We first came across surfing as kids during a vacation with our parents in Portugal. That’s when we discovered our passion for the waves and surfing, and it hasn't let us go ever since. We were gripped by the travel bug and every vacation was spent surfing. As far away as possible and as often as possible! To work professionally in this field was only a logical consequence, and surfing quickly became more than just a hobby for us.
"I got tired of compromising and decided to take things into my own hands and founded Oy"
After my education as a graphic designer I travelled around Bali for several months. Because I couldn’t find a bikini that would stay in place after a wipeout, I helped myself by additionally pulling a T-shirt over the top while surfing. Sharing this frustration with other surfers I quickly realised that many of them felt the same way. So, I got tired of compromising and decided to take things into my own hands and founded Oy together with a friend in 2012 in Switzerland and Bali. We had the first collections produced in Bali. Since then, nine years have passed in which the label has constantly evolved and improved.
In the beginning, Oy was really just a hobby. There was neither the economic, nor the temporal capacity to take it to the next level. The growth and development came slowly. We had to fight hard and put our heart and soul into it in order to be able to exist alongside other big brands. Through this time, we were carried by the great feedback of our customers, without whom we would not have made it.
"We have really serious plans for the next years and hope that we can realise our vision."
The re-branding was a big step for us and a new commitment, however, the feedback from customers and our plans and wishes for the brand in the future ultimately helped us make the decision. You could say that Oy has more or less grown up. This development also entailed some internal restructuring. During this process, I decided to fully join Oy and quit my other job.
Besides our core product Surf Bikinis, we are successively expanding the product range. In recent years, yoga and active wear played an increasingly important role. But we are not done with that yet. We have really serious plans for the next few years and hope that we can realise our vision. You can be curious about what is still to come.
We are always looking out for new innovative materials that are ideally based on natural resources or at least don’t use any virgin oil-based resources. We hope to produce products with the lowest possible impact on nature that are still high performance and let you enjoy surfing. Together we invest a lot of time in research, product development and also accompany the production on site in Portugal. A few years ago, we decided to produce exclusively in Europe and only use materials that are produced here. A large part of the fabrics used are now made of Econyl, which is mainly produced from recycled industrial waste. We also invest a lot of time in tracking back the sources of all materials used for our products. Additionally, we just commissioned a life cycle assessment to find out where we can improve our production. We are really excited about the results and can’t wait to take action for improvement. Our goal is to be able to completely recycle our own product again in the spirit of the circular economy. In order for the bikini to fit perfectly and securely, a certain amount of elastane is added to the fabric. Right now, unfortunately, it's not yet possible to separate and recycle this blended fabric in an industrial process. In the meantime, we have to produce colourful hair ties from manufacturing waste and fabric scraps.
"We just commissioned a life cycle assessment to find out where we can improve our production."
We are definitely very proud to be widely known in the surf scene by now. Therefore, great partnerships with surfers, artists, other brands and magazines were established. We also want to expand these partnerships in the future. We believe in the power and necessity of networks. Most of our colleagues, not only in the surf business but in water sports in general, are very concerned about the protection of the world's oceans. We see an incredible potential to unite with like-minded people and to change something. As a small brand, we have a much more intimate relationship with our clientele and can therefore also share knowledge and information in a targeted manner.
In addition, we ourselves are always thrilled to see how insanely functional, durable and thus also sustainable our bikinis actually are.
As already mentioned, we will be constantly expanding our products in the future, so it's always worth checking back with us. We are also always happy to get cooperation requests and are curious to find out about what is going on in the scene. The Oy community should grow steadily, we want to increase our own involvement and involve as many other people as possible.
Find the Oy Collection here, or follow them on their channels to keep up to date with their news:
https://www.facebook.com/Oysurf/
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My name is Laure I’m from the Basque Country (more specifically from a little fishermen town called St Jean de Luz). About 10 years ago I relocated to another little town, a surfing one this time, on the other side of the world called Byron Bay, Australia.
I started Lore of the Sea back in 2014 and released my first range in 2015. Since my last year at Uni I had the idea of creating and offering better surf-wear for women. Of course I wanted it to be more fashionable than what was on the market back then (to be honest there wasn’t much at all back then) but more so I had so many ideas for technical improvements that I wanted to offer to other female surfers. I couldn’t understand why the big mainstream brands wouldn’t offer surf wear designed specifically for women
Photo by John Wolfson
Originally I just wanted to create wetsuits for women. But living in a Sub-tropical region I found the need for sun protective suits and it was easier for me to make my first prototypes out of swimwear fabric rather than neoprene which requires industrial sewing machines.
