industry standards...
i don't really understand why they are still marking up this much...
it's fine to be transparent and show where the money is actually being spent in terms of the development and production of the goods...
but it doesn't really change anything...

it's still the same mark up...and it's still expensive!...

i guess there are a lot of luxury retailers who push the boundaries in terms of the standard 2.0 mark up...
ie - hermes, who hasn't really got much overhead in terms of development since they use the same designs for the most part...

i don't know...
i'm not sure i see the benefit of this to the consumer...
i guess if you are really ignorant about how much production and materials cost, then there is some good info there...
but i don't think most luxury customers really care how much the zipper costs or who made it...

do you?


and do we really think that other luxury brands are going to adopt this strategy?......

 

[Mutterlein]

the mark ups are what i know to be industry standards...
i don't really understand why they are still marking up this much...
it's fine to be transparent and show where the money is actually being spent in terms of the development and production of the goods...
but it doesn't really change anything...

it's still the same mark up...and it's still expensive!...

i guess there are a lot of luxury retailers who push the boundaries in terms of the standard 2.0 mark up...
ie - hermes, who hasn't really got much overhead in terms of development since they use the same designs for the most part...

i don't know...
i'm not sure i see the benefit of this to the consumer...
i guess if you are really ignorant about how much production and materials cost, then there is some good info there...
but i don't think most luxury customers really care how much the zipper costs or who made it...

do you?


and do we really think that other luxury brands are going to adopt this strategy?......

Well, while that may seem to be the industry standard how it actually plays out at luxury brands, and any other tier of the apparel industry for that matter, is a bit different. Things change based on circumstance.

With a brand like Hermes I actually do believe their mark up more or less reflects their actual costs, they actually keep very low margins due to using more expensive and laborious production systems. Handmade products, as opposed to a machine operated by hand, cost a lot.

NOW, large conglomerates like LVMH and PPR are a different story. You would be appalled at their mark ups. They are far beyond x2. FAR beyond.

That Pieters is being transparent is a big deal, if Celine were totally transparent with its mark up I doubt people would be so in love. You know what I mean?

 

[tricotineacetat]

The usual mark-up in fashion retail is between 2,5 and 2,7, depending on who is being charged for transport costs.

On the fashion company's front, the mark-up to calculate wholesale prices can vary greatly between the different companies and product categories offered... Chanel small leather goods for instance has a 600% mark up applied to the entire chain from wholesale to retail (taking into account they do not wholesale to anyone but franchised stores, it's hard to know exactly how this translates to ready-to-wear etc.), whereas some independent, upstart companies apply much lower to help lower otherwise by far too expensive wholesale prices... Then again, it really depends on the overall maintenance costs of a fashion house - The show production, showrooms, press agencies, advertising etc. all need to be covered from these product margins.

Having said that, it seems to me that this new Bruno Pieters enterprise calculates rather modestly based on a 400% up charge margin altogether - and yet the prices seem high for quite a few of these styles.

 

[tricotineacetat]

The second designer contributing to this project is in fact Paris-based, Canadian designer Calla Haynes.

 

[Tentacl Ventricl]

Great to see the return of Mr Pieters. I shall always remember the beauty of his SS10 collection.

As to this Honest.by launch collection it has a bookish charm. And a sort of girlish sweetness. Yet at the same time an androgynous quiteness. Never for a moment straying into frou nor titillation nor cliche, there is nevertheless an undercurrent of seduction. Ultimately though a collection of the mind not the body.

The turn to the 'away from the body' silhouette initiated, we might say, by RAF Simons for Jil Sander SS11, can still read aesthetically awkward when accompanied by too much boxiness and/or gaudy colour. But when rendered with quiet ease, as here, it feels very right.

I am wondering whether 'away from the body' could be said to stand as a metaphor for moving beyond the cultural centrality of the Body in philosophy (Foucault, Kristeva, etc) and in art since the 90's. I don't know about that and it could be that fashion is, here, taking the cultural lead. This collection has a connect to what has become a dirty word - the intellect.

In a way it is unfortunate that all the talk of the book-keeping openess in the reviews has somewhat taken attention away from the work itself.

