certified fair and ecological - what does it mean?

Our holistic sustainability concept is the core of our brand.

With Natascha von Hirschhausen we work every day to be as future-driven as possible. Our capitalist system brings challenges regarding sustainability, which we want to overcome and redesign every day, because we want to create fashion that has a positive impact on all people and the environment.

The key to do so, is to make sure, that these aspirations are also followed by transparent and concrete actions. This is why all our components, from the main material to the care tag are GOTS, IVN best and FairForLife certified. This means that the entire value chain is audited annually for strict social and environmental sustainability.

the certifications in a nutshell

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard. This certification is the world's leading standard for the production and processing of textiles made from organically produced natural fibers. The certification defines holistic requirements along the entire production and value chain. The GOTS certificate guarantees strict environmental criteria and social standards - from the cultivation and extraction of raw materials, through the finishing processes (e.g. bleaching, dyeing), to production and ready-to-wear clothing (e.g. T-shirts, shirts, sweaters, etc.). Regular quality assurance is carried out through inspections by independent certification bodies. The GOTS certificate guarantees the end consumer that the respective textiles are produced, packaged, traded and distributed in an all-encompassing ecologically and socially sustainable manner.

IVN Best holds the highest standards in the production of sustainable textiles. In addition to the control of each processing step, the certified textile, in contrast to the GOTS label, must be made of 100% ecological and social natural materials. We also pay attention to mono-materials, 100% natural resources, in GOTS certified materials.

The FairForLife certificate focuses on particularly high social standards and also controls the entire supply chain. For example, it is clearly defined what it means to pay a "living wage" - for us the perfect addition to GOTS and IVN Best.

time for transparency 

Transparency is the key to honest sustainability, so we also have to emphasize,  that our label itself is not certified by GOTS. Accordingly, we are not allowed to indicate our products as GOTS and IVN certified on our website, although they are exclusively made of these certified materials in every component of every garment.

We decided to do this because the certificates are very costly and time-consuming, especially for small companies like ours. That means our products would become more expensive without becoming better in any way. 

Our production in Berlin is more cost-intensive than in other European countries where we could produce more cost-effective and GOTS certified, but we have deliberately chosen local production and the made-to-order principle. So I, Natascha, can drive by on my e-bike, discuss everything, oversee the production and deliver or pick up the collection. In addition, this also preserves local crafts and jobs in Berlin. So at this point "common-sense-design" is more important to us than the certification, because we choose to produce waste-free here in Berlin and thereby create transparency. (Just come by our transparent factory in Q 205 and have a look at the production).

In our opinion, certifications are very important and we do not want to undermine them in any way. To have these functioning and well audited materials, helps us to source from our suppliers. For our company we want to find the right way to work as sustainable as possible and at the same time offer a high quality products, that are produced as cost-effective and locally as possible.

To summarize: All components are independently audited along the entire value chain until they arrive at our transparent factory in Friedrichstraße. Up to this point, we feel that the certificates are essential to control the entire value chain for social and ecological sustainability. For our production in Berlin, which is not certified, you are invited to come by and take a look how we manage the production within Berlin - for positive impact on our world and to #WasteLessFuture.

The key to sustainability is transparency, which we want to create with this. But what do you think? Feel free to contact us if you have any questions via info@nataschavonhirschhausen.com or via social media.




"Only garments, that are worn for a long time and with pleasure can ever be sustainable."