Negative . I have a master in Sports and International management.
Zazpi means Seven in Basque. My 7th year of Lore of the Sea! As a one woman brand with a couple of other jobs on the side I only release 1 collection a year, so I make sure each one is well curated.
All the prints are hand designed in collaboration with one of my best friends Marlene Roumégoux (an incredible human and the best illustrator I know by far!).
Photo by John Wolfson
Haha! There is no way I could answer this question! I love them all equally for different occasions, different waves and different times of the day.
I came to OZ in 2011 to “learn English” (that was the parental version of the story lol, really I just wanted to keep travelling and surf). Before that I lived and studied in both Spain and Portugal.
It’s a bit of a grey area. I started surfing as a teenager when the first St Jean de Luz Surf club opened but really got into it when I was about 19 years old.
Before that I was a mad snowboarder.
I’m all about both! Obviously love a mellow longboard wave and I have them for breakfast every day, but! I LOVE the adrenaline I get from surfing on a big days and pushing my limits.
Omg that’s a hard one! I haven’t been able to go home for way too long. What I miss the most is my family and friends. Cheese and a real croissants come next. :)
Surfing! haha
I have a third job which take up all my weekend so there isn’t much free time left in my life lately.
Happy and with a better work/life balance.
Thanks for supporting Lore of the Sea <3 I hope we can get more British and European women surfers geared up properly to have fun in the ocean!
Go check out Lore's Zazpi Collection here.
Or follow Lore Of The Sea:
You might have spotted it already, the new La Selva Collection by Monique Rotteveel has landed! So, we thought it would be a perfect time to share a little more about the lady behind the label with you. Monique was one of the first designers on Seafoam when we launched back in 2015 and has been praised and loved by you for her high quality pieces and amazing prints. Read all about her inspiration and hard work below.
I grew up in a little village in the Netherlands (Bodegraven!). We went to the beach (Scheveningen) sometimes, but I actually had no idea about surfing and didn’t know anyone who surfed. I didn't start surfing until I was 22, so about 13 years ago now. I was traveling through South America and when I got to Brasil my goal was to learn to surf. I went to the Floripa peninsula (and then the little town of Barra da Lagoa), fell in love with surfing and ended up staying at the same spot for 6 weeks to be in the water all day, every day. Didn't end up seeing much of Brasil (haha!) but learned a lot about surfing and made a lot of good friends there!
After another trip with a lot of surfing in Costa Rica where most my bikinis failed epically. I started wearing my yoga tops as surf bikinis because they stayed on better! After that trip, I had the idea of creating my own yoga & surf wear. Also because you don’t have to bring that many clothes when you are back packing if you can use the same clothes for both yoga and surfing! My first designs I actually already created during that trip, that was my signature Jungle Feathers print, the first print for my brand!
Monique Rotteveel in her very first Jungle Feathers print.
I studied Graphic Design at the Art Academy in Rotterdam. Here we learned a lot about creating from idea/concept, working with different materials and mediums ( photography, illustration, painting,...) and also about all the Adobe programs (Photoshop, Illustrator) to make your ideas digital. It was mostly focused on print/brand identity/ logos/ books/ magazines though, but it has definitely helped me with my brand, because I can design everything myself. From the logo, to the return forms, to the prints for the clothing, I designed it all myself!
Yes, I focus mostly on my brand! I also take some graphic design freelance jobs here and there and I make jewellery and resin art as well. Although, 80% of the time is dedicated to my brand/business. Spoiler alert: I am not making a ton of money though, not at all. I live a very simple life in Costa Rica. Which is actually cheaper then it would be living in the Netherlands! I took on some business loans a few years ago and I'm still struggling to pay them back, but I believe my brand will keep growing (even when it’s slowly and steadily). I will get there eventually.
Monique testing her own creations in the waves.
I always worked to travel! I was living in the Netherlands, taking any job I could find and as soon as I had enough for a ticket and a month's stay I would fly overseas to go on an adventure and find some waves. I realised I just wanted to be by the Ocean all year long and preferably in a tropical country! After I visited a friend (that I had met in Brasil before) in Dominical, Costa Rica, I fell in love with this little surf town and kept coming back. After about 5 visits I made the actual move. Just before the move I was living in The Hague through winter time, trying to recover from the trademark infringement of my first brand name. A big money set-back, it cost me €15K! I was setting up a new brand name and website while living in the city. I was working a lot and it was getting colder and days were getting shorter. I was actually getting really depressed. It got so bad that I didn’t see any other solution than to try and make the move to Costa Rica in the hope that the sunshine and the ocean would bring me back to life and feeling good again. When you have nothing to lose, you can make a big decision easier. So I went, and started feeling better! The waves and nature are so healing! It was the best decision I have ever made.
