John Sterner makes elegant, luxurious and timeless wool cardigans and sweaters for men and women (or rather: the cardigans and sweaters are deliciously unisex), as well as accessories such as hats and scarves. Founder Alexander Stutterheim has a soft spot for soft (and sustainable) merino wool as well as for the sheep providing it, taking care of his own herd when he’s not busy designing.

John Sterner’s slow fashion items (each of which takes about a week of handiwork) are inspired by the knitted turtlenecks his grandfather used to wear on his fishing trips, and they come to life on Öland, a small Swedish island. Because John Sterner is after complete transparency, the brand is currently developing an app that allows customers to track their garment from the moment the sheep are sheared right up to the dyeing and knitting process. That’s why every item is marked with a yellow ear tag (the kind that sheep wear).