Wolvis

Wolvis is a Belgian knitwear brand, founded by architect Griet Depoorter. Griet became inspired by knitting during her fashion studies at the SASK in Sint-Niklaas and experimented with a knitting machine in the evenings, alongside her job as an architect. From that passion and interest flowed her own brand, Wolvis. The Wolvis scarves have aesthetic, colorful designs inspired by things and shapes that inspire Griet. In addition, Griet likes to give the collections a poetic touch.

All Wolvis scarves are knitted in a studio in Waregem. Wolvis consciously chooses to produce locally in Belgium, this guarantees good working conditions during production. Moreover good contacts with the knitwear manufacturer can be maintained and transports are kept to a minimum.

In addition, socks will be produced by another Belgian weaving mill, and the brand will launch a collection of gloves & hats made in the Czech Republic in 2023.

The wonderfully soft scarves of Wolvis are made of 100% merino wool, with the Woolmark label. This label guarantees that the wool is of high quality and made to last. 

Wolvis offers you multiple collections, most of which use merino wool blended with other fabrics, such as cotton. Especially in the summer collection, the materials are combined to create a lighter scarf. Nonetheless, their Patched collection is made of 100% pure merino wool, making it fully recyclable.

Elastane is used in the socks. This is a synthetic material and therefore less durable, but it is necessary to ensure stretchability and wearing comfort.

Since the colourful knitted scarves are all made of natural materials, they are easy to recycle after use. The scarves are thus fully circular, lending themselves to recycling after they have kept you warm for many years. Moreover, unlike knitwear with polyester, this way no microplastics are released into nature either.

Socks, hats & mittens do sometimes use synthetic materials such as elastane and polyamide. This makes the designs less circular, but is necessary for longevity.

Moreover, Wolvis will repair your scarf for free if needed. If you are ready for a new scarf, you can even drop your old one off. The brand will then see if it is possible to sell the scarf as 2^nd hand, or recycle it. The brand also has a partnership with clothing library Dressr, so you can rent the scarf of your dreams!

Although the wool itself comes from Australia and South Africa, the chain remains fairly short. Once the wool arrives at the spinning mill in Italy, the entire process happens in Europe. The wool is spun and dyed in Italy, after which it goes directly to the weaving mills in Belgium. The Wolvis head office is located in Ghent, less than 40 kilometers from the production studio in Waregem. This limits the transport of the Wolvis items, which benefits the CO2 footprint.

The merino wool used by Wolvis for its scarves and hats comes from Australia and South Africa. Unfortunately, currently, it is still difficult to guarantee animal-friendly wool production. This is due to the long production chains and many wholesalers that collect wool from various regions in large warehouses. In addition, our COSH! research showed that even certificates do not offer a watertight solution. Read more about the ethical and ecological impact of wool here.

The Woolmark label focuses on quality criteria rather than environmental or animal welfare requirements. However, the Australian Wool Innovation (a division of The Woolmark Company) works closely with Australian animal welfare organisations, including the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA). In addition, The Woolmark Company also works with Australian wool farmers and universities, business organisations, government departments and research institutes to provide the best welfare for their animals.

Wolvis’ designs are timeless, and the scarves are made to last a lifetime. On the Wolvis website, you will find tips on washing and storing your Wolvis scarf the best way. 

Moreover, when you buy a Wolvis product, you will always receive it wrapped with a cedar wood piece to save your unique and precious wool scarf from moths – extra care to make it last additional time. 

Do you have a loose or broken thread in your scarf? You can bring your item in, and Wolvis will repair it for you. This way, your beloved Wolvis scarf can last for years to come.

Wolvis is completely transparent about their supply chain. Unfortunately, up to the present day there is still little transparency within the supply chains from wool farmer to producer and even certificates do not always offer a watertight answer. Nevertheless, Wolvis is committed to mapping out their entire production chain, and the brand plans to communicate this via their website soon. Therefore, the brand also already disclosed all suppliers and processes to COSH!.