It's not easy to be on top of everything all the time, but I usually make trips to Europe twice a year and visit the factory as well. After 5 years of working together with the family owned business that produces my collection, I trust them fully and their quality is always right on point. I am very happy with the amazing quality of my collection, long lasting, vibrant colours and good fits.
Sunshine and waves make Monique feel alive.
I just decided to go for the best (and most expensive) fabrics that were on the market! Italy is known for its top quality fabrics and as soon as I got the first samples I knew it felt good. After testing them in the salty ocean and the sunshine for a couple of months and they were still good, I knew these were the fabrics I wanted to work with for my brand! They are made from recycled plastic bottles, so they have less impact on the environment as well. I am very stoked on my manufacturers as well. They are a family business that have been making swimwear for over 20 years. So I knew that their quality must be good, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the market for that long.
This process of converting PET into recycled polyester requires much less energy than in the case of normal polyester, it takes 33-53% less energy. There are two main advantages to this process:
I wake up early, by the sounds of the birds and the howler monkeys around 5:30.
I start the day by cuddling my two doggies, doing some stretches, or playing guitar on the balcony. Then I usually check my emails to see if there is something important that needs my attention right away. (Timezone difference! Europe is 8 hours later so their day is already going on when I wake up!) If so, I'll do a few hours of work early in the morning. If not, I usually go to the beach and surf the mornings, then I will do a couple of hours at the end of the day. I like to enjoy daytime being outside mostly. It also gets really hot here in Costa Rica, so around mid day you don’t really want to work!
Every day involves some work like answering emails, all kinds; from customers, production, the warehouse, collaborations, returns, etc. Also daily social media, keeping up with stories, posts, and comments on my @bymoniquerotteveel account. Sometimes it means just looking around for inspiration and creating art for new collections. Other days include photoshoots, photo editing, looking for ambassadors, creating the prints, new styles and designing anything from the packaging to the return forms etc etc. There is always so much to do! I don’t work 10 hours a day though, my goal is to fully enjoy every day of life and to work enough to keep this going!
Well, what I find hard is to get my products out there. I have a nice steady customer base now, but it’s hard to find new customers to be honest. As I don’t really have the money for a lot of advertising, my brand just grows slowly and organically. But it’s also good, this way I can keep up with it all.
Another one is lack of capital to invest in a bigger collection. I have so many ideas! But not the funds. I am actually thinking of doing a crowdfunding camping for the 2021 Summer collection, so that all my ideas can come to life for this collection!
To see my friends wearing my bikinis when they are surfing and in the yoga studio. All of you ladies that I haven’t personally met, but share your photos with me on social media. It is so amazing to see all these beautiful women wearing my designs! :)
I would love to do a bit wider range of products as well! Add more lifestyle items like tees, tops and hoodies with my illustrations. Even printed yoga mats and beach towels would be so cool to have in the collection. Hopefully soon!
On a personal level: Living a beautiful life, doing what I love, wherever I want to be (probably still Costa Rica :)! In 5 years I also hope to have a family of my own.
Business wise, I also love the idea of having my own actual store, with my surf & yoga wear, lifestyle items and resin art (next to the online shop!). With enough free time to play and surf, of course! Maybe have one or two awesome women working with me on the brand (design/ sales) and in the shop, because I won’t have the time to do it all by myself anymore! In 5 years I want to have paid off my business loans, feeling free and keep doing what I love!
I am doing the best that I can, learning a little more every day. :) I have no background in fashion, I see the trends, but I mostly just create what I love! Inspired by the ocean and the jungle! Quality, sustainability, and fair production are really important to me and my brand. I want to create this collection for you and me, so we can feel confident while we are out there surfing those big waves, or doing our yoga practice. I want us to feel stoked about our products, because they last a long time and are not harmful or wasteful for the environment. All feedback on the collection is always more than welcome! Your opinion matters to me, so don’t hesitate to shoot me a message. Thank you for your support and thank you Seafoam, for believing in my brand since the beginning (2015) and always supporting and inspiring me!
Love, Monique
Check out Monique's new La Selva Collection here.
Buy 2 pieces and get 20% off with code 'LASELVA'.
