sweersocean

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS 

• Frankfurt, Germany
• Portugal

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGES 

sweersocean produces both in Germany and Portugal.

Germany offers clear advantages due to its high legal standards for labour rights, occupational safety, and environmental protection. The geographical proximity also enables close control of production processes and short transport routes.
The German production partner operates in a socially and environmentally responsible manner and is positioned as a social business. The garments are handmade by trained tailoresses, ensuring a high quality standard. The collaboration is close and personal, with regular direct contact made possible by local proximity. 
The production partner provides refugee women with training to become tailoresses and supports them individually with language courses, tutoring, and professional integration. This commitment is actively supported by sweersocean.

The Portuguese production partner holds several certifications, including GOTS, OCS, BCI 100, SEAQUAL, QIMA, SMETA, and the Organic 100 Standard label. These not only demonstrate environmentally conscious but also socially responsible production conditions. 
GOTS and SMETA ensure fairer wages, safer working conditions, and the prohibition of child and forced labour, while BCI promotes the living conditions of cotton farmers. QIMA guarantees compliance with international social standards through regular audits, and SEAQUAL as well as the Organic 100 label support long-term stable jobs through their focus on sustainable materials and resource protection.

The inclusivity of the label is reflected in the integration of refugee women within the German production.

MATERIALS 

• Organic cotton
• SeaCell
• Tencel™
• Deadstock

Organic cotton is considered to be more resource-friendly than conventional cotton, as less water is used during cultivation and no synthetic pesticides are used. Read more about the benefits of organic cotton here. 

SeaCell is made from algae and cellulose and is potentially biodegradable. 

Deadstock reduces the need for new raw materials and avoids waste.

PACKAGING 

• sweersocean packs e‑commerce orders in grass fiber cartons, which consist of 35% grass fibers and 65% recycled paper. The grass fibers come from unused green areas and help to protect the forest. The brand states the items are packed without plastic.
• The garments produced in Portugal are packed together, using only paper layers as protection between individual pieces. This significantly reduces the use of single-use plastic while still ensuring that the items remain carefully protected.

WATER USAGE & CHEMICALS 

Organic cotton and SeaCell reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and chemically intensive cultivation methods and therefore water consumption. The use of dead stock fabrics avoid additional resource-intensive production steps.

The brand uses 3D design technologies to develop initial samples digitally, which reduces material and chemical consumption in the sample phase.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN 

sweersocean mainly uses mono-materials; a few products consist of mixed fabrics, which can make subsequent recycling more difficult.

The brand does offer a take-back service. Customers can return worn items and receive a voucher in return. Depending on their condition, the returned garments are taken into the planned preloved store, repaired or forwarded to a textile recycling facility.

sweersocean uses deadstock fabrics. Although this helps to conserve resources, it can reduce the recyclability of individual products if different fiber types are combined.

Hairbands are made from the leftover fleece material generated during production in Portugal.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS 

sweersocean offers repairs in the event of a defect. The label also has its own take-back service. Customers can register worn clothing via an online portal, receive a return label and a voucher for their next purchase. Upon receipt, each item is checked: Products in good condition are sent to the planned preloved store; damaged items are repaired or passed on for textile recycling. This extends the life of the products and reduces textile waste.

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN 

• Frankfurt, Germany
• Portugal
• The sweersocean HQ is in Aachen, Germany

TRANSPORTATION 

• Transport within the supply chain takes place exclusively by land.
• The label states that it ships in a resource-efficient and climate-neutral manner.

PRODUCT DESIGN 

sweersocean’s range is tailored to women. The collections include durable, modern everyday and statement pieces as well as outdoor products.

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES 

sweersocean does not work with fixed seasonal collections, but gradually adds new designs to an existing, long-lasting collection. Many pieces are created in a pre-order process as made-to-order, which avoids overproduction.

TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT 

The sweersocean product pages provide detailed information on the material composition, origin of the fabrics, production location, care instructions and fit measurements. It is also explained whether deadstock or other reused materials are used.

Customers can therefore transparently understand in which country their specific item of clothing was produced and from which sources the fabrics come.

TRANSPARENCY ON PROCESSES 

sweersocean provides comprehensive information on production processes and suppliers on its website. The company specifically names their manufacturing location and describes their socially and ecologically inclusive working methods. The countries of origin of the materials and the technologies and recycling approaches used are also explained.

The information is partly general and partly product-specific. For individual items, the material composition, material origin and production location are listed transparently.