For the past few years, Luxembourg-based Natural Vibes has been providing Europe’s feet with a wide range of colourful and sustainable socks. Silicon Luxembourg caught up with its CEO and founder Guillermo Ortega to learn more about the company’s recent developments.
Favouring organic and steady growth, Natural Vibes has made significant strides since it first opened up shop in 2018. The startup has already sold more than 120,000 pairs of funky socks, amassed more than 120 retailers across Europe and created more than 80 unique designs, all of which meet the stringent organic, ecological and social criteria to be GOTS certified.
“During Covid-19, online marketplaces went a bit crazy, so people were buying a lot more online than expected, which ended up being positive for us,” said Guillermo Ortega, founder and CEO of Natural Vibes.
This boost in sales was aided by Natural Vibes’ collaboration with Zalando, which started opening up to smaller brands at the time.
“We integrated our brand at Zalando, and started selling in 14 new markets in a matter of months,” explains Guillermo.
“None of this happened from one day to the next, but dedication and patience have helped me get to where I am today.”
Guillermo Ortega, Founder & CEO of Natural Vibes
Sustainability first
Next to expanding to new markets and collaborating with noted Luxembourg designer Jacques Schneider, Natural Vibes has also made good on its environmental claims by partnering with Eden Reforestation Projects and planting 120 000 trees through its “one pair = one tree” campaign.
“The beauty with socks is also that they have a way lower return rate than other clothing items which helps keep their CO2 footprint low,” says Guillermo.
Aiming to be as CO2 neutral as possible in its productions, Natural Vibes uses recycled polyester to manufacture its socks, as well as eco-friendly packaging and ships with DHL green whenever possible.
When talking about his plans for the rest of the year, Guillermo mentions creating 30 new designs, expanding to Scandinavian countries and promoting his brand at trade fairs in Paris and Amsterdam.
“None of this happened from one day to the next, but dedication and patience have helped me get to where I am today,” says Guillermo.
Editor’s note: In this episode of The Elevator, Guillermo Ortega, Founder of Natural Vibes, talks about how Natural Vibes is improving the fashion industry while reforesting the world.