Follow Monique Rotteveel on social:
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I’ve had a tonne of jobs from surf instructor, retail assistant, flight attendant.. I was always trying new things but nothing ever felt like it was the right path for me. When I begun KOKOH back in 2013, it just felt right, I’d always wanted to make swimwear… making it happen just took some time. The inspiration just came from genuinely wanting what I was creating and not being able to find it anywhere (7 years ago independent swim labels where almost impossible to come by.. hard to imagine in today's market!)
Eco-friendliness is definitely a winner for me, however I manufacture in Bali and it’s not always easy to access the exact fabrics I need. I just do the best I can. My main motivation is to stay close with the beautiful people I work with on the Island. I have a 7 year relationship with a small factory and most of the staff have been there since I begun. I have deep roots here and at least once a year get over there and spend some time in the sewing and cutting rooms with them. I feel they are so important to the high quality of my products - I know they see a lot of brands move in and out, finding cheaper factories… I’d work with them forever if I could, they are my friends - actually it’s like a family.
I was actually STRUGGLING on my original @KOKOHbikini Instagram page. With the change in algorithm after FB purchased the platform, my 76,000 (organic) followers stopped growing, engaging, liking etc etc - it felt really lousy to see all that hard work, stop working. When I look back at that page I also see a time in my journey where I was a little lost. I got wound up trying to compete with other brands around me. I’d hired models who’d cost me a fortune, some of those images were far off what I knew the brand to be. After a LOT of contemplation, I changed KOKOH bikini to Kokoh & Koi, and started fresh. I added in apparel and accessories that are under the “Koi” name, while “Kokoh” remains the swim. I really just needed to start again and reassess my brand, get to know it again. It actually took me in a complete circle and it’s been the best change, I feel K&K is more connected to authentic waterwomen & that is direction I want the label to evolve.
I create all the prints myself, mostly by hand. Generally I start with a mood board, colour palette and theme and then just see where that takes me. All artwork is sent to a printer in Bali, I deal with a woman there who’s around my age so I’m always trying to gauge what she thinks of them. Once the print is finalised it’s sent to my factory for sampling. It’s quite funny, in the sampling process when I can’t be in Bali, I will get pics of all the girls in the factory wearing my gear so I can see how it fits etc - they never look too impressed with having to be the model haha. After samples are approved I run into bulk production. I try to maintain 2 collections a year, and I’m lucky to have a factory who is willing to produce small collections mid season to keep things fresh - I try to see the advantage is being small - for some bigger labels and factories, this is just not possible.
OMG… I have no idea! I see a print and a piece for over 6 months before it hits the online store so in my mind its old news, I’m already onto the next thing! I really love things at first, and then I get tired of looking at them. If it was someone else work I’d be all over it, because it’s my own I pick the flaws - I need to give myself some more credit. I do LOVE the Baja High Pant though - I’d say this is my fave at the moment.
Never as much as I’d like. I have a 1 year old now so getting to do anything is a struggle let alone surf. If the world settles by 2021 my husband and I have a HUGE trip on our minds so hopefully that all goes to plan… I would love to be back surfing the tropics every day.
I’d be back in the Maldives. My friend has spent the whole lockdown there surfing empty, perfect waves… her Insta is killing me.
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But is it really as simple as that? Does this actually mean the product you buy is more sustainable? We spoke to textile engineer & Zealous Clothing founder Marie, who has spent a lot of her time researching how to reduce her brands impact on the environment.
Back in the days, when Zealous’ product range contained only knitted headwear and accessories, everything was handmade by me. That means I know how much work, commitment and precision goes into a single piece of garment and why we should treat it with care. Back then, I would not have labelled it sustainable. But this commitment and precision has been carried on even when I moved the production of our apparel and surfwear collection to Bali. Yes, even though that means we have longer transport ways and it’s not “locally made” in Germany anymore, it means that I can serve more women with amazing products while keeping an eye on manufacturing processes, conditions and wages.
"I don’t think sustainability is only part of the product development. I think sustainability needs to be anchored deep within the roots of a company."
I don’t think sustainability is only part of the product development. I think sustainability needs to be anchored deep within the roots of a company. Otherwise it’s just green washing in my opinion. It hasn’t been long ago that I started wondering about certain companies and their philosophies which made me realise that sustainability needs to take place in different areas of a company’s range of action. One uses recycled fabrics but packs product in plastic? Another produces locally but doesn’t know how to secure quality and good fit which makes the products less durable?
Absolutely! When I started producing in Bali, there were not many fabric options available. Since then I transitioned from using regular cotton for clothing to using sustainable fabrics for at least 75% of the collection. Those fabrics can be organic cotton, Lenzing® Modal or bamboo viscose (bamboo is a fast growing grass and sustainable to harvest, though it requires chemicals to be processed into viscose).
