The idea for CARPASUS was born in 2013 when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in April in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and buried more than 1’100 textile workers. Notably this event made the CARPASUS founders reflect on how and under what environmental and social conditions our clothing and raw materials are made.
Sensitized to these problems, they looked for clothes that met their standards of quality and style, eco-friendly and fair production. A particular garment combining style, quality, and sustainability was particularly difficult to find: the men's shirt.
The men's shirt is the most dominant piece of clothing for men. It accompanies men day in and day out. The shirt must fit well. It has to be comfortable, easy to iron, durable and it must make us look great.
Convinced that it is also possible to create a high-quality shirt made from organic cotton under fair, transparent and humane working conditions, the team talked to suppliers and potential customers, visited fairs and even traveled to the origins of raw materials and production sites, to learn more about the places and people behind the shirt.
Finally in 2015 the first CARPASUS collection was launched.
The name CARPASUS derives from three words: Carbasina (Latin: fine cloth), karpasi (Sanskrit: cotton) and sustinere (Latin: preserved). As a symbol they chose the mallard duck, the "duck with the green collar". It represents the CARPASUS values and can be found today on every right sleeve vent of the CARPASUS shirts. The mallard duck lives in harmony with nature on land, in the water and in the air and symbolizes the elegance, spirit, flexibility it needs for working together and living with different cultures.
Years after the launch of the first collection, the brand has developed strongly. Today, CARPASUS is led by René Grünenfelder and his team. The CARPASUS shirts are now available in stores in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria and Sweden and are enjoying growing popularity. CARPASUS will continue to work for a more resource-efficient fashion industry in the future. The journey continues.
CARPASUS founder René Grünenfelder has built up a small but effective team over the years. Meet the team and get to know the people behind CARPASUS!
Do you want to become part of the CARPASUS journey? Subscribe to our Newsletter. You will be the first to know about new products and learn more about our projects. In return, you will receive a 10% discount on your first order.
