Website www.armedangels.de Headquarters Cologne | Founded January 2007 | |
Type of business Limited liability company Key people Anton Jurina, Martin Hoefeler Founders Martin Höfeler, Anton Jurina Profiles | ||
armedangels is a fashion label based in Cologne, Germany. Founded in 2007, the company designs a variety of apparel products made from textiles such as organic cotton and sells them via their online shop as well as in boutiques and major retails stores in six countries. The label creates and produces sustainable fashion that is both ethical and fashionable, while attempting to appeal to the LOHAS demographic. The company is attempting to change the perception of eco-friendly clothing being "hippy like" and not fashionable to it being perceived as 'hip', 'chic' streetwear. Furthermore, the company aims to make a social statement about fashion and works exclusively with socially responsible companies that are certified as being fair trade. Because armedangels believes in being socially minded, they invite community members to share their opinions on improving the production process, to give feedback on new designs, and in some cases, even create and submit their own, new t-shirt designs. The main goal of their community is to raise awareness about the fashion industry and—what in their minds are—the injustices that arise as a result. The German press has referred to armedangels as being "eco warriors in the process of saving the world", who contribute alongside like-minded people including celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore.
Contents
History
The company was founded in January 2007 as The Social Fashion Company GmbH by two friends, Anton Jurina and Martin Höfeler. In 2009, the founders won the first ever Wirtschaftswoche Entrepreneur Competition (German language: Gründerwettbewerb der Wirtschaftswoche) for their business model.
Philosophy
armedangels' philosophy is built on three main pillars:
- being good to the environment,
- supporting fair trade,
- donating to charity
For this reason, they use organic cotton in their clothing, attempt to avoid large shipping distances (to reduce CO2 emissions), try to pay more than minimum wage to their farmers in India, and donate a euro of their profits from every article of clothing sold. armedangels has shown an interest in giving back to the community and therefore, closely collaborates with three charity organizations: Pratham, Trinkwasserwald, and Viva con Agua.
Collaborations
armedangels partners with several other ethical and sustainable fashion labels such as: Kuyichi, Terra Plana, Stewart & Brown, and KnowledgeCotton Apparel. At the end of 2009, the label began collaborations with German actress Cosma Shiva Hagen and German TV star and VIVA veejay Collien Fernandes. In June 2010 the fashion label teamed up with German Topmodel Eva Padberg and her husband Niklas Worgt. They designed their own t-shirt "Two Hearts - One Rhythm" which is sold online.