For the swimwear, I’ve created the OCEAN Collection which is made from 78% recycled pre- and post-consumer polyamide and 22% virgin spandex.
The Ocean Collection will be restocked on Seafoam this spring!
Since 2018, we are a 1% for the Planet® member and just donated our 1% from 2018 to Bye Bye Plastic Bags Bali who successfully fought for the ban of single use plastic bags in Bali! For 2019 we will donate the 1% to the Sumatran Orangutan Society who work on saving precious rain forest in Sumatra which gets deforested for palm oil companies and therefore protect the orangutan’s habitat. It’s so important to me to give back to the country where Zealous’ products are made!
Besides that, we use cassava based packaging for our products. Those bags are biodegradable, though it is still controversial whether that is possible in nature or only under certain recycling facility conditions. Yet, it is a step into the right direction and gets money to the companies who work on finding better solutions.
In our Bali office, we recycle all office waste and use biodegradable soap and detergent (because waste water pipes in Bali end in the drain in front of the house and the water ends up in the ocean). Fabric leftovers are made into scrunchies or limited small production runs like the “Zealous Kids” collection that we just launched.
And the best news is: we will offset all our CO2 emissions from 2019 (and all coming years)! This will have the greatest impact of all efforts and if all companies did this, the climate crisis would look a lot different!
I’d really like to create my own fabric – to know everything from the first till the last production step and to ensure it’s the best possible and most sustainable fabric!
"You do save on raw material and therefore CO2 emissions in the first place when using recycled polyamide / polyester fabrics. I’m asking myself, how does that compare to all the CO2 emissions of the processing?"
I haven’t fully transitioned to recycled fabrics yet because I’m questioning the sustainability of collecting waste from all around the world, transporting it to Europe for purification, recycling, spinning and knitting, before transporting it back to Asia for manufacturing and back to Europe to our warehouse. Compare this to using Chinese fibres that are sent to Indonesia for knitting, manufacturing and once a bikini, make their way to our warehouse in Europe.
I think we would struggle from climate change before we run out of fossil fuels. But yes, you do save on raw material and therefore CO2 emissions in the first place when using recycled polyamide / polyester fabrics. I’m asking myself, how does that compare to all the CO2 emissions of the processing? I don’t know, and I’m having a hard time finding valid information. Econyl®, the company that recycles the polyamide that we use for our OCEAN collection, states that 10.000 tonnes of their raw material save 57.100 tonnes of CO2 emissions. I’ve asked them three times about their calculations and how they proof those calculations – I’ve never received an answer (though they’ve answered my other questions).
But I’ve done my calculations. I’ve compared the CO2 emissions of a possible route of recycled nylon and compared it to the emissions of the local nylon / spandex fabric blend that we use for our normal collections. The result: you save about 0.7kg of CO2 emissions when buying a bikini from partly (it will never be 100% recycled because you need virgin spandex to keep it stretchy which can’t be recycled yet on large scale) recycled fabrics. Based on Econyl®’s data which they don’t provide evidence for. But are those numbers the reality?
Ok, now we come to the bigger picture. Remember the 0.7kg saved on CO2 emissions. Now think about your last or upcoming surf trip to the tropics. Do you know the CO2 emissions of a return flight from Europe to Indonesia? More than 7.000kg of CO2!!! That makes the impact of a bikini made from recycled fabrics look very small, it’s 0,01%. Yet, it is a small step. But can you do me a favour and offset your emissions next time you fly if you really do care for the environment?
Another fact to consider is that the quality of recycled materials is currently not as good as the quality of virgin ones. If my bikini from virgin materials lasts longer than the one from recycled fibres, isn’t that more sustainable too?
Let me conclude: question statements, question marketing campaigns, look behind the use recycled fabrics, and offset your flights.
I think there’s no right nor wrong at the moment regarding the use of recycled fabrics but we should always see the whole picture instead of being blinded by green marketing campaigns.
Look further than the use of recycled materials, what else does the company do? Do they produce under fair conditions? Do they give back to the environment? As I mentioned earlier, don’t get blinded.
And most importantly: shop consciously. Do you really need this new piece of clothing?
I will be offsetting my private travels this year, I try to minimise the use of single use plastic in all areas of life and try to buy local as much as possible. Clothing wise, I never own more than 5 pairs of bikinis, 2-3 for surfing and 2 for tanning. I often inherit clothes from my sister and friends and I don’t shop much. Or I wear my own t-shirt samples which otherwise would get dusty in the office or get some made with my tailor around the corner. I give my used clothes away to local friends or sell them further.
