Mélanie Maudoux
Project Manager at WeCo store - WeCo Store
Vision
Our vision is a world where the way we consume is used as a motor for environmental
and social changes. The consumer is informed about the challenges in the textile
sector, and has at his disposal multiple alternatives (in Belgium) to buy in keeping with
his values.
Missions
✓ Promote and make quality clothes more visible, that respect the environment
and humans.
✓ Guarantee full transparency of information over all products
✓ Create a space of knowledge, sharing and learning
✓ Prolong the life cycle of clothes
Values
✓ Respect : buying ethical clothes is to take care of one’s own health, but also
that of the textile workers and the planet on which we live.
✓ Sustainability : we aim to extend the lifecycle of clothes through the quality of
the fibers and the fabrication process, but also by promoting its maintenance
and reuse.
✓ Transparency : we aim to provide clear, fully transparent information about our
products, from the raw material to the fabrication process, shipping, and price
✓ Sharing : It is essential for us that information goes both ways. It’s about a
mutual enrichment with our stakeholders, so that we all move together in a
better direction.
Project
Our project aims to make sustainable textile industry (quality of the fibers, ecological
and social criteria) more visible and accessible through the creation of a shop in
Brussels. Our store will consist of 4 complementary actions :
✓ Sale : In the shop, brands with a transparency approach, a pursuit of
environmental respect and social commitments will be sold. The brands will be
also chosen for their quality and timeless style.
✓ Resale : To avoid for quality clothes to be wasted/not worn anymore, we will
offer a “bring back your clothes for store credit” scheme. There will thus be a
second-hand part of the shop (always with our brands). This way, the clothes
life cycle will be longer, waste reduced, the rentability will be better and it will
allow people with a smaller budget to buy according to their values.
✓ Information/ communication : We want to have a function of information, to
empower customers to make conscious choices.
✓ Workshops : The retail space will also be used for different workshops
organized in partnership with local initiatives to awaken the crowd to textile
thematic (industry, wear and care) and create a space of friendly sharing.
We always had a passion for alternative ways of consuming and a willingness to help
creating a better world for the environment and for humans. This project enables us to
do both. We feel that facilitating the steps of people who want to buy clothes in
accordance with their values is a step towards a better world.
The set-up
✓ From December 2017 to June 2018: organization of pop-up stores in Brussel to
meet our customers, to learn more about them and to create a community step
by step. The pop-up stores will take place at exhibitions, or in partner
shops/bars/restaurants that fit our values.
✓ From August to October 2018 : 3 months at the “Auberge Espagnole” pop-up
store (Chaussée de Wavre 331 - Etterbeek). Opportunity won through a call for
projects organized by Atrium Brussels.
✓ From November 2018 : coaching by Atrium Brussels to find the most suitable
place for our long-term shop.