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6th Jun 2019
Outland Denim marks the lifespan of its business on a very specific timeline: before Meghan, and after Meghan. ‘Meghan’ refers to Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex and arguably one of the most famous females on the planet.
James Bartle, the founder of Outland Denim, admittedly hadn’t heard of Markle until she stepped out in the brand’s ‘Harriet’ black skinny jeans. His phone was understandably blowing up, and a quick Google search confirmed that this was in fact, a pivotal moment for his business.
There’s often significance behind pieces the duchess choses to wear during public appearances, and the fact that Outland was created with the sole purpose of empowering vulnerable women in developing countries, and operates sustainably in every single aspect of the business is probably a part of that.
Also, they’re just really great jeans.
Bartle spoke all things sustainable fashion at the Vogue Codes 2019 Melbourne Summit this week, and while his passion lies with the people he’s helping, the brand’s high-profile fans certainly didn’t go unmentioned.
“I actually met with a magazine last week, and they told me that Leonardo DiCaprio refused to shoot a denim-centred editorial spread unless the said denim was Outland,” he told guests at the Melbourne Summit event.
DiCaprio is a known social and environmental activist – and while this time around Bartle was familiar with the Oscar-winning actor, it’s still an absolute testament that some of the world’s most powerful and influential people are actively engaging with his brand.
Bartle is nothing but grateful for the exposure that the likes of Markle and DiCaprio have brought Outland, but has still remained mindful about scaling the business in a sustainable way. It was actually right after Markle, and the resulting surge of sales, that Bartle employed 46 further seamstress – most of which where victims of sex trafficking or forced labour – to work in his Cambodian factory.
While Bartle started Outland from a place of genuinely wanting to help people, the brand is still certainly a huge part of the discourse of sustainable fashion, specifically the emerging trend of “woke consumers”.
Fellow panelist Jenny Cermak, a partner at global consulting business McKinsey, explained that the trend of ‘getting woke’ is rooted in the idea that consumers want to know the ins and outs of “what a business stands for in terms of social and environmental responsibility”.
Cermak further explains though that the trap is that it can be disingenuous; a marketing ploy brands engage with in an attempt to fluff their reputation. But a byproduct of being woke is that consumers do their homework, and they’re aware when a brand is trying to pull the wool over their eyes. Not an ideal outcome if the goal is to ‘appear’ transparent and with a moral compass pointing due north.
Bartle not even knowing who Markle is – but her making a social statement to wear a pair of his jeans – is the perfect example. Markle is simply a woke consumer who chose Outland because she aligns with what the brand genuinely stands for. And with the values of sustainability, and positively impacting the lives of the world’s most vulnerable, what’s not to love?
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