Our production process
Because ethical production feels better
All our collections are small batch, limited releases to align with our values of uniqueness and slow fashion. We never repeat the same colour on the same style, so once it's gone, it's gone.
Design
We design all our suits ourselves in Perth, Western Australia. I do up a fashion sketch of the idea and then Ben and I tweak it until we love it. We then work with a lovely contractor based in the UK who helps us turn our fashion sketches into CADs and patterns.
For our printed garments and accessories, I prepare an art design which I provide to our manufacturer based on the Gold Coast.
Production
Our wetsuits are made from limestone based Yamamoto neoprene, created in Japan. We use Yamamoto number 49, which is designed for maximum flexibility. Our custom colours are then developed and sublimated onto the neoprene on supersoft, durable fabric designed to withstand all the battering of the waves and reef.
The suits are then manufactured by a small women-owned and led factory just outside of Hong Kong. They reached out to us early on in our brand's development because they specialise in small batch production. Our suits are all glued, blind stitched and reinforced.
Our printed garments are produced in the Gold Coast, where we work with a small printing business. The garments are DTF printed with our reef design using non-toxic inks. The process of DTF printing is super low impact and creates minimal waste.
Our swimwear is made from a recycled nylon blend (called Carvico Vita, made in Italy) in Bali. I am lucky enough to have family in Bali who are familiar with the manufacturing industry there and provided us with some recommendations. We have been working with them for over a year to develop the final designs for our first collection of swim and find sustainable shipping and packaging solutions.
We know that everyone involved in all our production processes is working to modern, international labour law standards, which means that there is no child labour or underpayment in any part of the production process.
Packing and shipping
We freight our suits over to Perth from Hong Kong or Bali and our manufacturers work with us to ship them using as little plastic as possible, while still protecting the suits from any damage in transit. Our printed garments are shipped completely plastic free, as they don't have to be transported internationally.
We then pack our orders in the most sustainable packaging currently on the market and utilise Australia Post's carbon neutral shipping network.
We look forward to continuing to make our business more and more sustainable and ethical as we grow and welcome any suggestions or ideas - don't hesitate to reach out under our 'Contact' page.