Launched in May of 2014, JUST’s mission is to transform the fashion industry into a transparent, accountable and sustainable system that celebrates the stories, the people and the resources behind the clothing. To impact change, the startup believes that one missing voice was the shopper’s. “Empowered with information, a shopper can make purchases aligned with their values, shifting demand towards positive practices and sending a signal to brands and the industry,” says JUST’s Co-Founder Shahd Al Shehail.
Project JUST wants to encourage positive action for all brands, and provide concrete steps to achieve this. Natalie Grillon, Co-Founder, JUST explains, “We believe the project sets a higher standard for the conversation among industry participants towards improved transparency and addressing the issues at hand. With empowered and informed shoppers shifting their demand, the industry can elevate sustainability and ethics priorities and ensure a sustainable future for its workers, employees and shoppers.”
The founding duo’s objective is to make JUST a forum, where anyone including brands, shoppers, journalists, farmers, workers can contribute their voice. The theory is also that when shoppers will choose brands with positive practices, it will cause a shift eventually leading to better wages for farmers and workers, safer working conditions, and more sustainable methods of making apparel. “Some brands are already making strides and we hope government regulation can play a role in achieving this vision of empowering all parties. We’re only one part of a larger movement in the industry, but we believe the shopper has an important role to play to influence this shift,” states Ms Al Shehail.
Bridging Gaps
JUST is at present focused on acquiring loyal and committed users. “We understand that a lot of people may not necessarily be ready for the information we offer, but also know that there’s an incredibly passionate group who are. We’re also eager to launch new partnerships and features with other media outlets and brands,” Ms Al Shehail elaborates while speaking on some of the future plans of the company.
In its attempt to affect change, JUST is also raising positive awareness around brands that care. Explaining, Ms Al Shehail says, “Many brands we’ve come across contract out their entire supply chain, only designing the item and sending it out to be produced, not knowing the factory where it will be manufactured. It was shocking for us to see how disconnected it was. Then on the other hand, there are brands that are making incredible strides in improving their practices, but have shied away from being transparent for fear of being called out. This has prevented the shopper from looking for these kinds of positive practices when they shop and in some ways prevented other brands from learning from them. Fortunately, this is starting to change.”