CO2 offsetting!
A great possibility to do that is through climate protection organisations. One of them is atmosfair.de (website is available in English too) which compensates those emissions through projects in solar energy, wind power, hydro power and others.
Other organisations are:
You can calculate further emissions through websites like carbonfootprint.com.
Check out Zealous Clothing's current collection on Seafoam, the new 2020 collection and Ocean Collection re-stock is in full production and expected to arrive this spring.
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Actually, I did not! I grew up in the Redwoods in Northern California. I have three brothers and we grew up on a giant piece of property 20 minutes out a dirt road. We were always outdoors and competition among us was fierce. This drive to outpace the boys is expressed in my vision for Sensi Graves Bikinis, where we inspire women to get out there and get after it.
Despite not growing up on a beach, I’ve always loved swimwear and in college moved to a beach town. I started kiteboarding in college. My dad introduced me to the sport and I quickly fell in love. I’ve always been into sports and growing up I played basketball, ran track, wakeboarded, snowboarded, played volleyball and more. In college, I also started surfing, in fact one of the reasons I went to University in a coastal town was so that I could become a surfer babe!
"The drive to outpace the boys is expressed in my vision for Sensi Graves Bikinis, where we inspire women to get out there and get after it."
Natasha Oakley (@abikiniaday) wearing Sensi Graves Bikinis.
I launched Sensi Graves Bikinis in 2012 while I was coaching kiteboarding in North Carolina. A bikini was my uniform and my recreational outfit. I quickly became fed up with what the market had to offer. At the time, there wasn't anything that was designed or marketed for active women. There were a few older, frumpier brands but nothing that identified with what I was; a young, fashion-conscious athlete that wanted to look flirty and fabulous but also be able to rely on my wardrobe for when I was doing all of the fun sports that I loved (namely kiteboarding and surfing at that time). Therefore I decided to make it myself!
No, but I’d always dreamed of doing something entrepreneurial. In Junior High I wanted to start a community newsletter, The Leggett Letter. I oversaw my fledgling paper for only a few months but the spark was lit. I've always been very independent and like to see things through. After my mother died, a whole lot of responsibility landed on my shoulders which I think also prepared me for the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship.
Behind the scenes at Sensi Graves' first swim trade show in 2012.
"I’m usually always watching the wind and if it starts getting good, will bolt from my office to the beach to go catch a session."
The one thing about being an entrepreneur is that you wear many hats. My work differs depending on the time of year and can be focused on design, sales, budgeting and more! That being said, I try to start my day with a workout, then a few focused hours on projects before diving into emails. Finally I’m usually always watching the wind and if it starts getting good, will bolt from my office to the beach to go catch a session.
Great question! Collection designing is a process. Whether it be sourcing materials, gathering trend and print data, prototyping new styles or having fit sessions, a lot of time goes into making the best possible suits for active women. I typically allow for about four months to design a cohesive collection.
The sew house in Portland, USA.
Our team of ambassadors help immensely! Product feedback is key in ensuring proper fit and function, therefore we ask everyone to lend their opinion. We have athletes from all different disciplines from beach volleyball to yoga to kiteboarding test and wear our suits.
I still can’t seem to let go of the very first suits I ever made, so yes. ;)
"We’d like to develop a closed-loop product system where old bikinis are sent back for repurposing."
Elevate female watersports athletes, particularly kiteboarders. Not enough female riders get proper support from brands and I’d love to support them in their dreams. We’d also like to develop a closed-loop product system where old bikinis are sent back for repurposing.
Not just beautiful bikinis, but beautiful tan lines too.
(Don't forget to put the suncream on!)
Check out the Globetrotter Collection and be inspired for your next surf trip.
Or follow Sensi Graves on Instagram: @sensigraves & @sensibikinis
There will be a limited re-stock of Haight Ashbury print in the reversible Colleen Top, Kyla Bottoms (new) and the Paula surfsuit. They are already open for pre-orders. Gone is gone!
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What's the background story of Olas? Could you tell us a little more about how Olas was created?
The idea came to light in 2016. As an ocean enthusiast living in Devon I became very aware of plastic pollution. I found that it takes plastic bottles over 400 years to completely degrade. It was prominent to me that that plastic is a design failure. A clothing designer at the time, I got creative and started researching into recycled plastic fabrics. I felt passionate about creating awareness around the importance of recycling plastic and I wanted to turn the threat in threads - to highlight the importance of recycling plastic in the hope that it will stop entering our landfills and oceans, to use recycled fabrics that didn’t harm the environment in the process, to manufacture in England and to create a product that resists deterioration and offers longevity. Most importantly I wanted to add momentum to the consumer mindset of reducing, reusing and recycling.