Whilst I wouldn't for a moment think of the provision of all the costing information to be in anyway a marketing 'ploy' (I've no doubt the price transparency is born not of cynicism but of a genuine intent to be, indeed, honest) yet we are, there, in the territory of marketing. It's a radical way of selling, of course, and turns fashion branding away from appeals to the senses and 'desire'. As challenging of the status quo and as newsworthy as that departure is, one does just wonder if it might be a little too dry and rational. When making a purchase doesn't the consumer in fact want to dream rather than engage in auditing? Even fairly fair trade is nevertheless trade. To have the cold facts of things like mark-ups put in front of us at point of purchase may well in fact be a turn-off? Just something we'd rather not think of, information we'd really rather stayed hidden.

Having expressed doubts as to whether it's a form of fashion marketing that really has any broad appeal to consumers, I do however delight, at the level of theory at least, in how deconstructive the approach might be applied to those major brands who spend so much of each item's price on maintaining the brand name. The truth of the adage that you really do 'pay for the name'. It's a lead that LVMH, PPR, etc won't follow because they absolutely can't. (And let's not think for a minute about mark-ups in the whole of the parfums sector omg!). And I suppose therein lies the point. Differentiation.

I'm afraid it doesn't herald any sort of 'revolution' because the followers of the major high profile brands will continue to stay locked in the psychology of desire and supporting brands because they know the name. (And which blind allegiance will continue to be mirrored in the level of attention the major houses receive at show time in these forums).

Some of us might long for a more rational and equitable world but we aren't about to get that any time soon. A least, though, in the meantime, we can heart Bruno Pieters.

 

[Mutterlein]

Great to see the return of Mr Pieters. I shall always remember the beauty of his SS10 collection.

As to this Honest.by launch collection it has a bookish charm. And a sort of girlish sweetness. Yet at the same time an androgynous quiteness. Never for a moment straying into frou nor titillation nor cliche, there is nevertheless an undercurrent of seduction. Ultimately though a collection of the mind not the body.

The turn to the 'away from the body' silhouette initiated, we might say, by RAF Simons for Jil Sander SS11, can still read aesthetically awkward when accompanied by too much boxiness and/or gaudy colour. But when rendered with quiet ease, as here, it feels very right.

I am wondering whether 'away from the body' could be said to stand as a metaphor for moving beyond the cultural centrality of the Body in philosophy (Foucault, Kristeva, etc) and in art since the 90's. I don't know about that and it could be that fashion is, here, taking the cultural lead. This collection has a connect to what has become a dirty word - the intellect.

In a way it is unfortunate that all the talk of the book-keeping openess in the reviews has somewhat taken attention away from the work itself.

Whilst I wouldn't for a moment think of the provision of all the costing information to be in anyway a marketing 'ploy' (I've no doubt the price transparency is born not of cynicism but of a genuine intent to be, indeed, honest) yet we are, there, in the territory of marketing. It's a radical way of selling, of course, and turns fashion branding away from appeals to the senses and 'desire'. As challenging of the status quo and as newsworthy as that departure is, one does just wonder if it might be a little too dry and rational. When making a purchase doesn't the consumer in fact want to dream rather than engage in auditing? Even fairly fair trade is nevertheless trade. To have the cold facts of things like mark-ups put in front of us at point of purchase may well in fact be a turn-off? Just something we'd rather not think of, information we'd really rather stayed hidden.

Having expressed doubts as to whether it's a form of fashion marketing that really has any broad appeal to consumers, I do however delight, at the level of theory at least, in how deconstructive the approach might be applied to those major brands who spend so much of each item's price on maintaining the brand name. The truth of the adage that you really do 'pay for the name'. It's a lead that LVMH, PPR, etc won't follow because they absolutely can't. (And let's not think for a minute about mark-ups in the whole of the parfums sector omg!). And I suppose therein lies the point. Differentiation.

I'm afraid it doesn't herald any sort of 'revolution' because the followers of the major high profile brands will continue to stay locked in the psychology of desire and supporting brands because they know the name. (And which blind allegiance will continue to be mirrored in the level of attention the major houses receive at show time in these forums).

Some of us might long for a more rational and equitable world but we aren't about to get that any time soon. A least, though, in the meantime, we can heart Bruno Pieters.

