Authentico® by Schneider Group
THE ORIGINS
Authentico® by Schneider Group was first introduced to New Zealand in the late 1990s with the goal of providing complete traceability along the high-quality wool supply chain, from farm to tops.
THE AUCTION
Marco Schneider named it Authentico®. His inspiration for this name was a painting auction when he saw two similar artworks by the same artist receive very different evaluations, because the complete succession of owners, from the artist to that day, could only be traced and documented for one of them. That one sold for a much higher price because it was “authentic”. Marco realised there could be no better analogy for what Authentico® was destined to achieve for the animal fibre garment trade.
FIRST STEPS
After receiving positive feedback in the United Kingdom and Japan, Authentico® expanded to Australia and evolved into a tool that allowed direct contact and relationship with wool growers, instead of merely valuing and buying wool at auctions. This step opened the door to a period of growth for both the Schneider Group and growers, enabling an increase in wool quality levels while establishing an “authentic” relationship of mutual trust.
SINCE 2017
Since 2017, the Schneider Group’s vision for sustainability has expanded further, leading to the evolution of Authentico® into an “Integrity Scheme” that promotes best practices in animal welfare, and environmental and social responsibility. The Schneider Group created a dedicated Authentico® platform for growers to register to this scheme, together with an audit and certification system. And so, the key system and features of Authentico® became a reality.
DIGITAL TRACEABILITY
At the same time, in order to reinforce the value of traceability, the Schneider Group developed a new partnership with TextileGenesis™, a pioneering traceability platform custom-built for the fashion and textile ecosystem. And then in 2023, the group laid the groundwork for even more solid foundations…
TODAY
Authentico® by Schneider Group is a brand that stands for a complete, transparent, verified, traceable, ethical and high-quality wool supply chain – from farm to garment. It is based on the Schneider Group’s global certified network.
COMPLETE
The brand looks at the complete supply chain: from greasy wool, tops, yarns, fabrics, knitting and garments, all the way to brands and stores.
TRANSPARENT & TRACEABLE
The Schneider Group has long and well-established direct relationships with growers, brokers and local stakeholders, and has its own certified processing plants. In addition, the TextileGenesis™ system provides digital traceability along the whole wool supply chain.
VERIFIED
The Schneider Group has also created a Verification System where:
- Growers ensure their participation by adhering to the Authentico® Integrity Scheme, developed by the Schneider Group.
- The rest of the supply chain, including spinners, weavers, knitters, garment makers, brands and retailers, can become an official Authentico® partner by following the Authentico® Brand Guidelines developed by the Schneider Group.
The Integrity Scheme together with the Authentico® Brand Guidelines represent a simple and reliable verification system that covers the whole wool supply chain.
ETHICAL
The Authentico® Integrity Scheme stands for animal welfare, and environmental and social responsibility for growers. The Authentico® Brand Guidelines cover both company and product aspects for supply chain players.
HIGH QUALITY
The Schneider Group guarantees the raw material selection and processing, from farm to tops, according to the high standards for which it is famous.
THE SCHNEIDER GROUP
Founded in 1922, the Schneider Group is the most trusted source for responsibly and beautifully made precious wool tops.
It is a company with a unique integrated certified global network, and is a fully vertically integrated supplier of animal fibre tops with local operational presence worldwide.
The Schneider Group mills are RWS and GOTS certified for wool standards and SFA certified for cashmere standards as well as ZDHC compliant. This means the management systems and procedures are audited on a yearly basis to verify compliance and chain of custody.
The Schneider Group is behind every aspect of the Authentico® system and its values.
Vision & Mission of Authentico® by Schneider Group
VISION
Authentico® by Schneider Group aims to be recognised as the global brand that enables the fashion and outdoor industries, and consumers, to choose new levels of premium quality comprising fully traceable and responsible animal fibres, in compliance with a carefully structured approach that verifies, traces and brands the sourcing and manufacturing processes – from farm to garment.
