With ‘Talking Sustainability’, we have developed a new format for which we regularly invite organisations from the industry and beyond to share their actions and experience in the field of sustainability. For this interview, we were able to talk to Andreas Scheer from german underwear manufacturer AMMANN. Below you can find out more about AMMANN's sustainability efforts.
01 - How important is sustainability in your corporate strategy?
Scheer: We started getting our collection GOTS certified in 2017. Through our in-house production in Europe, we have the ability to oversee production conditions and standards. Besides the quality of our products, the topic of sustainability is an important part of our strategy.
02 - Which criteria played a role in the selection of the GOTS certificate?
Scheer: For our consumers, the multitude of sustainability certifications is often difficult to understand. That’s why we rely on two well-known labels: Ökotex and GOTS. We chose GOTS because this certification examines the entire supply chain. It represents a globally recognized standard that certifies not only the materials used but also addresses the issue of social compliance.
03 - How relevant is the social component in terms of sustainability for Ammann?
Scheer: The topic of sustainability is indeed a very broad field. We tend to talk to our customers about the topic ‘Where do the clothes come from?’ For us, this is an important aspect: we have our own production sites in the EU, we employ our own staff and our production management as well as external certifiers (GOTS audit) regularly check the conditions on site. Along with the use of organic cotton, this forms our strategy, which we also want to bring closer to our customers.
04 - What is the current demand among your wholesale partners regarding the provision of certificates via Fashion Cloud?
Scheer: For us, it is important to transparently pass on the production conditions and materials to our consumers. Of course, the staff on the floor is an important lever in this. Therefore, it is essential to share sustainability information with our retailers via Fashion Cloud in order to provide the most transparent presentation possible for the consumer.
w/ Andreas Scheer - CEO Gebr. Ammann GmbH & Co KG
