Pictured: Looks from Story Mfg.'s Fall/Winter 2020 "Inner Reaches" Collection.

Aesthetics are only part of the story, when it comes to Story Mfg. The East London brand was founded to offer an authentic, fulfilling and kind version of fashion. To be sure, there are countless companies that have offered some rendition of that motto in corporate speak, but for Story Mfg., that means eschewing some of the damaging—but cost and time-effective—production methods favored by many brands.

In similar fashion to 18 East, who I heaped praise on at the outset of this series, Story Mfg. works primarily with artisans who are experts when it comes to natural dyes, embroidering, weaving and tailoring. The first part of that—their partners’ proficiency with natural dyes—is important to Story Mfg.’s appeal. In fact, you could argue that the Katazomes’ commitment to unique dyes is Story Mfg.’s defining characteristic. There’s a whole section of the brand’s website devoted to explaining their natural dyes: Fermented iron, jackfruit wood, various types of bark and Rubia Cordifolia, a flowering plant used for red and orange hues, and, of course, natural indigo.

On the whole, when examining a Story Mfg. garment, the dyes represent a minor element, but they typify the brand’s ethos: turning the production of fashionable clothes into a net positive. Elsewhere the Katazomes place an emphasis on using biodegradable, organic materials in an attempt to create the kind of sustainable, zero-waste production cycle that’s required with a world teetering on the edge of its capacity. There are no animal products used either—that’s essentially leather and suede. Excess materials and other waste is used as fertilizer in and around the artisanal ateliers in the Indian forest.

Painting the picture of Story Mfg.s aesthetics, peace signs and flora and aliens, coupled with their ethics—vegan, zero-waste, family-oriented production that pays a fair wage to the artisans it employs—makes it sound like a utopic—almost hippy—vision for a brand. Which, relative to the vast majority of the fashion industry, it is. But it shouldn’t offer such a stark contrast. Not if other brands had the same understanding that being “good” is good business.

In fact, I’d wager that if you asked Bobbin or Katy Katazome if they’d welcome a hypothetical landscape where Story Mfg. didn’t set itself apart through its ethical, forward-thinking, zero-waste, slow-burning and built-to-last approach because everybody else was doing the same, they’d be unequivocally in favor.

“Our greater goal is to help reverse the damage done by industry,” write the couple on Story Mfg.’s website.

More than just reverse the damage, though, Story Mfg.’s is offering a path forward.

The chore coats embroidered with suns, mushrooms and double palm trees; the indigo dyed camp collar shirts; the funny, organically-printed graphics proclaiming ours the “number one best planet”; the beautiful fleece jackets—these are “trojan horses” of sorts. They’re a way to get people’s attention and to get people wearing clothes that are made the right way. Lure them in with the look, then charm them with the beliefs behind it.

When ethics and aesthetics meet, you get a brand like Story Mfg.

The brand’s aura is unfussed and relaxed: there’s no real rush to put out massive collections on a strict timeline, the lookbooks are warm and familiar. It’s a brand that feels at ease—comfortable with itself. Which is easy when you know you’re doing the right thing.