Keen on surfing, yoga and fitness it was natural to channel my creative energy into activewear. With plenty of will I seeked out the best recycled polyester fabric supplier in Italy. They adhere to high standards of sustainability in water use and greenhouse gas emissions and have a proven track record in reducing their environmental impact.
I could see my idea was within the bounds of possibility and I got the ball rolling.
Enter Olas! Meaning ‘waves’. A brand all about the most wonderful things, the ocean and nature. I wanted the spirit of Olas to be illustrated. Leggings provide an awesome creative canvas and it was at this stage I invited the talented freelance artist Callie Preston from Devon to come on board and hand paint some lovely artwork. I wanted to work with Callie as her beachy vibe is perfect for Olas. I am dazed by her work. You can see more of Callie’s creations on Instagram @calliepreston here. Rad! In the meantime I was busy designing the Olas logo, swing tags, website, lookbook, etc.
It was very important the leggings were cut and sewn in fair working environments, I had experienced factories in the Far East where workers were exhausted trying to keep up with the demand of the fast fashion world. I wanted the leggings to be made in England so I explored the options. I got in contact with an old acquaintance who heads up a sewing house in England. They made some great samples and the rest is history! Recycled plastic fabric from Italy that is printed, cut and sewn in England. Stoked!
Has it always been your dream to create your own brand?
My passion for sustainability began in my college days years back when I designed an eco friendly brand named Logical. I was all about using fabrics that helped the environment. I was aware of how damaging the textile industry is. I had lots of fun designing biodegradable shoe boxes, shoe soles out of recycled tyres and swing tags with giveaway seeds! I went on to gain valuable industry knowledge designing shoes, bags, graphic artwork and surf clothing for some reputable brands. I further unearthed just how damaging the textile industry is to the environment and my desire to create and eco friendly brand grew stronger.
You make leggings for surfing and yoga, do you combine the 2 yourself?
Yes! Absolutely! Both are a personal journey of progression and together they help strengthen the other.
Why do you think they make such a great combo?
I am a yoga teacher at a surf camp and am always emphasising how surfing and yoga are a match made in heaven! Yoga compliments surfing perfectly as it builds strength, flexibility, better breathing techniques, mental focus and balance – all of these are key when out in the water. Your muscles are mostly contracting in the water and benefit greatly from yoga, as it lengthens the muscles and really helps to melt away tension that you can build up while surfing. I often liken the rhythm of the ocean with the rhythm of the body.
Are you thinking about expanding the range from leggings to maybe tops etc?
As Olas is a startup brand, we had to start out with a small range. With some support and incitement I am sure we can push the boundaries and offer a broader range of slow, eco-friendly and durable products.
What have been your biggest challenges and achievements?
I think the biggest challenge has been to be content with launching such a small range! It would have been awesome to showcase a large range with tops, rash vests and swimsuits etc, but the project has been self funded so I could only really budget the four legging styles. The dreams were big but I had to hone it in!
The biggest achievement for Olas is the fair pricing. For an eco friendly brand to be Made In England is quite a feat, let alone for them to be priced so reasonably! I am not looking to make millions on this, I genuinely want to help the ocean and inspire a forward thinking consumer mindset. The margins are tight, but I want people to be able to support this.
Your leggings are made from recycled fabrics. Do you try to adjust/change other things in your life to save the oceans? What do you think everyone should start doing?
I definitely try to avoid single use plastics, recycle any plastic I can, collect and recycle plastic from the beach, and avoid microbeads. Most importantly, I spread this message and try to wake people up! It is a challenge to ‘break up with plastic’ but I think it’s important to carry your own reusable bottle, reusable shopping bag, say no to single use plastics, ditch cosmetics with microbeads, shop for groceries that aren’t wrapped in plastic, and spread the word on the importance of recycling plastic!
Go and spoil yourself to one of the beautiful Olas Leggings.
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It has been a road of trial and error, testing different brands, making sure they live up to the claims of being wipe-out proof. At the same time, I try and push for sustainability and eco-friendly materials. Seafoam aims to support small women-powered labels that share this mindset. With every purchase from you, I slowly build up towards the next awesome label that could be added to Seafoam.
Designing practical Surfwear pieces like surfbikini tops that will stick, is not an easy task. It's not just about looks, water women depend on these to protect their respectability in the water and to concentrate on having fun instead of worrying when the next indecent nipple-freeing wipe-out will happen.
