It started with a single garment. A 90-year-old Henley unearthed at a Berlin flea market in 2011.

Fashion designers Gitta and Peter Plotnicki instantly recognised the Henley’s quality as unique and markedly rare. In fact, the impeccably preserved piece was an authentic workers shirt from 1911.

Tracing the Henley’s provenance led the pair to Germany’s Swabian Alps. Once a thriving hub of textile manufacturing, the region’s factories fell quiet decades ago with the twentieth-century race towards mass-production, automation and ubiquitousness. In Albstadt, Gitta and Peter met one of the area’s last textile manufacturers, Rudolf Loder, who invited the couple to see something special. In a disused factory, rows of towering, authentic loopwheelers stood gathering dust. With origins spanning from 1889 to the 1960s, the stunningly analogue circular knitting machines were Germany’s only surviving loop wheelers.

For Gitta and Peter, the Albstadt machines were captivating signposts of the past; unknown to the couple at the time, the machines would also guide their future. The thread tying everything together – past, present and future – was a brand called Merz b. Schwanen.

Founded in 1911 by Balthasar Merz, Merz b. Schwanen manufactured loopwheeled workers Henleys and underwear. The brand ceased operation in 2005. There in the sleepy Albstadt factory, the idea to revive the loop wheelers was born, and the seeds of a new business were planted.

In a fortuitous stitch of fate, Balthasar Merz's descendants learned of Gitta and Peter’s plans, and generously offered their old brand name 'Merz b. Schwanen’. The gesture imbued the new venture with over a century of company, regional and manufacturing history.

Merz b. Schwanen unveiled its first collection, Good Originals, to wide acclaim. Designed, loopwheeled and steered by principles of simplicity, quality and unfussed style, the collection celebrated authentic workers clothing from the 20s, 30s and 40s, refined for modern times.

The Good Originals range was followed in 2016 by Good Basics. Made in Portugal and holding fast to the standards and values of Good Originals, Good Basics flexed the brand’s creativity in new directions. A future-focused range that invites modern colors, new organic and recycled materials, and contemporary styles, Good Basics is an evolution of Merz b. Schwanen’s rich heritage.

To create Good Basics, Merz b. Schwanen partners with like-minded, quality-driven and, where possible, family-run manufacturers in Portugal. Each garment upholds our brand’s unflinching standards of design and socially responsible manufacturing. Made by highly experienced craftspeople using organic materials of uncompromising quality, Good Basics celebrates life’s simple pleasures.

Quality isn’t just about how material feels against your skin. It’s about the process that each piece undergoes to arrive in your hands. It’s about fair and uplifting conditions for every worker in our orbit. It’s about practices that minimize environmental impact at every opportunity.

It’s about sourcing ethical materials and supporting farmers and manufacturers who align with Merz b. Schwanen’s values. Underpinning everything we do is a heartfelt commitment to good, original design, sustainability and ethical production, which results in reliable, everyday pieces.

MADE IN GERMANY ​ ​MADE IN PORTUGAL