SOTEX GINETEX Has Been Supporting Czech Companies for Nearly 30 Years
April 25, 2025 / 1:35 PM
You probably associate SOTEX with the care symbols for textile products—those little icons you find on every piece of clothing sold around the world. SOTEX GINETEX is a member of the international association GINETEX, which developed these symbols almost sixty years ago and later protected them with an international trademark. SOTEX GINETEX CZ is authorized to grant licenses for the use of these symbols to its members in the Czech Republic.
You'll find them at this year’s Brno Patchwork Meeting, where their booth showcases proper textile labeling and care symbols, the QZ – Guaranteed Quality mark, the clevercare.info initiative for sustainable textile care, and various educational and informational materials for both professionals and the general public. Everything will be thoroughly explained by marketing and trade specialist Ivana Halamová, a true expert with 13 years at SOTEX and 26 years at the Textile Testing Institute.
“We’re the ones taking care of the icons and the awareness around them—how to wash and maintain your garments so they don’t get ruined. But we go beyond that; we’re also raising awareness about material composition. A lot of legislative changes are coming, and manufacturers will have to adapt their labeling—possibly with things like QR codes. There’s a lot to keep up with,” explains Ivana Halamová. So how does it work in practice? SOTEX GINETEX will check your label to make sure everything is correct—so you don’t risk a fine from the Czech Trade Inspection Authority, as labeling is one of the regulated elements.
Beyond care symbols, SOTEX also awards the QZ – Guaranteed Quality label to textile products, part of the Czech government’s Czech Quality program. Products that receive this prestigious label are known for exceptional quality and long life. SOTEX helps elevate the Czech textile market by advising companies on how to label their products in line with current laws. And since those laws change often, it's a good idea to keep SOTEX GINETEX in your favorite contacts.
“We have over 800 member textile companies, and most of them reach out to us. It’s always better to consult us from the start—that way they avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble. And it’s not just about labeling. We’re textile experts with deep, broad knowledge in the field, and we can offer our members and clients advice they won’t easily find elsewhere. We organize conferences, trainings, lectures, send out newsletters, and so much more,” adds the energetic Ivana Halamová.
