common era

What common era does

Common Era is a Dutch direct-to-consumer fashion brand founded in 2021 by Arno Weel and Jasper van den Dungen. The company designs and sells everyday apparel — T-shirts, sweaters, sweatvests, shirts, and blouses — built entirely from recycled cotton and recycled polyester, and markets them to sustainability-conscious consumers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg through its own e-commerce storefront at common-era.nl.

The company's product is differentiated by its material sourcing rather than novel technology. Fibers come from post-industrial textile waste processed by Spain-based RB Fibres, are spun into yarn by Belda Llorens using undyed cotton and water-efficient dope-dyed recycled PET polyester, and are knitted or woven by Avelana Knitting and Vilarinho in Portugal before final assembly by Camorsil and Bravebehavior. Every garment carries a unique Tex.Tracer URL that exposes the full supply-chain journey — fiber, yarn, fabric mill, and sewing partner — along with associated certificates and partner information, providing a level of provenance disclosure uncommon in mass-market apparel.

The business model is single-channel DTC e-commerce with one-time unit pricing per garment (€24.95–€54.95), free shipping on orders from €150 within the Benelux and Germany, and standard shipping via DHL Parcel to four EU countries. Revenue is generated per transaction with no subscription or recurring layer. Marketing is content-driven and organic-led — narrative pages on purpose, impact, materials, and supply chain, plus social channels on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and a Mailchimp newsletter — targeting consumers who prioritize environmental footprint and fair labor over price. The company is a founder-led Dutch B.V. (legal name common | era B.V., KVK 84194979) with no disclosed external funding, investors, or wholesale partners.

Name

common era

Legal name

common | era B.V.

Website

https://common-era.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

common era is a Dutch direct-to-consumer fashion brand that designs and sells recycled-material apparel — T-shirts, sweaters, shirts, blouses, and sweatvests — to sustainability-conscious consumers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg via own-storefront e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Apparel

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable & Certified Materials (Organic, Recycled, Traceable) (CRAAAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing) (IMAOAMAM), Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste) (BPALADAL), Apparel Alterations, Repair & Circular Manufacturing (Remake/Upcycle) (CRAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Sustainable fashion
• Recycled clothing
• Eco-friendly apparel
• Circular textiles
• Ethical fashion

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time sale of sustainable clothing items (t-shirts, sweaters, shirts, blouses, sweatvests) through company e-commerce website. No subscription model. Revenue generated per transaction with standard e-commerce margins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Common Era designs and sells clothing for men and women made from recycled textile materials, including recycled cotton and recycled polyester. The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, manufacturing its apparel through partner facilities in Spain and Portugal, and shipping to customers across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg.

Product overview

Common Era is a sustainable fashion brand that recycles textile waste into clothing. Their product portfolio includes shirts/blouses (Hinas, Kovale, Zihull, Zora), T-shirts (Hiland for men, Hille for women), sweaters (Wale for men, Solis for women), and unisex sweatvests (Vance). All products are made from recycled materials including recycled cotton and recycled polyester, sourced from textile production waste. The brand emphasizes transparency in their supply chain and fair labor practices, with products manufactured in Portugal and Spain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hinas
• Kovale
• Zihull
• Zora
• Hiland
• Hille
• Wale
• Solis
• Vance

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,220 liters water saved per T-shirt compared to standard production
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RB FibrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Spain, RB Fibres processes textile production waste into usable fibers. They process up to 500,000 kg of textile waste per month, serving as the starting point of common|era's supply chain.
• Belda LlorenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish yarn supplier that mixes textile fibers from RB Fibres with other fiber types including recycled PET polyester. The cotton in their yarns is undyed, and PET polyester is dope-dyed using a low-water process. Their yarn mix creates common|era's color variations.
• Avelana KnittingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnitting factory in Portugal that produces knitted fabrics for common|era's T-shirts, sweaters, and hoodies from the yarn supplied by Belda Llorens.
• VilarinhocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeaving factory in Portugal that weaves yarn from Belda Llorens into fabrics for common|era's blouses and shirts.
• CamorsilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGarment manufacturing partner for T-shirts, sweaters, and hoodies. Described as having attention to detail and working with sustainable materials.
• BravebehaviorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall factory in Portugal manufacturing shirts and blouses for common|era. Described as having a pleasant working atmosphere and highly experienced staff.
• Tex.TracercoreTechnology or IntegrationTransparency platform that brings together common|era, suppliers, and consumers. Provides complete insight into the supply chain with certificates and information from supply chain partners. Each product has a unique link for consumers to trace the garment's journey.
• DHL ParcelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogistics partner for shipping packages to consumers. Provides tracking numbers for order status. DHL is investing in sustainability with electric delivery vehicles and CO2 compensation through reforestation projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ecoalf: Spanish sustainable fashion brand using recycled materials (including marine plastic) for apparel and accessories. Comparable on recycled-material innovation, Iberian supply chain proximity, and pan-European D2C distribution.
• Armedangels: German D2C sustainable fashion brand selling organic, recycled, and fair-trade essentials (T-shirts, sweaters, shirts). Directly comparable to Common Era on business model (D2C basics), recycled material focus, and European geographic positioning.
• Mud Jeans: Dutch circular fashion brand using post-consumer recycled denim. Highly comparable on circular materials, Dutch origin, GRS certification, and emphasis on supply chain transparency — though focused on denim rather than broader basics.
• Nudie Jeans: Swedish sustainable denim brand with strong repair/circular offering and transparent supply chain. Comparable on circular materials, transparency messaging, European D2C positioning, and GOTS/GRS-aligned certifications.
• Knowledge Cotton Apparel: Danish sustainable basics brand using organic cotton and recycled materials. Comparable on GOTS-certified basics assortment, European D2C positioning, and long-standing commitment to fair labor and traceability.
• Kuyichi: Dutch sustainable fashion brand offering organic and recycled basics for men and women. Comparable on D2C model, recycled/organic material inputs, fair labor positioning, and European geographic focus.
• People Tree: Pioneer of Fair Trade and sustainable fashion. Comparable on certified sustainable materials, ethical supply chain, transparency messaging, and basics-oriented D2C catalog.

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia: Largest established player in sustainable outdoor/apparel with recycled materials and transparent supply chain. Comparable on circular materials and environmental storytelling, though Patagonia operates at vastly greater scale and broader category breadth.
• Stella McCartney: Luxury sustainable fashion brand with circular and traceability initiatives. Comparable on no-leather/recycled material commitment and traceability, but operates at premium price points and global scale well above Common Era.

Emerging players

• VEJA: French sustainable sneaker brand using recycled and fairly-traded materials with transparent supply chain storytelling. Comparable on European sustainable D2C model and traceable raw materials, though focused on footwear rather than apparel basics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/commonera.nl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/common-era-sustainable-fashion
• Instagraminstagram.com/common_era_sustainable_fashion

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about common era