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These days it seems that it isn’t enough for a product to be well designed; it must also carry a sense of social responsibility. This trend is a reaction to the discussion of what the real cost of globalized commercialism is, spurred by exposes on companies from Nike to Apple to Amazon. For apparel especially, this can be a difficult issue to breach, but LA-based Stone and Cloth may have found a niche solution in the design of their Summit Collection. Inspired by a trip to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro, founder Matthew Clough was struck by listening to his porter explain how he doesn’t make enough money to send his children to school. Upon returning to LA, Clough and his company devised their Summit Collection around the promise to donate a portion of each bag sold to support education programs in Africa. But alongside this noble cause, the company also has tried to extend this fairness to its customer base by cutting costs through the use of a Kickstarter campaign. Instead of bringing the bags to retailers and seeing them take up to 65% of the retail price for themselves, this exclusively online approach would ensure customers pay a fair price for quality merchandise. Adding further to the social responsibility of the product, all of the bags are made in the USA, just a few miles from Stone and Cloth’s studio. Measures like these help support local businesses and help decrease the demand that fuels the sweatshop system that has had a stranglehold on the industry for so long. And it doesn’t hurt that the bags look nice too. Sporting an array of styles and sizes, from rucks to backpacks to totes to note bags, the bags offer an option for every budget, use and taste. This commitment to good design that supports a good cause may require a bit more work to get going, but the effort goes a long way towards affecting positives changes in a well-established market.
