Last Updated on April 18, 2026
Instagram followers
Fair Wear member
Full factory transparency
The move
Lucy and Chris started Lucy & Yak selling vintage clothes from a van in New Zealand. When they moved into making their own dungarees, they did something most fashion brands actively avoid. They showed customers exactly where and how their clothes were made.
Not a glossy “sustainability page” buried three clicks deep on their website. Actual content. Instagram posts introducing individual tailors and seamstresses by name. Videos from the factory floor. Stories about the working conditions, the wages, the production process. Customers didn’t just buy dungarees. They got to know the people who made them.
The founders put their own faces to the brand too. They told their story, from van life to building a business, in a way that felt transparent and unpolished. Lucy has said their growth to 200K followers came from “being real and honest. We told our story in a transparent, fun way.”
They now have over 813,000 Instagram followers and became an official Fair Wear member in 2026.
Why it worked
Fashion has a trust problem. Most consumers know that “sustainable” and “ethical” get thrown around without much behind them. Lucy & Yak didn’t just claim to be ethical. They proved it, publicly, repeatedly, in content that customers could see and share.
The factory content does three things at once. It builds trust (you can see the conditions yourself). It creates emotional connection (you know the names of the people making your clothes). And it generates content that stands out in a feed full of flat-lay product shots.
They also use what Influencer Intelligence describes as a “follower-blind” influencer strategy. Instead of chasing accounts with big numbers, they partner with people who genuinely love the product, regardless of follower count. This means their user-generated content feels real, because it is.
The principle
Transparency is a competitive advantage, not a risk. In categories where consumers are sceptical, showing your process builds more trust than any claim you could make. The brands willing to open up gain loyalty that competitors hiding behind polished messaging never will.
This only works if there’s something genuine to show. Lucy & Yak can film their factory because the conditions are actually good. Fix the substance first, then show it.
Steal this
You don’t need a factory in India to use this approach. You need the willingness to show your work.
Film your process. Whatever you make or do, there’s a behind-the-scenes version that customers would find interesting. A baker showing 4am starts. An accountant walking through how they spot errors. A builder showing the detail work nobody sees. Process content builds trust.
Name the people. Lucy & Yak introduces individual workers by name. If you have a team, show them. Let customers see who’s behind the business. Faceless companies feel disposable. Named teams feel human.
Choose partners by fit, not follower count. When you work with influencers or collaborators, pick people who genuinely use and care about your product. A micro-influencer who actually wears your clothes is worth more than a celebrity who wore them once for a fee.
Make your values provable, not just claimable. Don’t just say you’re ethical, sustainable, or quality-focused. Show the evidence. Certifications, factory footage, process documentation. Claims without proof are just marketing. Claims with proof are trust.
See the brand in action
Lucy & Yak showing the behind-the-scenes work that builds trust with their community.
Sources & further reading
- Supply Chain Transparency: Let’s Make It Clear · Lucy & Yak
- Lucy & Yak Uses a Follower-Blind Strategy · Influencer Intelligence
- The Ethical Fashion Brand With Community At Its Heart · Refinery29
The Whito verdict
Lucy & Yak shows what happens when you make your supply chain the content instead of hiding it. Their growth wasn’t built on paid ads or influencer stunts. It was built on showing people what they actually do, day after day, until trust became the brand’s strongest asset.
If you’re doing good work behind the scenes, your biggest marketing mistake might be not showing it. The audience for transparency is bigger than most businesses realise.
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