QZ has published a profile of the Nashville based womenswear designer, Liz Pape, who recently made waves in the fashion industry with a post on her brand’s blog about why some clothes are actually worth spending more on.
In the post, Pape, who is the founder of Elizabeth Suzann, provided a wholly transparent and thoroughly comprehensive breakdown of her brand’s pricing structure, and compared it to the pricing structures of fast fashion and mall brands.
As she explains, labor and fabric are the main determinants of a garment’s cost, and the better the fabric and construction, the more expensive an item will be. That said, there are also a number of business expenses that go into deciding a price as well. And, she argues, it’s important for consumers to know as much as they can about both – business and production costs – in order to make an informed decision about what they buy, because in almost all instances, a lower price is an indicator of poor product quality and less equitable brand practices.
As the article summarizes it, “By itself, price doesn’t guarantee an item is made ethically, or that it’s high-quality. It does, however, reflect all the decisions brands have to make, and for that reason it can be useful to know how a company comes up with the amount it asks shoppers to pay.”
You can read the full profile – and we highly recommend that you do – at QZ.
