After much anticipation – waiting for what felt like an entire lifetime – Kelly Slater has officially launched his newest endeavor and clothing brand, Outerknown. And this thing appears to have purpose. Kelly’s partnership with menswear designer John Moore represents something much more profound than your typical surf line, as they’ve gone to great lengths to communicate that transparency, sustainability, and ocean conservation represent the very core of their vision. Plus, the threads look pretty damn fresh.
I created Outerknown to smash the formula. To lift the lid on the traditional supply chain and prove that you can actually produce great looking menswear in a sustainable way. The last two years have been a huge eye-opener for me. It’s clear now just how challenging it is for any brand to put sustainability at the forefront of their business, and I’m proud that we’re one of the few taking the lead.
Outerknown.
Sounds rad. Only questions is: Why is it so expensive? Well, sustainability doesn’t come cheap.
For starters, Outerknown partnered with the Fair Labor Association, ensuring that they abide by the association’s code of conduct, which is the best standard for protecting and promoting working conditions within a supply chain. Secondly, the company sought to partner with Bluesign, which is a sustainable textile production solution that eliminates harmful substances from the very beginning of the manufacturing process where the largest environmental impact is made. But wait, there’s more. From reclaiming fishing nets and other waste materials, Outerknown then creates the nylon yarn they use in their trunks and outerwear, which they call ECONYL.
See the full line of Outerknown clothing here.
If you’d like to own some of these fresh threads, it’s going to cost you. Just how much? If you’re looking for the basics, it’s gonna cost you anywhere from $78.00 for a standard pocket T-shirt to $118.00 for a long sleeve. And if you’ve got a little extra cash in your piggy bank and looking for a few more layers, jackets range from around $300 to about $650.
Kelly’s mission of building a better, more sustainable product that is kinder to our planet is extremely commendable. I wish for nothing more than for companies to be more like-minded. Perhaps this is the beginning of a growing trend, not only in the surf and textile industry, but to the complex web of business and industry worldwide.
See the full line of Outerknown clothing here.
