Have you heard of Armed Angels? The Cologne-based fashion brand was founded by Anton Jurina and Martin Höfeler in 2007, and is slowly by steadily redefining what effortless sustainability is really all about. The brand, which I discovered with a simple google search and less than 5 minutes of research, creates a comprehensive and beautiful range of clothes for men and women, what it truly means to be organic is centered as Armed Angel’s core offering. Ethical fashion as a culture and business fairness as a mainstay are thrown in for good measure. Forget fast fashion, the future is about fair fashion and Armed Angels do it so well.

I am wearing the Sadie Patchwork Sweater made of an organic wool mix, the knit is chunky, warm and soft against the skin. It is also GOTS certified and made in Turkey. Winter-wear goals. The brands other manufacturing activities take place in Portugal and China.

We hear the word organic thrown around quite a lot on the green fashion scene, but there is so much more to it than a buzzword and high-impact trend. GOTS certified (yes, we have heard it all before but the whole no pesticides, no chemical fertilizer, no chemical madness thing will never go out of fashion) since 2011, sustainability is just part of the brands’ DNA. Armed Angels only use credible eco materials such as organic cotton, organic linen, organic wool, recycled polyester, Lenzing Modal® and Tencel®, and contrary to popular opinion, this doesn’t hinder what they are able to design and create. Refreshingly, instead of plastic, the Cologne label uses natural materials such as wood for its buttons.

Keen to be fair, in their words ‘…beautiful and organic is not enough for us. Our production chain is long and every single one of our garments is the result of many hours of work.’ Armed Angels are also proud members of international initiatives like the Fair Wear Foundation whose aim to improve working conditions in textile factories all around the globe, with their members’ support, is persistent and relentless. What does this mean on the ground? It means that onsite, FWF auditors regularly check compliance with the standard in the factories. In addition to that, Armed Angels are being audited themselves each year in the so-called Brand Performance Check.

These days, a company website is just the starting point when it comes to the credibility of an ethical brand. Consumers really do do their research to see how a brand is ticking boxes when it comes to style, environmental values, fairness and transparency. Apps like Good On You or website likes RankaBrand are a great starting point and it’s refreshing to see how well the social fashion brand fairs on those.

Crucially, Armedangels also retail at fair prices and they do this by lowering their margins and eschewing exorbitant marketing budgets, the focus is on quality and accessible but fair pricing.

Visit the official website here and be sure to dive into their blog, it makes for a fascinating read.