From the Rhinemetropolis to the world – this or something like that could be the history of the organic brand wunderwerk, which now has five stores in Germany in addition to an online shop and whose collections are sold and loved far beyond German borders. The engine of success? Heiko Wunder was one of the first to succeed in designing sustainable clothing without it´s looking like it. Instead, his collections are positioned on a par with the big names in the industry such as Drykorn and Closed. Only difference? The uncompromising sustainability aspect.
We want to measure ourselves against the big names in casual wear – just to show that style and sustainability can go perfectly hand in hand.
Because Heiko Wunder knows through his work as a product specialist and manager at well-known companies that jeans production is one of the “dirtiest textile manufacturing processes ever”. To show that fashion also works in harmony with the environment, people and animals, he founded wunderwerk in 2012 and is working on achieving the ambitious goals he has set himself.
wunderwerk? That’s fashionable basics with a luxury look and feel for women and men
Blazers, shirts, shirts with a special twist – the entire zeitgeist collection is not only available for women at wunderwerk. Men will also find a sustainable full range here. The fact that there is still a clear focus on the denim collection may be due to Heiko’s goals. And he gradually achieves this more and more. Thanks to innovative and environmentally friendly washes, the water consumption of wunderwerk jeans has been reduced enormously: Instead of the usual 90 to 160 liters per model, he only needs 0.7 (rinse wash) to 9 liters for his jeans. With the original Selvedge, which is not washed, the consumption is 0 (!) Percent. Innovative dyeing techniques such as the cold dyeing process, the use of airbrush technology and ozone / oxygen, stone wash and mechanical handwork – to name just a few examples.
The visionary lives up to his claim “more than organic”.
Because plastic is not in use at wunderwerk. There are no mineral oil-based materials such as polyamide, polyacrylic etc. in his collections. Instead, buttons are made from corozo, metal, mother-of-pearl or other sustainable alternatives. Labels and tags (can also be recycled) are plastic-free.
Very important: At wunderwerk, sustainability doesn’t stop with the purchase of fabrics.
Whenever possible, certified materials are used. wunderwerk is a member of the International Association of the Natural Textile Industry (IVN) and is based on the IVN Best Standard, which is even stricter than GOTS. Mainly materials from Germany, Greece, Italy, Austria and Portugal are used. More than 70 percent of the production and finishing takes place in EU Europe in manufacturing facilities with high environmental and social standards. In order to further reduce the footprint, wunderwerk has invested in even more sustainable washes and therefore has ozone-based products from the latest high-tech laundry in Tunisia in a third-generation German-run company.
Available in selected specialist shops, online and in the wunderwerk stores in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin and, since March 2020, on Sylt.
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