Behind the Brand: COG

There are things that will never go out of style, and we can all agree that sneakers are one of them. And while there are plenty of shoe brands out there that claim to be planet-conscious, only a select few actually, well, walk the walk. French label COG are all about truly eco-friendly shoes. Aside from sneakers, the brand also offers ankle boots, oxfords, and other styles that make up a versatile, durable shoe wardrobe. We had a chat with founder Omar Camara about what drives the brand forward. 

By Sascha Camilli 

Ethical fashion is still a young arena, and many of its enthusiastic founders have diverse backgrounds. Camara's fashion journey started in an entirely different world. "Before creating COG, I had been working for twelve years as a freelance set designer for cinema, video games and other advertising projects in Paris." But something didn't feel right, and with time, Camara decided to act on it. "Although stimulated by these industries and the challenge of the projects I was involved in, I have always kept a critical eye on their impact on society, living species and the planet, and felt the need to devote my energy to a project more in line with my personal values, combining my love for the visual arts with my commitment to causes close to my heart, such as collective well-being and animal protection."

His personal ethics played a big role. "I had stopped buying products of animal origin long before the creation of the brand, and I was struggling to find shoes that were both aesthetically pleasing and met my personal moral expectations, i.e. vegan and produced in a socially responsible way." His background came in handy when it came to solving the issue: "As a designer by education and profession, I then picked up a pencil and began designing a small collection of models in line with my aesthetic expectations, and which, if produced, would meet my ethical stance."

Most entrepreneurs know that naming their brands is among the most difficult parts of starting one, and Camara is no exception. "The name COG comes from my initials: Camara Omar Gwenhaël. I originally gave this name to the project for lack of inspiration; a name which, for lack of further inspiration, stuck."

Experimenting with plant-derived materials is at the heart of COG's mission — and the selection process is thorough. "Our commitment is based on one key principle: to produce shoes that respect living beings. This means that we will always give priority to materials that are vegan, socially responsible and, wherever possible, ecologically sound. To this end, we give pride of place to European, plant-based and recycled materials. However, not all recycled imitation leathers are of equivalent quality or strength, and some recycled components may be more fragile than other solutions produced from virgin raw materials. That's why we place so much emphasis on prototyping our models before we bring them to market, and on producing small batches." 

A variety of plant materials shows up in COG's collection, and Camara is dedicated to collaborating with suppliers to offer his consumers the best. "Today, we are particularly pleased with the plant-based alternatives offered by our European partners, such as our vegan materials crafted from grape marc, our imitation leather made from recycled cereals, and those based on bamboo and recycled cotton."

Camara agrees with other entrepreneurs that running an ethical business is far from smooth sailing the entire time. "Our day-to-day business is full of challenges. One of the biggest is to find our place in the face of many industry players, including the giants, who have marketing budgets that sometimes leave us little room for visibility, with COG's investments to date relying solely on the fruits of our sales and personal investments. Another aspect not to be underestimated is the need to keep abreast of technical innovations and to continue exploring new, more ecological manufacturing processes, better adapted to the expectations of a constantly evolving market and a public eager to see ethical fashion move forward."

The sustainable footwear market has evolved greatly since his beginnings. "Since the launch of COG, there has been a growing consumer appetite for responsible fashion products - due in part to growing awareness of environmental issues - and this growing demand has led to the arrival of many new brands and initiatives. I think this is a good thing, as it enables us to reach a wider audience. If, by a knock-on effect, more consumers turn to ethical alternatives, and this helps to gradually reduce the use of animal materials in industry, then we can only be delighted." However, Camara also sees challenges in the rise of consciously made fashion - and maintains that brands should steer clear of rivalries. "It's important for ethical brands to be careful not to enter into unhealthy competition, and to support each other by maintaining good relations, in the interests of the values they share, taking care not to value only their own successes."

When it comes to the daily running of the brand, COG's small team is all hands on deck. "Our days are a patchwork of design, creative brainstorming, planning, research into new materials, exchanges with our manufacturing partners, sharing on social networks and giving a little time each day to the joys of accounting. And let's not forget quality control when we receive our collections, stock management, product shoots and after-sales service management. This routine also includes prospecting for new sales channels, and the many other unforeseen events that make entrepreneurship so exciting!" Camara's passion for his mission shines through in his demeanor. "It's hard to get bored, but all this is happily carried along by the good humor of our small team. Our ambition will always be to offer our customers products whose luxury lies not in their pharaonic price tag, nor in their exoticism, but in the intrinsically human ethic of their manufacture, and in the values they uphold."

By Sascha Camilli

About Sascha

Sascha Camilli is a vegan writer, speaker and activist. Her book Vegan Style is out now on Murdoch Books. For more about Sascha, you can read our interview with her or sign up to her newsletter Kind of Wild. 

All photos via COG

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