The story behind your sweater: Filippa K uses QR codes to trace the wool journey
Filippa K, a pioneer of effortless Scandinavian minimalism, has been crafting timeless wardrobe essentials since 1993. Guided by the philosophy of “less, but better, ”the brand embraces simplicity, quality, and purpose in every piece it creates. With a commitment to mindful consumption, Filippa K encourages its community to invest in versatile, high-quality designs made to last, fostering a more sustainable approach to fashion.
Filippa K’s commitment to sustainability is at the core of its vision, and at Trimco Group, we’ve long valued our collaboration together. Through innovative use of responsibly sourced materials and circular design, Filippa K is a brand devoted to transparent practices that build trust and accountability across the value chain.
Bringing Farm-to-Garment Transparency
A remarkable extension of this vision is the Fiber Traceability Initiative, an ambitious collaboration funded by Axfoundation, GS1 Sweden, VirtualRouteZ, and supported by Trimco Group. The project addresses a central issue in today’s fashion industry: the lack of transparency and traceability in the global wool supply chain. Traditionally, traceability, through certification schemes, often ends with the country of origin, leaving consumers with little assurance of sustainable production or adherence to animal welfare standards.
Through this initiative, a beta version of a digitally traceable wool value chain has been created. Wool garments in Filippa K’s AW24, SS25and AW25 collections feature QR codes sewn into the labels, powered by GS1 standards. These innovative codes unlock a wealth of information, offering consumers a detailed view of the garment’s history - from sheep farms in South Africa to scouring plants, spinning mills, and final assembly in Europe. The initiative goes further by incorporating product care tips, repair recommendations, and resale options, fostering longer life spans for garments and supporting a circular economy.
Anna Berne, Vice President of Product and Sustainability at Filippa K, emphasizes the significance of this project, stating, “We are thrilled to have taken this step in the Fiber Traceability Initiative, giving the Filippa K community the opportunity to understand the story behind these wool garments. It has been an important milestone for us, made possible through the collaboration with Axfoundation, GS1 Sweden, VirtualRouteZ, Trimco Group, and all our value-chain partners.”
Driving Innovation Through Collaboration
At the core of the Fiber Traceability Initiative is the power of collaboration. Each partner played a critical role in making this vision a reality:
/ Filippa K designed the pieces suitable for wool and managed the supply chain to facilitate the implementation across the brand’s supplier partners, advocating sustainability and transparency.
/ Axfoundation is the independent, non-profit organization who led the initiative.
/ VirtualRouteZ are the providers of the digital platform to consolidate and share traceability data.
/ GS1 Sweden provided standardized frameworks, ensuring interoperability throughout the supply chain.
/ Trimco Group ensured seamless QR code data interpretation and QR code generation, as well as label production, essential for embedding product information into every garment.
Dennis Sand Eskesen, Head of RFID and Variable Data at Trimco Group, shared, “We’ve had the privilege of partnering with Filippa K for many years, supporting their vision through our trims, variable data, and RFID labeling solutions. As sustainability regulations evolve and coming DPP requirements approaches, we are proud to have contributed to this project with our expertise in data collection and labeling. A significant part of this achievement was rooted in the close collaboration and the alignment with GS1 standards, which played a key role in ensuring the success of the project. The collaboration with the solution provider VirtualRouteZ was also a great learning experience and a great example of how great things can be achieved when different industry experts work together.”
“Collaboration truly is the key. It’s a pleasure to work with a forward-thinking brand like Filippa K. At Trimco Group, our team of experts remains committed to staying ahead of new requirements, ensuring we continue to provide innovative and tailored labeling solutions for data printing, traceability, and DPP compliance. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership.", concludes Dennis Sand Eskesen.
Preparing for a Transparent Future
This initiative is both innovative and forward-thinking, aligning with upcoming EU sustainability regulations such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP). This legislation, part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, will require businesses to embed traceability and transparency into their products. The Fiber Traceability Initiative serves as a beta version of a DPP, paving the way for Filippa K to lead the charge in addressing these requirements.
“As we move towards a future of digital product passports, having the right partners makes all the difference. Our long-term partner, Trimco, has been instrumental in our latest project, The Fiber Traceability Initiative, ensuring that the right labels and durable data carriers connect physical products with digital information.
A lot of work happens behind the scenes to get every detail right—from selecting the right materials to ensuring SSCC codes and labeling solutions meet the highest standards for durability and functionality. Trimco’s expertise in this field has been invaluable, helping us create reliable labeling that supports product identification and supply chain processes.” mentioned Olivia Sjöberg, Senior Sustainability Controller at Filippa K.
By offering accessible production and sustainability data through QR codes, the initiative enables all actors in the value chain - from wool farmers to consumers - to engage with and benefit from a transparent system. It also positions Filippa K as a trailblazer, inspiring the broader fashion industry to adopt similar practices.
For the fashion industry, this initiative is a call to action, demonstrating that sustainability, transparency, and technology can coexist harmoniously.