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The beginnings of Ethical Kind

Lily, founder of EK with her grandparents in Hong Kong

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Today, we celebrate Chinese New Year! Since founding Ethical Kind, I've come to embrace the significance of my heritage, and I couldn't be more excited about this journey. This new year marks a time for a change and new beginnings, and I love to share a little about the origins of the company.

Ethical Kind is more than a woman's sleepwear company; it's a story of equality and female empowerment where we believe in harnessing the power of commerce to drive social change.

Whether you call it serendipitous, I learnt that my great grandparents were silk farmers in South China. It was they who gifted my grandparent's the luxury of silk duvets for their marital home in Hong Kong and where at the age of five, I got my first experience sleeping in soft silk sheets.

My mother and I stayed at my grandparent home,  I would often seek comfort at bedtime, waiting while my mother worked late as a seamstress.


My Mother, Lucy as the Maker taken at the Design Museum

My mother, Lucy, was the second eldest of eight siblings. As a girl, my mother was eager to gain an education but my grandfather told her not to waste time. Her duties were to look after her siblings, work and get married, and this is what she did. My mother worked hard to ensure we had the education she didn't have. Despite the long hours she worked, she somehow managed to find the time to sew and knit clothes for my sister and I. Unknowingly, She showed us an appreciation for clothes, from the craftsmanship to the people and families behind what we wear.

Because of the hardship I witnessed, fashion was not my initial career choice. Before founding Ethical Kind, I had a commercial career that spanned fifteen years in the healthcare and renewable sector. It was in 2015 when I volunteered at an International Development Charity that I came across the term social enterprise. Since then, my focus shifted to supporting social entrepreneurs and organisations to further their impact. While doing this work, I realised fashion was not just one of the most polluting industries in the world, but also exploitative of women and labour.

At Ethical Kind, we are committed to changing the path of fashion and reducing its negative environmental and social impacts. From farm to fashion, we seek to educate and showcase people about ethical production and sustainable practices. No one needs to sacrifice quality nor life. Together, we can change the fashion production process so future generations can thrive.

I hope you enjoy the experience and kindness of what our unique peace silk clothing offers.

We wish you good health, happiness and prosperity for the Chinese New Year!

 

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