It requires years of developing and testing before the tops you can totally rely on actually end up in your hands. They're slow fashion, made to stick to you for years to come.
As I said, it's not easy making decisions on pieces that are meant to last.
You might start wondering where they were made, who made them, what are they made of and how would they find their way to your postbox?
Sensible questions! This is why I want to help you decide by giving you interesting insights behind the scenes of the Surfwear labels that are available on Seafoam. Knowing the women that worked hard to share their passion with you in the form of stylish pieces of waterwear.
One by one, the ladies behind these awesome labels will present their story to you. I hope you'll enjoy an exclusive insight into the design and manufacturing process, but also the personal stories of women who worked hard to make a dream come true with your help.
Stay tuned for our first post of the 'Meet the Makers' serie about Claire, founder of Olas Ocean Tribe.
See you in the water!
Stien,
Founder of Seafoam
]]>First a little bit more about yourself.
You grew up in Germany? How did you get in contact with surfing?
I grew up in Hamburg, in the north of Germany, far away from tropical surf spots. But I’ve been snowboarding since I was 10 years old and got in touch with all the big snowboard/surf brands who I also worked for besides school and later University. Their image of traveling and free spirited surfergirls has been etched in my mind and since then I’ve been pursuing this lifestyle. It was my trip to Australia for a school exchange when I was 15 that I actually stood up on a surfboard for the first time in my life.
What's your greatest surfing memory?
Last summer I drove up north to Medewi (Bali) together with my boyfriend. It’s a small and quiet village with a mellow long left hander pointbreak. The waves weren’t too big and therefore superb for log sessions. We stayed for 4 days, shared the waves with no one but us, and surfed endlessly. Once back in Canggu, I didn’t surf for the following weeks because I didn’t want to destroy this almost unreal memory of tropical surf perfection.
Photo by Tom Forward
What or who is your biggest inspiration?
In life, my biggest inspiration is definitely my mum. She’s managing two daughters who decided to live abroad every now and then, a dog, a house and is super successful in her job. Besides all that she always finds time to help me out in the business whenever I need some Mama help. She’s the person who I go to when I need any kind of moral or business advice. Thank you mama!
In surf, my inspirations are lady sliders such as Kelia Moniz and Kassia Meador – always cruising in style.
In work, I don’t have a specific inspiration. I get up every day and try to be the best version of myself and a little bit better than I was yesterday.
Can you tell us a little bit more about Zealous Clothing and surf bikinis..
When did you start your brand and what made you decide to start your own label?
It was not that I planned to start a brand or to become a fashion designer. Ever since I have been doing handicraft – making jewellery, printing my old shirts, sewing and even beading tops and t-shirts by hand. In 2010, just after I finished school, I asked my grandma to teach me how to knit because I wanted to make a beanie for my friend’s birthday. Just for fun I made a little label with Zealous written on, which means to be eager or enthusiastic about something, and sewed it on. At his birthday party I got my first three orders for customised beanies and that’s how Zealous Clothing came to life. Since then many things have changed and my studies of Textile Engineering supplied me with rare know-how, but I always stayed true to myself and design what I want to wear myself.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the design/manufacturing process?
The design process is more like collecting ideas and getting inspired over a period of time. At some point I have to decide which ideas I want to realise and during the sampling process I usually cancel another 1/3 of them. So only the designs which I am 100% sure about, will go into production.
The fabric sourcing, product development, production and quality control takes place in Bali and I can monitor everything quite good. I work together with different manufacturers depending on what products they are spezialised in, and I prefer to work with small family businesses.
The manufacturing process involves a lot of planning up front, regarding fabric pretreatments, dyeing, cutting, sewing, quality control and packing all within the set deadlines. I like to go to the manufacturing places every now and then to check on the progress, quality and happiness of the tailors. When everything is finished, checked and packed, all goods will be shipped to Hamburg.
The very first sketch of the much loved Signature Surfbikini.
What made you decide to move to Bali?
That’s easy to tell – the waves, the production and the palmtrees. And of course the smiles of the Balinese!
Have you had any tough challenges in the process and achievements you’re proud of? People liked to smile at me, at my clothing style and at my way of thinking. But I’m very happy to say that I always followed my heart and still do. If you work hard enough, you can achieve anything you want.
What is in stall for the future of Zealous Clothing?
For the near future I’m planning to extend the existing surfwear range with great new products. For the remote future, I have the vision that Zealous Clothing becomes a brand, that covers all aspects from city life to snowboarding to surf life with products that make a difference in the boardsports industry.
Photo by Bibilissa Photography
Go and check out her versatile mix and match surf bikinis and leggings here.