Ammar Belal ONE432
Fashion For Change
Talk us through your motivation for starting the company One432 and how did the name One432 come about?
As a Professor of Fashion at Parsons, I wanted to raise the standard of Equality, Transparency, and Responsibly within the fashion industry. The “Buy One – Give One” model had seen immense growth in recent years and I felt there was something we could do to elevate the conversation around an equal share business model, where every $ earned is matched with a $ donated, from every transaction, in realtime.
This reorganizing of sequences, profits, sequences and systems is a design philosophy called “ONE432” that champions nuance and aims to disrupt the hurried, oversimplified, stereotypical approach of 1-2-3-4. For every ONE step forward, we must take three steps to Reflect. One…. 4-3-2.
What would you say your design aesthetic?
Our design approach has always centered first around inclusivity and universality beyond the binary. Moreover, The NO LEFT, NO RIGHT shoe that molds to the shape of every foot, is a testament to a product that has a universal appeal and utility within our daily lives. The material collections range from classic wardrobe staple (Black Velvet/leather slippers) to quirky memorabilia and elaborate “Glam Rock” hand embroideries. Focusing on the natural ethos of the material and innovative upcycling techniques play a big role in our design vocabulary.
What would you say are the necessary steps to creating an ethical and sustainable business?
I believe that a commitment to sustainable practices/supply chain is an evolving one based on the geography and scale of your initiative. A continuous commitment to transparency at every stage of growth is one of the core ethical standards that we abide by. I believe that we aremoving increasingly towards a more informed generation of consumers that demand/expect our digital tools to support our need of transparency throughout numerous systems. Authentic and sincere stories that connect and equate the emotion of the designer, artisan, and user have the potential to resonate deeply.