Uh Huh.

 

[Psylocke]

This was so beautiful to read. Maybe a bit too esotericist for my taste in some parts, but there are some interesting thoughts...

THE MAKING OF ME.
Written by Bruno Pieters

Today we celebrate one year of Honest by. What a fascinating journey it has been so far. How much we have learned as a company and how much I have grown as a person in just twelve months. I have received so much from all of you. Letting go of an old story gave me more then I could ever have imagined. I would like to thank you for making this new dream a possibility.

Many of us are aware or are becoming conscious of our unlimited power as individuals. We have created a world where money or the economy is a number one concern. A priority which is making us, the consumers, the masters of the universe. The unconsciousness and insatiable greed of some has put us all in an unprecedented position of control. Through the purchases we make today we are able to shape the world of tomorrow. But what are the other consequences of this material world we currently live in?

Has our obsession with money made our lives as toxic as some of the products we buy? When I'm interviewed or when I meet with friends the first question I'm asked is almost always about Honest by's finances. "How is it going with the business? Are you able to live off it? Is it profitable?" And to this I think, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Is it so hard to believe an honest business can survive? Can success only be achieved through questionable practices? What is success? Does an impressive bank account make us successful? Has making money become the purpose of our lives? Money seems to have become more important than our own lives. Are we aware that it might be preventing us from having a life? Do we know that if we go on like this, it might prevent us from living any kind of life? There has been much written about conscious consumerism and conscious living. What does it mean to be unconscious? For me it meant not knowing who I was, not being aware of my Universality. Not being conscious of it, and not caring about it.

How could I have cared about anything or anyone else if I wasn't even curious about who I was. Was it fear? Did someone tell me there was nothing there worth discovering? Why don't we value the invaluable? Did someone devalue us? Do we still believe that, that is our truth today? There are a lot of books out there that can help us answer these questions. But sometimes a simple reminder of what is written about us in our dictionary is all the enlightenment I need. Human Being: A human being is a kind, compassionate and loving entity. That is officially who we are. That is who I am. That is what I believe to be my truth. And that is what I think is my purpose in life. And I want to respect myself enough to stand up for those beliefs.

When I realized that my mission on earth was as simple as being that which I already am, I wanted my whole life to be in harmony with that awareness. I would treat others with the same respect I would treat myself. I would work, love, eat, dress, talk and live as a humane being. On some days more than others it takes courage to be me. I recently read this quote by American author Marianne Williamson that I thought to be very inspiring and of great help in those moments of unconsciousness.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

I used to roll my eyes when people I knew posted similar quotes on Facebook. Now I wonder why. Did I want to bring down others with me? Was I out of touch? In the fashion industry we do not say we or our audience is out of touch, we say our customers like to 'dream'. And as designers we have created many dreams. But dreams never last forever, sooner or later we'll wake up. When I woke up, I realized my dreams had been a nightmare for millions of others.

On January 30th 2012, at 7.00 PM CET I launched Honest by.
Everyone deserves to dream but everyone also has the right to live those dreams. No planet, no man, no woman, no child or animal should live a nightmare in order for me to live my dream. That is what I believed 12 months ago and that is what I believe now. The story behind a garment needs to be as beautiful as the design. Whether our outfit costs 100 or 100.000 Euros the story needs to be beautiful.

Fashion made me dream as a child. As an adult I woke up so that my dream could continue.

We will no longer present the Honest by Bruno Pieters collection during fashion week. That is no longer a part of my dream. Some people told me they are disappointed and believe I'm giving up. They think it is important to fight hard for the things we believe in. I believe that all which is important does not require a fight.

I am not making millions with Honest by, I am making dreams and living them. I will be travelling for most of this year because I started working on a new project. This is also the reason why I will not be able to give any more lectures or interviews this year. Of course Honest by will continue to offer new creations on a regular basis.

Thank you for your support.
Thank you for the e-mails.
Thank you for the interviews.
Thank you for the editorials.
Thank you for the invitations.
Thank you for your enthusiasm.
Thank you for believing.

Thank you.

The Dream Continues...

source: honest by. newsletter

 

[Scott]

what a beautiful essay from bruno.