MISSION
Authentico® by Schneider Group brings verified, traced and branded values to animal fibre products, growers, manufacturers and users to recognise, identify and create a new generation of responsible business. Joint communication throughout the whole chain (from growers to brands) is a fundamental tool to explain and guarantee their values which have been established for today’s consumers.
VERIFIED
“Verified growers by Authentico® Integrity Scheme” means:
- Animal fibre supply chain transparency and traceability, from growers to tops
- Animal welfare and mulesing-free
- Ethical standards
- Land and pasture management
- Social responsibility
- Own sustainable certified plants
- Own sustainable certified products
“Verified supply chain – spinners, weavers, knitters, garment makers, brands and retailers – through Authentico® Brand Guidelines” means that all supply chain players are meeting the criteria set by the Schneider Group at both company and product level.
TRACED
In addition to the Schneider Group’s strong integrated global network that allows wool tops to be traced back to the farm, the group has also added the TextileGenesis™ system into the Authentico® Integrity Scheme and Brand Guidelines, ensuring traceability of the incoming and outgoing wool. Being digital, it’s simpler than transaction certificates and is free for Authentico® by Schneider Group supply chain partners except for brands.
BRANDED
The Schneider Group has created a branding programme to support Authentico® partners – both makers and users.
Authentico® Verification System
VERIFICATION SYSTEM
Authentico® is a brand by the Schneider Group that stands for a complete, transparent, traceable, ethical, and high-quality wool supply chain – from farm to garment. It is verified by the Authentico® Integrity Scheme for growers, and by the Authentico® Brand Guidelines for all supply chain partners.
It is a simple and reliable verification system providing criteria and guidelines for growers, topmakers, spinners, weavers, knitters, garment makers, brands and retailers, to ensure Authentico® values are upheld.
In addition, the Schneider Group has also included the pioneering traceability TextileGenesis™ system within its Authentico® Integrity Scheme, to digitally track all incoming and outgoing wool.
INTEGRITY SCHEME
Animal welfare is at the heart of the Authentico® Integrity scheme. It makes use of existing standards and legislations honoured by growers, applicable within their country and region. These standards are set as best practices in relation to sustainability aspects and include:
ANIMAL WELFARE
& MULESING-FREE
in accordance to The Five Domains
LAND & PASTURE
MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL &
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Growers can freely and independently register on the Authentico® digital platform and, if eligible, they will be included in the Authentico® list of accredited partners.
Compliance is guaranteed either:
DIRECTLY
Upon registration, growers declare full compliance with the Authentico® Integrity Scheme requirements, take responsibility for all information provided being true and correct, and acknowledge liability for any misleading or false information. They are then verified by a local Schneider office and/or broker/agent, while the square root is audited by a third party. Direct verification is currently available in Australia and is being implemented in New Zealand and Argentina.
or
BY RECOGNITION
The Authentico® Integrity scheme recognises and acknowledges growers who are certified to at least one of the standards aligned with Authentico®. These are automatically approved under the Authentico® Integrity Scheme, without additional auditing. Indirect verification applies to some growers in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, the USA and South Africa.
BRAND GUIDELINES
On top of accredited Authentico® farms and tops, the Schneider Group has created the Authentico® Brand Guidelines for spinners, weavers, knitters, garment makers, brands and retailers to align the whole supply chain with Authentico® values, enabling each player to become an Authentico® accredited partner who enjoys access to joint communication and branding initiatives, including the use of the Authentico® logo.
CORPORATE PERSPECTIVE
- ZDHC compliant
- SA 8000 or SA 8000-based Ethical Code
PRODUCT BRANDING OFFER
- 100% Authentico® yarn, fabric, garment
- Blend: starting from 50% Authentico® in blend with:
- Certified natural fibres such as cotton (ROC), cashmere (SFA, GCS), vicuna (CITES), guanaco (CITES), mohair (RMS), alpaca (RAS)
- Other natural fibres such as silk, linen, hemp, camel, yak, etc.
