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GERRY WEBER launches sus­tain­able col­lec­tion

January 20, 2020

Halle/Westphalia, 20 January 2020 “I wear, I care” is the claim of the first sustainable collection which will be launched by GERRY WEBER Group across its brands GERRY WEBER, TAIFUN and SAMOON in May. Since 2016, the fashion company from Halle/Westphalia has continuously increased the proportion of sustainably produced articles; a complete collection is the logical next step.

Additionally to GOTS-certified organic cotton, the concept of the collection also incorporates Lenzing EcoVero™ viscose produced from renewable wood. The production of the fiber is particularly resource efficient, in comparison to generic viscose its production generates 50% less emissions and water load. Furthermore, recycled and upcycled materials found entry into the collection, as well as fabrics made from linen and the cellulose-based lyocell. Sustainable denim is produced following the “Dry Indigo” manufacturing process: This results in the use of about 99% less water, 89% less chemicals and 65% less energy throughout the entire manufacturing process compared to common denim production.

The provisional highlight of the sustainability initiative is the “I wear, I care” collection in May. Further, already 40% of all GERRY WEBER collections for March to May are sustainably produced articles.

“The demand for sustainably produced and certified fashion increases continuously”, explains Urun Gursi, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of GERRY WEBER International AG. The launch of the collection is however at least equally caused by the motivation of the team: “It is very important for us to produce our fashion in a responsible manner and – above all – focus on a steady improvement process. We all invest a lot of passion and time into the search for new technologies and new ways to work with recycled materials.” Further, the work of him and his team adds to the creation of new fabrics, with which the designers of GERRY WEBER, but also other designers in the sector could work in the future. “This is equally morally as well as from an economic perspective the right way forward”, Urun Gursu is convinced. “At GERRY WEBER, we feel fully committed to this absolutely forward-looking approach.”

The sustainable styles completely fulfil the high GERRY WEBER standards regarding quality and fashion grade. Continuously, the proportion of sustainable fashion pieces shall be further increased. Rena Marx, Executive Vice President for the brand GERRY WEBER, adds: “Sustainability is no short-term trend, but an important investment into the future of our brand. It used to be a nice, but for the purchase decision irrelevant added value, if we used organic cotton for a fashionable shirt. Today, sustainability aspects have an increased emotional relevance and we even mention them in our print motives. Sustainable thinking becomes a fashion statement.”

With the launch of the sustainable collection, GERRY WEBER continues to follow its strategy, putting the specific requirements of its customers into the focus of its business activities. The roll-out of the sustainable collection will be accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign on various media channels as well as at the point of sale: “Multipage supplements in target group specific women’s outlets (i.a. Gala, Bunte, Donna, Brigitte, Barbara, Für Sie etc.), moving image, advertising on Social Media as well as highlighting the new collection in the sales space are only a few of the measures to bring the collection to the customer’s attention and to illustrate the various aspects of it”, explains Simon Hoecker, Head of Marketing & Brand Communication at GERRY WEBER International AG. Also in the online shop, sustainable styles will be tagged and explained with a wide range of additional information on a separate landing page.

Background: Sustainability at GERRY WEBER
Sustainability is being pursuit at GERRY WEBER by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department already for many years. “Our collections are being produced in accordance with the strict BSCI standards, our company-own ecology standard, which in parts exceeds the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 as well as in parts from GOTS certified organic cotton”, reports Annette Koch, who signs responsible for the CSR segment already since 2010.

Further, the relinquishment of fur, mohair and angora, as well as the ban of sandblasting, are an integral part of the corporate philosophy. As member of the “Fur Free Retailer” program, GERRY WEBER requires all suppliers to fulfil international animal protection laws.

The GOTS-Certificate (Global Organic Textile Standard) stands worldwide-leading for the processing of organic natural fibers. Since 2017, the certification enables the expansion of the production of sustainable fashion and allows to trace the origin of every certified product. The Quality label BioRe® further guarantees organic cotton and fair production along the entire chain of production.

By relinquishing the use of plastic bags and selling paper bags instead, the company was able to lower its plastic consumption significantly. The use of renewable energies and the reduction of power consumption is continuously expanded.

From a social perspective, GERRY WEBER International AG takes responsibility for its own employees, as well as the employees of its suppliers. As member of amfori BSCI, the company guarantees compliance with human and workers’ rights, social standards as well as the payment of at least the standard minimum wage.

About GERRY WEBER Group
With more than 3.400 employees, GERRY WEBER International AG, headquartered in Halle / Westphalia, is one of the leading fashion and lifestyle companies in Europe. The Group distributes high-quality and trend-oriented fashion in more than 60 countries worldwide. GERRY WEBER consists of the eponymous brand GERRY WEBER, the young brand TAIFUN and the plus size brand SAMOON. For further information, visit our website at: www.gerryweber.com

Fotos: ©_GERRY_WEBER

PRESS Kristina Schütze
Head of Corporate Communications / Press Spokes Woman
Phone: +49 (0)5201 185 320
Mobil: +49 (0)172 577 54 36
Email: kristina.schuetze@gerryweber.com