The discovery of a vintage henley at a Berlin flea market prompted fashion designers Gitta and Peter Plotnicki to investigate its origins, leading them to a collection of rare, operational loopwheel knitting machines in the Swabian Alps. Recognizing the unique quality of loopwheeled garments produced by these historical machines, they initiated the revival of Merz b. Schwanen, specializing in contemporary basics rooted in old-school manufacturing techniques. Fortuitously, the descendants of the original brand owner granted them the company name, enabling the designers to merge historical manufacturing techniques with modern design.