Merz b. Schwanen

Simply put, Merz b. Schwanen makes good basics. Built on a foundation of three core values – timeless design, good materials, and good manufacturing – they believe that the best products don’t need to be endlessly reinvented. Originally founded by Balthasar Merz in 1911 as "Balthasar Merz beim Schwanen", the brand remained a family-owned business in the Swabian Alps until 2008. After finding an original Henley shirt at a Berlin flea market, menswear designer Peter Plotnicki and his wife Gitta sought to relaunch the label. Renaming the line in 2011 with approval from the founder’s descendants, the pair teamed up with one of the last remaining textile factories in Albstadt, Germany, to utilize the same traditional manufacturing process the label was built on.

In every step of their process, Merz b. Schwanen strives for transparency, sustainability, and honesty. They proudly utilize all-natural, sustainable, recycled, and fully recyclable materials like certified organic cotton from Greece and mulesing-free merino wool, also using solar energy in much of their production.

Their Good Originals heritage line is produced in Germany using original antique loopwheelers, and divisions of production are responsibly manufactured in Portugal - even their exceptional woven labels are made in Germany on an 1890s Jacquard loom.