- Organic fibres (GOTS, OCS, EU Organic Certification Regulation 2018/848 and 889/2008)
- Regenerative fibres (EOV – Ecological Outcome Verification)
- Renewable fibres such as lyocel, tencel, cupro, modal, FSC certified viscose, etc.
- Certified recycled materials (GRS, RCS), to be approved on a case-by-case basis
- Biobased innovative fibres, to be approved on a case-by-case basis
- Elastane below 5% (no request for certifications)
- Other blends which need to be specifically approved by the Schneider Group
TRACEABILITY
Partners need to follow the Authentico® digital traceability using TextileGenesis™ or another system to be approved on a case-by-case basis.
TRACEABILITY AT AUTHENTICO®
In terms of traceability, Authentico® can guarantee:
- The Schneider Group has long and well-established direct relationships with growers and brokers.
- The Schneider Group owns certified processing plants. This strong integrated global network allows tops to be tracked back to the farm.
- The TextileGenesis™ system is part of the Integrity scheme and Brand Guidelines, ensuring traceability of the incoming and outgoing wool. Being digital, it’s simpler than transaction certificates and is free for Authentico® by Schneider Group supply chain partners except for brands.
AUTHENTICO® PRODUCTS
CURRENT PRODUCTS
Merino Wool Tops
• From the finest to 22.5 microns
Crossbreds Wool Tops
• From 23.5 to 29.5 microns
Merino Wool Open Tops
• From 13.5 to 21.5 microns
Carbonised Wool
• From 14 to 21.5 microns
• Good and medium colour, dark shades
Wool Noils
SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS
Branding & Promotion for Accredited Partners
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
CAMPAIGN AND EVENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Authentico® Projects
NATURAL FIBRE CONNECT (NFC) CONFERENCE
Bringing all actors in the natural fibre supply chain together
The Schneider Group is uniquely structured with local teams in almost every fibre producing country worldwide, bringing the company exceptionally close to growers and herders. We have been connecting brands and growers for over 100 years, and we decided to take this communication channel to the next level by establishing Wool Connect, which later grew into Natural Fibre Connect with the inclusion of partners such as Sustainable Fibre Alliance, International Alpaca Association and Mohair South Africa.
Because we believe that collaborations are essential to progress the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and create true resiliency within the textile industry, we have created a global, multi-fibre framework that provides an open dialogue, brings growers and herders together and fosters collaboration to confront the challenges ahead of us.
SANIN
Protecting the endangered wild vicunas of the Andes, source of the most precious fibre in the world
In 2008, the Schneider Group started a new conservation initiative in Argentina at 4,000 meters above sea level close to Belen in Catamarca Province in the Northern Andes, where vicunas have lived for centuries.
The Group acquired ca. 100,000 hectares of a beautiful wild mountain area located inside a vast natural reserve (Reserva de la Biosfera de Laguna Grande), which stretches for over 650,000 hectares.
Before the Schneider Group took over management of the site and established Sanin, the company that handles it, vicunas were poached for their precious fibres to the point that they were close to extinction. Now, thanks to a joint effort between the local community, the local government and the Schneider Group, the project has brought vicunas back to healthy numbers from under 800 to over 5,000. This is possible also thanks to our staff that patrols the land to protect animals from poaching.
Animals live wild in the mountains and once a year our team of highly specialised shearers, mainly comprising local staff trained over the years, gathers vicunas around their natural water sources and shears them under the strict supervision of the local veterinary authorities, who certify that animals are handled with the highest care and document every step of the process. The precious fibre is then manually dehaired locally and exported to our Italian mill, the only facility worldwide where dehairing can take place to the highest quality standards.
Everyone benefits. We help secure and improve the local community’s livelihood, producing the finest and most delicate of all animal fibres in the world and protecting an endangered species.