Yesterday, Icebreaker, the Wellington, New Zealand-based manufacturers of exceptionally nice merino wool baselayers, sweaters, and socks, launched a nifty interactive feature on their website. It’s called Baacode (there are sheep involved, get it?). Here’s how it works: You buy one of their garments, all of which now have a small label with its own replica A Lange&Sohne watches individual code affixed to it. Then you go to their website, punch in said code, hit “trace,” and the interactive map whisks you away to the exact sheep farm (or farms)—they’re called “stations” in New Zealand—where the original owners of the wool youre now wearing live.Once there, you can watch a handful of gorgeously shot, high-def videos about the station and the family that runs it.
That’s not all. If you’re a geek like me, you can click on additional tabs and learn more about the animal’s welfare and Icebreaker’s manufacturing and environmental ethics. The videos and accompanying text are pretty cool (and surprisingly engaging) actually, as Icebreaker lets you tag along on the wool’s long and intercontinental journey of becoming an actual baselayer or pair of socks. And seriously wonky: There are individual videos for replica Panerai watches every step of the supply chain: fiber, cleaning (France), yarn (Germany), fabric, and sewing (China).Now, all things considered, it’s relatively easy for Icebreaker to walk us through the life-cycle of their garments.
They make everything out of just one raw material that’s sourced from one island. Even so, I applaud them for their transparency and commitment to running a socially and environmentally conscious company. Of course, as long as I’m clapping, I have to mention Patagonia. The eco-aware-at-birth behemoth has a similar interactive feature on their website called The Footprint Chronicles, which lets you “examine” a product from replica IWC watch design to delivery. Although you can only currently track 10 products, Patagonia goes deep, too. I just watched a slide show about where and how on particular shirt’s organic cotton is grown in Turkey, and then a video about it dyeing and weaving in Thailand. Although, for the record, I skipped the slideshow about their distribution center in Reno. —Sam Moulton
