Saving our oceans – one item of clothing at a time.
What do you get when you combine an 11-time world surfing champion and some reclaimed fishing nets? A sustainable clothing line that is trying to clean up the oceans.
After ending a 23-year relationship with Quiksilver, Kelly Slater created his clothing company called Outerknown, with the aim of creating great looking clothes for men, but in a sustainable way.
Slater has partnered with acclaimed menswear designer John Moore to make Outerknown a reality. The duo has gone on to partner with the Fair Labor Association, ensuring working conditions in the supply chain are at the highest level. As well as Bluesign, which eliminates harmful substances from the start of the manufacturing process.
The Evolution Series
There are hundreds of thousands of tonnes of abandoned fishing nets polluting our oceans and endangering the lives of marine animals. Part of Slater’s clothing line is the Evolution Series, which is trying to make an impact on this devastating problem.
The Evolution Series currently comprises of board shorts and jackets, which are made from Econyl – an innovative new nylon yarn comprising of broken down fishing nets and other types of pre- and post- consumer waste. The best part of Econyl though is that they aren’t just recycling the fishing nets into clothes, and that’s where it ends. The regeneration process continues. The nylon can be broken down again and again, an infinite amount of times and doesn’t lose its quality.
The only disadvantage about the Evolution Series is the fact that it is only available for men. Here’s hoping a women’s version gets launched at some stage.
Head over to the Outerknown site and check out the Evolution Series. Items aren’t cheap, but what you will get in exchange for spending more on a pair of board shorts or a jacket is the knowledge that you are getting a quality, sustainable item of clothing that is doing its part to help save our oceans.
