The other side of the story...

Last week we reported the apparent increase in popularity in ethical, "Eco" fashion but it seems that while some ethical retailers are prospering, others are not.

A Report from the Guardian online yesterday reported the problems encountered by online ethical retailer Ascension. After launching with the ambition to provide stylish ethical fashion that didn't cost a fortune, the company was sold last week for the token price of just £1.

It seems that although research from the Co-operative Bank states that spending on ethical goods has increased threefold in the last decade, it still wasn't enough to keep the company afloat with sales not making enough to pay the bills. In fact, while the Co-op's report is mainly positive about the increases in ethical trading even the authors noted that while spending on organic, fairtrade and recycled clothes had continued to increase it was still half of that spent on second hand clothes.

After a desperate hunt for funding and a wish to avoid liquidation, the company's founder and CEO Adam Smith managed to strike a deal with dotcom entrepreneur Luke Heron. In the Guardian report Heron says he intends to combine the online retailer with his existing ethical business Green Baby in the hope to preserve jobs.

So, is ethical fashion really a viable business opportunity? Some like People Tree seem able to make it work while others struggle to build a brand that can survive the tough times. Or is it simply that in a recession people are more worried about paying their bills than where their clothes come from?

If the success of bargain brands like Primark continues to grow, despite previous allegations over where and how their clothes were made, it seems that for many the choice is still based on price rather than ethics.

But, while all of these viewpoints have been reported in the media what do the consumers say? What is more important to you and your customers - ethics or price?

Read the full Guardian article by clicking here