What is a Collective?

At Somewon, our goal is to create casual, comfortable clothing that reflects our passion for life. We run our clothing company on values that are a little different than most businesses. We are a collective, which often prompts the question, “what exactly is that?”.

We’re here to shed further light on what a collective is and why you should consider one over more traditional brands.

Collectives – The Details

In general terms, a collective is an organization that is run without a vertical hierarchy. So, that means no “boss” in the traditional sense of the word.

So, while we don’t technically have a “boss,” that doesn’t mean that we don’t get stuff done (since we’ve been around in 2007, we actually get a lot done!). Basically, each member of our collective has equal decision-making power. There is no one person who holds ultimate control over our values, vision or operations, the way a manager or CEO does in a traditional, top-down business. When you think about it, all of us at Somewon are bosses.

A Model of Equality

The best way to think about our collective is that each member is a “co-manager,” equal to everyone else. When major decisions need to be made, all the Collective members sit down, talk about the issues and agree on what needs to be done as a team.

This flat, horizontal management structure works well for us. Considering we live in the wonderful, close-knit community of Revelstoke B.C., a collective management structure is a great reflection of our hometown, where people really try to help each other and make each member of the community feel valued and respected.

As business landscapes shift, being a collective allows us to stay agile and produce a clothing line with pride and passion.

Learn More about Somewon

At Somewon, we are inspired by the mountains, the outdoors, the arts and our community. We strive to make casual, comfortable and stylish clothing for active people who love breathing in fresh air but are equally excited by the prospect of relaxing by the fire with great friends.

Explore our website to learn more about our vision, our mission and the clothing we produce.