Innovation & Wool

Establishing a new requirement for traceable high-end clothing, Hugo Employer is moving at rate towards a future where garments have full supply chain and production transparency

Hugo Boss is progressing with an eye towards a greener future. Mark Langer, CEO, says: “Sustainability is not a state, however a roadmap for us.” In useful terms, this implies dedicating the German house’s significant resources to innovation: getting involved in industry-wide jobs such as the Open Clothing Windows registry, a comprehensive database of textile and garments facilities worldwide developed to develop greater openness in the market; and working internally to re-evaluate choices in methods of making, the fabrics it utilizes and the way in which these are sourced. On the latter topic, it is doubling down on its preference for natural, sustainable materials, all the while promoting for proper animal husbandry, following internationally acknowledged welfare and biodiversity requirements and dealing with externally audited suppliers.

For its Traceable Wool collection, Hugo Manager put under the microscope its entire sourcing and production chain, thoroughly tracing each garment’s journey from basic material to end up post to ensure the greatest standards of welfare and sustainable manufacture.

SHEEP IN NEW ZEALAND

Each garment begins life in New Zealand, where ZQ-accredited farmers rear flocks of Merino with a hands-off approach. Sheep graze on huge open pastures: Generally farms will have at least one acre of land per animal, though their natural instinct is to wander as flocks. Although the animals are mainly left to their own gadgets, the ZQ programme requireds that farmers take actions to safeguard them from thirst, pain, distress and illness.

SHEARING

About when a year, normally between August and November, the sheep are shorn of their fine, supple wool. The specific timing is a specific matter: Farmers will take into account the season and the requirements of their flocks, eliminating sheep of their heavy fleeces throughout summer while guaranteeing they have appropriate coats for winter. Mechanical clippers are the most popular tool utilized by expert shearers: Quick and efficient, they cause very little tension and discomfort.

PREPARATION & & DYEING Once gathered,

the raw materials take a trip to Valle Mosso in the historic Biella area of Italy. Here the fleece is combed and sorted by the capable hands of Reda, a family-owned mill renowned for its astute craftsmanship, which has been producing fabrics considering that 1865. When gathered, the longer fibers (referred to as tops) are taken to be dyed. Throughout, Reda makes sure that each action of the production process is adequately traceable and meets Hugo Manager’s exacting standards. SPINNING & WEAVING At Reda the dyed tops are spun into yarns, which are then woven to produce a light-weight

, fluid cloth with all the natural properties of merino: insulating yet breathable; water-resistant but able to wick wetness away from the body, keeping the user cool in warmer weather condition. The fabric is inherently softer than that made from other sheep’s wools due to the fineness of its fibers, a quality which has kept merino in demand for centuries. TAILORING The final garments are customized at the Hugo Employer production facility in Izmir on the Aegean coast of Turkey,

where high

workmanship standards are vital. For males, the pill consists of contemporary fits and separates, outerwear, t-shirts and ties. The counterpart women’s pieces are made utilizing merino combined with stretch, to help accommodate the narrower cut. The great finish of the material integrated with precise design and attention to detail develops a timeless final product, made with the highest level of animal welfare and sustainable production practices. To discover the one in charge Traceable Wool collection check out: hugoboss.com Illustrations Ping Zhu