Ortovox, the outdoor brand from southern Germany, is now sourcing “Loden” wool from a family-owned Austrian supplier, Steiner1888, that was founded five generations ago and has been producing fabric sustainably ever since. Steiner1888 produces all of its fabrics in the Austria state of Styria, drawing the wool from sheep, alpacas and goats and elaborating the fabrics partly by hand.
Until now, Ortovox has mainly used Merino and Swiss wool for its sportswear. Loden is a special, densely milled type of high-quality wool. According to the head of product, Stefan Krause, Ortovox seeks to “know our suppliers and their production methods in detail,” and Steiner1888 offered both short delivery times and high quality.
In addition to supplying wool, Steiner1888, has since 2013 been producing a fashion collection, sold in more than 70 specialist shops in Austria and Germany.
Ortovox has been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation and the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles since 2015. Alongside Deuter Sport, Maier Sports, and Gonso, it belongs to the Outdoor subgroup of Schwanhäußer Industrie Holding.
