Responsible fashion – every decision has an impact.

For wunderwerk, responsibility begins with our own decisions. But it doesn’t end there.

A garment passes through many hands before it reaches our shops or online store: from the extraction of raw materials, through spinning mills, weaving mills and dye works, to garment manufacturing, finishing, logistics and finally to us.

Behind each of these steps are people, companies, resources and decisions.

For wunderwerk, responsible fashion therefore means taking as holistic a view as possible of the impact of our own actions – even where this impact is not immediately visible.

We bear responsibility for the decisions we make as a company. Our suppliers and production partners bear responsibility for their decisions. Politics and legislation set the framework. And retailers and consumers also have an influence on which products are manufactured and under what conditions this takes place.

Because every decision has an impact.

Responsibility throughout the entire value chain.

For us, responsibility begins long before a wunderwerk garment is finished.

Which raw materials are used? Where do the yarns and fabrics come from? How are they dyed and finished? Which chemicals are used in the process? Where is the garment manufactured? Under what conditions do the people involved in the individual production stages work? What journeys do materials and products undertake?

That is why we favour long-standing, long-term partnerships and a clear European focus on materials and production.

For us, proximity means more than just shorter transport routes. It also enables us to better trace supply chains, work more closely with our partners and drive developments forward together.

In doing so, we do not view responsibility as ending at the factory gates of a garment manufacturer. Working conditions in the sewing workshop are important – but just as important are the people working in spinning mills, weaving mills, dye works, laundries and in the extraction and processing of our raw materials.

Fair pay is clearly part of this. At the same time, it is worth taking a closer look here too: A statutory minimum wage is not automatically a living wage. And the country of production alone says very little about how responsibly a product was actually made.

This is another reason why a simple ‘Made in’ is not enough of an answer for us.

Supply chain & traceability.

A supply chain is easier to track if you manage key parts of it yourself. That is why we develop and order most of our fabrics directly from our fabric suppliers and make them available to our garment manufacturers for production.

In the textile industry, this form of collaboration is known as CM or CMT. Unlike the so-called ‘full package’, where the manufacturer also handles material procurement, we select and source key materials ourselves.

This involves more work for us, but it also gives us greater control over the product and its creation. We select fabrics and suppliers ourselves, know the material composition and can document the relevant evidence directly. For GOTS-certified goods, for example, we receive Transaction Certificates (TCs) for the respective movements of goods within the certified supply chain.

Find out more about our certificates and standards →

At the same time, we can bundle fabric quantities for different styles and production partners. Rather than each garment manufacturer ordering their own minimum quantities from the fabric supplier for individual models, we can purchase larger total quantities of a fabric centrally and use them for various production runs.

This enables us to use selected fabrics even for smaller batch sizes of individual styles. At the same time, larger bundled quantities of fabric can contribute to a more consistent material quality across different styles and production runs.

We apply this principle to trousers, shirts, blouses, jackets and knitwear, amongst other items. For us, this involves significantly more effort than simply sourcing a ready-made, ‘full-package’ product. We consciously accept this effort because it allows us to retain control over key decisions regarding materials, quality and manufacturing.

For us, this effort is worthwhile: the more we know about materials, suppliers and production stages – and the more we control them ourselves – the more precisely we can influence quality and manufacturing.

For us, however, traceability does not mean promising more than we can actually account for. Depending on the material and product, our knowledge of the individual production stages varies in scope.

Certificates and documents are important tools in this regard. Equally important to us are long-standing partnerships, personal visits and direct dialogue with the companies and people who manufacture our materials and garments.

For us, therefore, transparency does not come from a label alone, but from knowing what is produced where, how and by whom.

Responsibility concerns nature and the environment, animals and people.

Responsible fashion cannot be reduced to working conditions alone. Our decisions have an impact on nature and the environment, animals and people.

The choice of materials, the use of water and energy, chemicals in dyeing and finishing, animal welfare, working conditions and health are all interlinked.

We explain in detail how we specifically address these aspects at wunderwerk on our Sustainability page, as well as on the pages about our materials: organic cotton, organic virgin wool, TENCEL™ and our denim.

For us, responsibility also means being transparent about why we make certain decisions.

Responsibility does not end with the manufacturer.

As important as the responsibility of brands, suppliers and producers is, the textile industry does not operate in isolation from the rest of us.

It produces what is in demand and what is bought.

Every purchasing decision is therefore also a decision about what kind of economic practices we support.

A very cheap item of clothing comes at a price – even if this isn’t fully reflected on the receipt.

Raw materials are grown or extracted, fabrics are produced, dyed and processed, people work on them, products are transported, sold and eventually disposed of or passed on.

The crucial question is therefore not just: What does a product cost?

But also: What is it worth to us?

The receipt is a ballot paper.

We believe that consumption can bring about change.

With every purchase, we help determine which products succeed, which companies grow, and which production methods have a viable economic future. Demand influences supply – and thus, ultimately, the decisions made by brands, retailers and industry.

This does not mean that every individual can save the world with every single purchasing decision. Nor does it mean, however, that one’s own decision is meaningless.

Many small decisions, taken together, have a significant impact.

For us, therefore, conscious consumption isn’t simply about buying less. Above all, it means taking a closer look: Do I need this product? Do I really like it? What quality am I getting? How was it made? Will I use it for a long time and enjoy doing so?

In fashion in particular, durability is a crucial factor. A garment that is well designed, of high quality, enjoyed wearing, looked after and used for as long as possible combines, for us, fashion and responsibility.

Responsibility is not a one-way street.

Companies can choose better materials, change production processes and build long-term partnerships. Suppliers can invest in better technologies and working conditions. Policymakers can create binding regulatory frameworks. Retailers can decide which products to stock.

And consumers decide which products and companies they place their trust in.

None of these stakeholders can simply pass the buck to the next party.

That is precisely why we see responsibility as a shared task.

Here at wunderwerk, we start with the decisions we can influence ourselves: design and quality, materials and suppliers, production methods and transport routes, our staff and partners – and the question of which products we develop and offer in the first place.

We do not believe that a single label, a single material or a single measure provides all the answers.

We believe in looking closely, understanding the bigger picture and making better decisions where we have the power to do so.

Because every action has an impact. Even the smallest ones.

And, ultimately, every receipt is also a vote.