Company Name: Hug UK

Brand: HUG

Established: 2002

Country of Origin: UK

Area: All UK and Ireland Regional agents wanted

Product Description: We use the best quality certified organic pima cotton that gives our fabrics an incredibly soft feel. Even people who don’t normally wear jeans want to wear our jeans because they feel so good. Our designer, Ruth Miller, is a genuine new talent and is giving our women’s collection a more fashion-oriented direction. The range is always having new additions like dresses and zip up tops, all made with the same high quality organic fabrics.

Sizes: 8-16

Average Prices: price varies from around £10 for tops to £36 for jeans, similar for dresses.

Commission: 10%

Collection Size: Around 25.

Competitive to: Ted Baker

Sits alongside: Any casual collection

Main Export market: USA & Japan

Website: www.hug.co.uk

Company Philosophy: Design and quality are at the centre of what we do, but we also care passionately about the environment and the conditions of the people who make our fashion. We want to become the UK’s premier Fair Trade fashion brand.

My Comments: This is the first company in the UK to be granted a Fairtrade label for its cotton T shirts and Jeans, they do extensive PR, using one of the top London fashion PR agencies and find it easy to get coverage, because we are organic/fair trade, high quality and interesting!
They also have gift packaging.
There are only a handful of Fair Trade certified fashion companies and none of them positioned at the top end of the middle market with their quality and design. They therefore have a strong niche and the ability to get in to many stores who want something slightly different.
They have around 60 stockists in the UK and they are doubling their turnover every season and with much more of us concerned about our environment and the world we live in, this kind of company and product is the future.