Perhaps not what we’re used to seeing in the industry. Photo: River Jordan Photography
Through the whirlwind growth, we’ve always considered Wellen a bit different. A peculiar twist to an industry that often feels of one note. It all began seven years ago, and we’ve been true to our vision since day one. What started with shaping surfboards in the garage gradually became a viable business that would quickly expand from local shops to retail chains and hop, skip, and jump from hard goods to apparel. We’re a hybrid of the different people, places, experiences, and waves that have inspired us since day one. We’re a bit against the grain in that sense. We’re not very industry — it’s just not our style.
When we started thinking about launching a Women’s collection, we had to think long and hard. We thought about the growth of the women’s sport with the expanded tour stops for Women’s ASP and how great that is. Then we thought of all the posters plastered with thonged Reef Girls that would probably hang at the events. We thought about the incredible talent of Sally Fitzgibbons and Carissa Moore — innovators and athletes, spectacular. Then we thought about how the talent of women like this was being held down by an industry standard that’s over-sexed and full of barely there bikinis half the time. And we tip our hats to the women who are pushing the sport and the industry forward the right way… the hard way. But was this something we even want to be a part of?
At Wellen, we appreciate more of the nuanced character of surf: sharing the sport, teaching the sport, enjoying the sport. Having fun. If you’ve seen this video then you know exactly what we’re not. If you’ve seen the video, you know exactly why we’re embarrassed to be part of the industry. We intentionally position ourselves and make decisions as a business to make sure we’re as loosely associated with this kind of behavior as possible. It’s neither wrong or right, better or worse — just different. Some people love us for it, some resent us for it, and others have never heard of us because of it; we embrace that.
Therefore, we decided that if we were going to jump into the women’s market, then we were going to do it the Wellen way. We’ve designed the entire brand around the women who’ve helped our business grow. And that’s a big group of women: moms, sisters, girlfriends, retailers, artists, designers, wives — women who’ve helped us refine our vision and who motivate us. With them in mind, we’ve left the skin at the door. And the thong bikinis? Yeah, those won’t make it in the line either.
You won’t find “skimpy” here. Perhaps not what we’re used to seeing in the industry. Photo: River Jordan Photography
We get the marketplace. Sex sells. It always has, and likely always will. I remember not so long ago I was lucky enough to land a college internship at Surfing and SURFER Mag. A dream job for me. My floating desk often landed in a production cubicle in the offices of Surfing in San Clemente and I was fortunate enough to be surrounded with test layouts for the early iterations of the swimsuit issue. I thought this was pretty much my dream come true: free swag, working with great people… swimsuit test photos — my holy trinity. I was 19-years-old, so that makes sense.
Here at the Wellen office, as we brainstormed the launch of our women’s line, we identified the characteristics we wanted to shine through when the project was launched. As you can imagine, string bikinis, thongs, babes, and Reef Girls never got pinned to the inspiration board. To us, that is not a strong foundation for a brand, that is not lasting, and that’s certainly not Wellen. Instead, we opted to design a few key pieces of clothing that made women feel their most comfortable. Ultimately, we worked to design items that she would covet, no matter who “she” was: instant classics, wardrobe staples, and personal favorites. It is not a T&A showcase. That’s not who we are, its not who we’ve ever been, and its certainly not who we’re going to be.
We wouldn’t amount to much today without the incredible help from some very talented women — women who inspire the brand, women who work for the brand, women who’ve been there at every stop of the way. Wellen Women is for them and the incredible ladies around the world just like them. Women who believe in the stoke of a good surf session and the good vibes of a long beachside day. It’s for women who don’t always want to be on display, exposed, and rated on a scale of 1-10.
We’re not trying to change the industry. We’re trying to grow while being true to our roots, to focus on growing the right way and bringing our unique perspective to the market. Wellen Women is the bi-product of us having fun and being true to both ourselves and the women who surround us.
For more about Wellen Surf, or to see their entire current collection, visit WellenSurf.com.
