Asket x Nativa

Merino Wool Polo in Brown Melange / Source: Milled

EuropeNativaSouth AmericaTextilesWool

4 MINUTE READ

Mayer Nissim

WHAT WE SAY:

There is a lot of faux transparency in the fashion industry, but that should not stop brands that authentically aspire to do the right thing from embracing such a powerful trend, because, as the saying goes, 'sunlight is the best disinfectant.'

Asket is one such brand – it publishes full details of where a product’s materials come from, how much CO2, water, and energy it took to make the garment, as well as an estimate of how many times you will be able to wear them. Knowledge really is power.

KEY FACTS:

Swedish fashion brand Asket has a line of fully traceable Merino Wool sweaters, all made from 19.5 micron extra fine Nativa merino wool from farms in Argentina.
All wool farms used by Asket are Nativa and RWS-certified, guaranteeing animal welfare, proper land management, and protection of biodiversity.
Asket offers four different Merino wool sweater designs, as well as a Beanie hat – all available globally in-store and online in a range of colours. All items come with a full impact report.

The Merino Roll Neck in Dark Green / Source: Milled

The Merino Sweater in Dark Navy / Source: Milled

DIVE DEEPER:

Wool has been worn for thousands of years and is a naturally plastic-free and versatile fabric, but many consumers are turned off by ecologically damaging farming methods and poor animal welfare.
In 2021, Asket sourced its wool from five Merino wool farms in and around Patagonia, in the region of Santa Cruz, southern Argentina. All farms are Nativa-certified, which guarantees strong animal welfare, proper land and environmental management, and corporate social responsibility. The farms are also all RWS-certified.
Asket publishes a comprehensive impact statement for its products, which is the result of a two-year partnership with the Research Institute Sweden (RISE). The report covers CO2, water and energy for each item, broken down by raw material, milling, manufacturing, trims, and transport.
Customers are also given a landed cost for the product, broken down under the same headings. For its most popular garments, Asket has also published estimates of how many wears customers can expect.
Asket’s line includes: a Merino Zip Cardigan (in a heavyweight 2/30 yarn - 12 gauge) in three colours for USD 220; a Merino Wool Polo and Merino Roll Neck (in a light, dense 2/37 yarn - 24 gauge), both in five colours for USD 125; a Merino Sweater (in a mid-weight 2/30 yarn - 20 gauge) in seven colours for 110 USD; and a Beanie hat (in ribbed 2/30 yarn - 10 to 7 gauge) in four colours for USD 50.
Asket’s Merino cardigans and polos are knitted, linked, trimmed, washed, finished, and packed in Băilești, Romania. The 10,000 square metre knitwear factory was established in 1992 and last visited by the company in 2019. It employs 160 people and pays an average salary of EUR 600 (USD 630) per month, for an eight-hour day.
As of 2021, Asket’s total product range is 92.5% traceable, with all items in its Merino wool line 100% traceable, scoring top marks on its ratings for manufacturing, milling, raw materials and trims.
When products reach end-of-life or are simply no longer wanted, consumers can return them direct to Asket via its Revival Programme. Garments are registered and sent back to Stockholm in exchange for up to USD 25 per item, before being resold, remanufactured, or recycled by the company.
Fun fact – Asket is Swedish for 'ascetic,' meaning the abstention from indulgence, typically used to refer to the restrained lifestyles lead by monks.

"Unraveling our merino wool supply chain allows us to to trace our actions, uncover their impact and relay back to you the raw story of what it takes to create our garments."

Asket

Key Design Considerations:

Could you embrace a similar level of transparency as Asket?

Sharing environmental and supplier data is becoming relatively common in the fashion industry, with niche sustainable brands such as Pangaia, right up to fast fashion behemoths like H&M, exploring sharing water, energy, and CO2 metrics. However, Asket goes even further, offering customers a detailed breakdown of its costs, too. This might be a step too far for many brands, but it is an interesting challenge.

However, always consider the reliability of third party data

Many brands have relied on the Higg Index for their impact metrics, whose controversial data opens users to accusations of greenwashing. Indeed, in June 2022, the Norwegian Consumer Authority warned H&M and Norrøna that its use of these metrics was unlawful. Asket is very open about its methodology (and its limitations), which is encouraging. But you should always remember that any data is only as good as its raw inputs.

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Asket x Nativa

WHAT WE SAY:

There is a lot of faux transparency in the fashion industry, but that should not stop brands that authentically aspire to do the right thing from embracing such a powerful trend, because, as the saying goes, 'sunlight is the best disinfectant.'

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Wool has been worn for thousands of years and is a naturally plastic-free and versatile fabric, but many consumers are turned off by ecologically damaging farming methods and poor animal welfare.

Asket publishes a comprehensive impact statement for its products, which is the result of a two-year partnership with the Research Institute Sweden (RISE). The report covers CO2, water and energy for each item, broken down by raw material, milling, manufacturing, trims, and transport.

Customers are also given a landed cost for the product, broken down under the same headings. For its most popular garments, Asket has also published estimates of how many wears customers can expect.

As of 2021, Asket’s total product range is 92.5% traceable, with all items in its Merino wool line 100% traceable, scoring top marks on its ratings for manufacturing, milling, raw materials and trims.

When products reach end-of-life or are simply no longer wanted, consumers can return them direct to Asket via its Revival Programme. Garments are registered and sent back to Stockholm in exchange for up to USD 25 per item, before being resold, remanufactured, or recycled by the company.

Fun fact – Asket is Swedish for 'ascetic,' meaning the abstention from indulgence, typically used to refer to the restrained lifestyles lead by monks.

Asket

Key Design Considerations:

Could you embrace a similar level of transparency as Asket?

However, always consider the reliability of third party data

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