Our Story
It all began with linen sacks, an idea, and a stance.
THE BEGINNING
A stance that began early.
At just fourteen, Clemens Dörr, founder of ELEMENTE CLEMENTE, was first introduced to sustainability through his uncle, one of Bavaria's earliest organic farmers and an adviser to the newly founded Green Party. Factory farming, pesticides, overconsumption: these topics have stayed with him ever since.
1988: THE FIRST LINEN SACKS
2,000 linen sacks from the First World War.
His stepfather ran a fashion second-hand store and had long believed that new things could be made from old fabrics. When Clemens Dörr started his own business in 1988 with Kandis & Kandismann, he remembered the French linen sacks from the flea market. He bought 2,000 pieces from a French government depot and turned them into his first menswear collection. It was carried by Ludwig Beck and Uli Knecht and never went out of style.
2002: ELEMENTE CLEMENTE
Recycling and upcycling as a principle.
With the founding of ELEMENTE CLEMENTE, sustainability became the central stance. Before deploying new resources, the question is always: what can be repaired, revived, or rethought? A product should be able to return to the cycle at the end of its life.
CRADLE TO CRADLE
Recycle, upcycle, rethink.
Sustainability is an obligation for us, not a buzzword. We use an array of sustainable fabrics: certified organic cotton, European linen, mulesing-free wool, ECONYL®, a regenerated nylon fibre made from industrial waste, and polyester made from recycled plastic. Dyeing happens at an ÖKOTEX-certified mill in Tunisia, which has been experimenting with plant-based, GOTS-certified colourants for over a decade. Each collection follows the Cradle-to-Cradle principle where possible, a consistent circular economy, not linear consumption.
PRODUCTION WITH RESPONSIBILITY
Where the CO₂ is actually measured.
Our factory in Tunisia produces around 70 percent of its own energy. Every step of production is reviewed for its impact, because the fashion industry carries a particular responsibility when it comes to CO₂ emissions. This is just the beginning, but it is the standard we measure ourselves by.
THE CORE IDEA REMAINS
Fashion that brings a story.
The path from 2,000 linen sacks to today's collection is shorter than one might think. The core idea has stayed: exceptional fashion that makes its resources transparent, and whose beauty arises precisely from the fact that the material carries not only outstanding quality but also a story.
VIEW THE COLLECTION