When Lutz Schwenke, CEO of TWOTHIRDS, spent a year in Hawaii as a teenager, he began to see the ocean differently. It became a source of joy and motivation for him. Later, Lutz worked for the UN, which influenced his vision for the sustainable brand he would eventually found.
Today, the TWOTHIRDS team comes from all over the world. They are a diverse team of creatives, designers and ocean lovers whose goal is to find a connection with the people who wear their clothes.
They believe that fair work should be a given, which is why they produce in Portugal, as the northern region of the country has a traditional textile manufacturing industry known for its high quality and precision craftsmanship.
In addition, frequent visits to the facilities allow them to build long-lasting and trusting relationships. They fully believe that security and fair payments create an environment of trust, which benefits all actors involved in the production of their garments.
TWOTHIRDS uses various fabrics to avoid the use of conventional cotton, such as TENCEL™ lyocell, wool, linen and, of course, organic cotton. These alternatives have different characteristics, so they use them for different uses. But they all have one thing in common: they require fewer resources than conventional cotton and have a lower environmental impact.
On the other hand, they also source unwanted materials from elsewhere. These include leftovers from production processes, post-consumer waste, materials recovered from the environment – especially the ocean – and leftover stock. They also use recycled fabrics and blends, such as recycled nylon, recycled cotton and recycled polyester.
In addition, they believe that they can only be sustainable if they leave as little negative trace as possible. That is why they have set out to reduce their own carbon footprint and offset what they cannot. To do this, they collaborate with research institutes, suppliers and other organizations to improve the sustainability of their products.
They also support suppliers with investments in renewable energy production. They have even installed solar panels in their own offices, which produce 60% of their electricity.
Using recycled materials is just one of the ways TWOTHIRDS contributes to the circular economy. Their durable clothing offers a longer shelf life, and they use leftover fabrics from stock to create new pieces.
In addition, in the event that a garment does not sell after production, they transform the material into another garment. As a result, they never produce surplus stock.
TWOTHIRDS’ philosophy of using what they have, before thinking about creating something new, is an excellent way to promote circularity and reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Local production is a key aspect of TWOTHIRDS’ supply chain. They locate their production in Portugal to make their pre-order system possible. In addition, some raw materials are also sourced in Europe, such as Shetland wool or linen.
Keeping local and centralized production in one place allows them to make frequent visits to work closely with their suppliers over time and build strong relationships based on trust and transparency.
TWOTHIRDS is committed to using sustainable and animal-friendly materials, but still uses wool in some of its garments.
It uses two types of wool: Shetland, a thick and warm fabric, or Merino, which is soft and thermo-regulating. Both are mulesing-free wools. That is, the wool comes from sheep that are properly treated.
In addition, TWOTHIRDS informs consumers whether a garment is vegan or not, allowing customers to make a conscious decision about what they buy.
At TWOTHIRDS, they believe that the solution to more sustainable fashion is not just about using different fabrics, but also involves durability. That is why they create garments with timeless and quality designs.
They pay attention to detail. Embellishments, such as zippers and buttons, are one of the main causes of products being thrown away. That is why, in addition to using quality fabric, they also use high quality trimmings to make their products last longer.
On the other hand, it is one of the pioneer brands in implementing the pre-order system. With this system, they can estimate how many pieces of a specific garment they are going to sell, and thus order exact quantities later and avoid overproduction.
In addition, as the pre-order system helps them reduce waste, from the fabric they order to the garments they produce, the benefits are reflected in a 20% discount on “New In” garments.
TWOTHIRDS is a brand characterized by its desire to keep improving, its belief in business “as a force for good” and its drive to put nature and people at the center of the economy.
They have brand traceability down to a tee. They know and know how to identify 100% of their garment suppliers and their fabric suppliers, and 95% of their dye suppliers. However, that information has not been shared with COSH!
On their website you can find their “impact report”, a fundamental transparency tool, where they provide more information about their environmental and social impact.
Conclusion
Two-thirds of the planet is covered by oceans. It’s what makes them who they are and what gives them so much happiness. TWOTHIRDS is committed to protecting what they love, what about you?
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