Ragnarøk Clothing

Production locations

• Zwolle, The Netherlands

Working Conditions & living wages

Zagros Brim completes the entire production of the T‑shirt within his studio in Zwolle, The Netherlands. Zagros, originally from Syria, brings diverse skills and experience whilst also having worked in Turkey. Due to the strict European labour regulations, we can be sure that ethical working conditions are guaranteed. 

Ragnarøk works closely with TIEM Zwolle to provide opportunities for people distant from the labour market to develop their skills. Within this supportive and stimulating environment they are given the opportunity to gain work experience, strengthen skills and fully participate in the labour market. This collaboration is essential to the brand as part of their commitment to social inclusion.

The brand also has an educational collaboration with Windesheim and Cibap. Students are offered the chance to gain practical experience in the fashion industry. With this collaboration Ragnarøk hopes to contribute to the growth of future talents and help students understand the importance of sustainability and social responsibility.

These collaborations foster opportunities to strengthen the local community and economy.

Materials

• Tencel lyocell
• Cork label
• Jute
• Recycled cotton

Ragnarøk looked at different materials that are more sustainable, first focusing on hemp though finally deciding upon Tencel lyocell. Tencel is a material that is lovely to sew. It is traceable, which is beneficial for the transparency of the brand. Tencel is biodegradable and recyclable and made from FSC-certified eucalyptus and birch wood. Want to know more about Tencel? Please read our blogpost about the material here. 

Ragnørak finishes their T‑shirts with a cork label, or for some designs, they add a cork pocket on the chest. The cork used is sourced from cork trees in Portugal. Cork is a natural fire retardant.

Packaging

The packaging used by Ragnarøk is unpainted paper. It’s designed to be as minimalistic as possible, with no plastic.

Customers have the option to collect their shirts at their workshop and choose to receive them without packaging.

Enclosed with the orders are cards embedded with seeds that can be planted, created by a business called Bloom. 

Water usage & chemicals

All Ragnarøk fabrics are Oeko-tex certified, meaning there are no harmful substances, thus ideal for your skin! Production of Lenzing Tencel is a closed-loop process. Chemicals are reused throughout the production process, thus reducing the ecological impact.

In their LCA from 2021, the brand mentions that 29,9% from their water use comes from manufacturing and 70,1% from production.

The brand states it takes 49 liters of water to produce the Ragnarøk Clothing: Essentials T‑shirt.

Circular product design

Because Ragnarøk products are 100% Tencel, with cork detailing, their t‑shirts are biodegradable and recyclable. They also have a long life due to their high quality and timeless design. Ideal for the circular economy adaptor!

In addition, they wish to eliminate all waste in production and distribution, either CO2 neutral or even CO2 negative consumption. Ragnarøk is also building a circular production chain, making choices throughout to reduce the large footprint of the fashion industry.

Ragnarøk wishes to play a leading role in reducing CO2 emissions within the clothing industry, which they outline on their website. They say that the world is in danger, though we can still make changes. Ragnarøk shares that there needs to be more support to make further changes, and they bravely state that they want to be part of it. They call for a transformation of society and the system. This being clothing doesn’t seem better in practice yet follows a new set of standards. 

In cooperation with coffee roasters in the region, the brand upcycles jute coffee bags into tote bags. 

Circular business models

The brand offers a lifetime repair programme. 

• Ragnarøk will refund shipping and/​or repair costs (up to €10) when an item is repaired for the first time.
• Ragnarøk supports the repair costs (up to €5) in case of a second repair.
• For further repairs, Ragnarøk pays a standard repair fee of €2!

Distance & complexity of the supply chain

• Production –
  • Production of Tencel fiber (Lenzing facilities): Austria
  • Production of Cork: Portugal
• Manufacturing
  • Spinning cellulose fibers: Western Europe
  • Ring-spinning Cotton 200 decitex: Austria
  • Knitting 200 decitex: Germany
  • Conventional roll piece dyeing, incl. pre-treatment, scouring, softening, centrifugation, drying & wastewater treatment: Germany 
  • Laser cutting, ironing & sewing: Zwolle, The Netherlands
• HQ: The Netherlands
• Sale: The Netherlands

Everything in the Ragnarøk clothing comes from the European Union; the Tencel threads come from Lenzing in Austria, which then is sent to Germany to create the fabric. The cork cables come from Portugal. Tencel is wood-based, the material is sourced from more sustainably managed European forests. We can safely state that Ragnarøk has a short supply chain. COSH! is a fan of this local production chain! 

Their vision is a local fashion industry, where everyone involved, designers, producers, materials and consumers are located within a radius of 250km of each other.

Transportation

Supply chain: 

• Truck +Trailer EURO3‑6 average 24T capacity
• International Freight Carrier (ship) 

E- commerce:

• In store pick-up
• Bike courier

Ragnarøk is a vegan-friendly brand, which means they use only vegetable-based materials. No animals are involved in the production of the fabrics. 

Product design

When you say Ragnarøk, you say slow fashion. The brand states that fast fashion dominates the industry, whilst reform is urgently needed. Ragnarøk focuses on producing long-lasting, transparent, ethical, and more sustainable clothes that respect and care for the planet and the people involved. The t‑shirts are available in classic colours like black and white and in loose-fitting or fitted styles. So you can decide which one is best for you!

Good to know: Tencel is soft, antibacterial, and breathable. Due to the long wearability, this means the need to wash your t‑shirts after every wear is not required. So, saving water.

Their sizing ranges from XXS-XXL.

Slow fashion processes

Ragnarøk applies made-to-order production.

Every collection starts with an idea that aligns with their core values: sustainability, circularity and local production. The designers brainstorm designs that are stylish and functional, while having minimal impact on the environment. These designs are developed into prototypes in their workshop, where they experiment with details, fits and finishes.

Ragnarøk offers regular discounts and special offers. They believe everyone should have access to sustainable fashion, no matter their budget. This is why they want to ensure their products remain affordable.

Transparency on product

Each product page details the materials and care instructions.

Transparency on processes

Ragnarøk has nothing to hide; they want to achieve total transparency of every production stage. They also want to involve the customer in showing where their clothes originate from and their actual cost. 

Every partner, every material, and every process in the company is therefore accessible to the customer. This way, you can see the cost breakdown for each product, which route it has taken, and the product’s footprint. Ragnarøk has had an independent LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) carried out to identify, among other things, the water consumption, the CO2 emissions, and the distance travelled. COSH is thrilled to see this!