Mr Simple

Mr Simple started in 2003 as The Lab Store in Brunswick, Australia, a regular clothing shop selling a range of menswear brands. After a while, David Fraser and his wife, the owners, noticed how hard it was to get clothes without big logos or other branding. So he decided to make their own. In 2007 he started making T-shirts, sweats and chinos for the store and for some wholesale accounts. Since then the brand’s anonymous style has taken it far beyond its original store with shops now open in Brisbane, Sydney and New Zealand. In Byron Bay the brand counts with a "megastore", which is more than three times bigger than a normal Mr Simple store. Branded as the Department of Simple Things, the massive concept store features Mr Simple's clothing as well as brands that match with the company's "simple" design philosophy – from barbecues and portable coolers to skateboards and pocket knives. You can even find a barber shop in this store.

Mr Simple considers itself a "responsible company", with around 80 per cent of its range using organic and recycled fabrics – namely organic cotton and swim shorts made from recycled water bottles. They are focusing on becoming more and more sustainable. This means not only looking at the materials, but also at who. makes the products and the company culture as a whole. The plan is to align all of its catalogue with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) within two years. Mr Simple differentiates itself as "a lifestyle brand that deals with higher quality organic products." Still, Fraser thinks consumers don't care that much about sustainable clothing. "There's a niche that cares but most don't and we don't want to make them feel guilty." He just wants "to own a business that tries to do as little harm as possible", he says. By opting for organic fabrics, the brand has a premium price point that is higher than big-name fast fashion brands who have recently reported drops in profits as more consumers seek their clothing from a rising number of online suppliers. Despite Mr Simple's online sales growth, its physical stores are most important to Fraser. "Online customers are generated through brick and mortar stores," he says.

Based: Melbourne, Australia.

Ships to: Worldwide.

Products: Men´s apparel.

Mission: To produce clothing that can be worn throughout the seasons.

Vision: To become the leading brand with simple designs that does as little harm to our planet as possible.

URL: Mr. Simple

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