For many people materialism is a term associated with excess and greed, but east London boutique One Good Deed Today is proving that materialism and ethics don’t have to be polar opposites
While Romain Camus was setting up OGDT, he was working two jobs. One was at the boutique shop Opening Ceremony and the other at a local bakery. Demanding? Definitely. But it was his work for other retailers that gave Camus the inspiration for his project.

“I think having worked for small, medium and large businesses I’ve learnt most of the positive and negative aspects of retail,” explains Camus. “When I set up One Good Deed Today I went through all my years of working in retail and analysed what I did and didn’t like about the companies I worked for.” The thing that needed to change became obvious.
When you sell a good product there’s a lot to talk about, which brings me joy Those positives (ethical manufacturing, creativity, and recycling) are the basis of OGDT, a store that puts community and conscience at its heart. Camus sums up the OGDT ethos as “question what you sell, question what you buy,” and, with that in mind, stocks ethically produced clothing  and homeware, including German vegan cosmetics and cleaning products label Walachei, natural soap brand Le Savonnier Marseillais, and accessories, ceramics and candles by Scottish-born designer Saskia Pomeroy.

Camus wants the boutique to act as a platform for new designers and young brands, but the products always have to be sustainable and transparent – if they don’t meet Camus’ standards, he doesn’t stock them. “When you sell a good product there is a lot to talk about, a lot of positive aspects of the product to share and that brings me joy,” he explains.

The good vibes extend as far as the till. Five percent of the store’s profits are donated to a charity, supporting organisations such as Kabul-based Skateistan, which provides young Afghan children with an improved education, and Spitalfields Crypt Trust, a London charity working with people facing homelessness, poverty and addiction.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, a shopping trip to OGDT can be followed by a visit to the adjoining café, where customers can put a coffee aside for someone who may not be able to afford it. Camus’ partner Alev Lenz, who runs her music studio at the back of the shop, even offers reduced rates for those who can’t afford to record elsewhere.

“I want our concept to be more than retail – to be a movement, almost,” says Camus. “I hope people will feel comfortable when they come in and I want them to know and feel that there is a place where they can simply hang, meet, or work, all within a positive atmosphere.”

onegooddeedtoday.comPhotography by Diogo Lopes