BY SHELBY TUTTLE
As an 11-time World Surf League ( WSL ) Champion, Kelly Slater is widely considered the greatest surfer of all time. In his famous 34-year career, Slater has traveled to some
among the most picturesque and secluded locations in the world for surfing waves, which are few people dare to dream about. From the heavy, deadly waves of Hawaii’s Pipeline and the glassy, large barrels of Tahiti’s Teahupo’o, to the quick, left-breaking peel of Fiji’s Cloudbreak, the waves Slater has surfed each offer their own lovely complexity, naturally shaped by their environment. Among them, but, Slater has noticed one disheartening commonality.
In a 2019 podcast interview on The Sea Has Some Voices, Slater said,” When I used to go to France in the late 80s, early 90s, there was so much plastic in the water. There were a lot of garbage in the water and plastic bags. I once recalled surfing and the thought that if I fell and my mouth was full of water, I might choke on a plastic bag.
He points out that while the pollution in that specific region has improved over time, areas like Central America and Japan still rank among the worst areas for ocean pollution that he’s seen while working as a skilled surfer. It is obvious that Slater has a deep connection to the ocean and that his worries about the state of the ocean are well-known.
A SURFER’S AWAKENING
Slater began to think about the environmental effects of his sport as the year went on. A lifetime spent in the ocean had developed a sincere love affair with the planet. He began to question the boards he rode on and the clothes he wore as part of his growing economic consciousness, attempting to understand a normal supply chain and the resulting effects, both human and environmental.
He says,” As a lifelong surfer, I’ve witnessed how much pollution people have caused around the world, and I’ve come to understand how detrimental fast fashion and space labor have been on our world.” And so it was important for me privately to challenge the norms of the industry and demonstrate that there is a better way to make clothes.
Slater spent 23 years with surf clothing company Quicksilver, a partnership that was as recognizable in the surfing world as Tiger Woods was in golf. Slater ended his relationship with the company in April 2014, thereby putting an end to one of the sport’s longest-running sponsorship agreements.
Slater wrote in a letter to fans on his Facebook page that he had “dreamt of creating a brand that combines my love of clear living, responsibility, and style. This is my opportunity to create something the way I have always wanted to because the people and cultures I encounter on my frequent world travels serve as the inspiration for this brand.
He used the opportunity to announce a new partnership with The Kering Group ( owner of luxury brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga ), which would help him launch his now successful clothing brand, Outerknown. However, The Kering Group was only a tiny piece of the puzzle. John Moore, a veteran of the fashion industry and a innovative designer, was Slater’s co-founder. His shared love for the ocean and a strong commitment to sustainability made him the ideal partner.
For over 20 years, Moore has shaped the fashion industry as a skilled creative with a penchant for innovation. His accomplishments include being chosen as a Fellow for the second Levi Strauss &, Co.” Collaboratory,” in 2016, where he was invited to collaborate with another like-minded industry executives on climate solutions for their organizations. He was recognized as one of GQ’s Menswear Designers of the Year in 2014 and were recognized as one of GQ’s Menswear Designers of the Year.
BREAKING THE MOLD
As Outerknown’s artistic creative, Moore drives design and storytelling, while leading his team to investigate sustainable practices and fabric innovations that make Outerknown a pioneer in its field. More than a decade have passed since we made the commitment to creating Outerknown in a new way. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the message about dependable innovation becoming more prevalent and the ecological conversation grow,” Moore said. ” That’s good, but there’s a big difference between talking, marketing, and actually doing the work”.
Slater notes that Outerknown’s collaborations with like-minded partners is vital, and that when creating their products, they look for people and companies who are breaking new ground.
” When you have an idea, you have to start somewhere. And even though it may never be perfect, you can start to find the ideal partners, partners, and ideas through the experience to speed up the process. He continues,” I’m glad that every step of our process adheres to the ideals and standards we founded the business on.”
Those ideals, of course, include the company’s mantra of taking care of both people and the planet. Before actually producing a single product, Outerknown was the first brand to be independently verified by the Fair Labor Association.
” Every decision we make, from selecting suppliers to creating new products,” says Slater, keeping workers ‘ rights and safety in mind. The materials used to create the company’s products are a crucial part of upholding the company’s mantra. Recovered wool, cotton, and polyesters are used across Outerknown’s collections and Moore notes that biological materials take precedence whenever possible. The team carefully sources recycled materials when synthetics are required for items like performance board shorts.
Moore shares,” A few years back, we offered the world’s second Merino wool boardshort. Although it had a great idea and I enjoyed it, it did n’t sell well because it lacked many of the performance requirements for movement and durability.
Moore also says that Outerknown’s preferred fiber (organic, recycled, or regenerated ) usage improved from 95 % in 2022 to 99 % in 2024, and that the company works hard to avoid the use of fibers like virgin polyester, virgin elastane, and virgin cotton. The selection criteria for chosen fibers are based on the company’s inside fiber policy and scorecard.
on sustainability and circularity potential. At Outerknown, organic cotton, recycled cotton, Regenerative Organic Certified ® cotton, hemp, and responsible and recycled wool reign supreme. Importantly, the business has laid out a strategy to become completely circular by 2030.
Moore says he is most excited about their line of sweaters from the future Outerknown fall and winter collection because they use wool that has been sorted by color and broken down by hand to create new recovered wool yarns that can be spun in the same colors without using toxic dyes or chemicals. By restoring this important fiber to the environment, this process also helps to save lady wool textiles from both pre- and post-consumers.
According to Moore,” We’re even getting a bio-fiber blend that we’re getting from the ocean and incorporating into one of our most significant products for afterwards this fall.” Being surfers, this innovation is immediately at home because it comes from the ocean. I ca n’t talk about it yet, but we’ll be the first to market with this, so] I’m ] very proud of the team’s effort to bring this to life” .Slater notes that he is excited to be working toward creating high-quality, responsibly made pieces that are also affordable.
BALANCING SUSTAINABILITY WITH AFFORDABILITY
He and Moore are n’t shy about addressing Outerknown’s price point ( the brand’s signature Blanket Shirt is priced at$ 168 ), which is considerably higher than most surf brands— but then again, Outerknown is n’t really a surf brand. It became obvious that Outerknown is a lifestyle brand of its own as I gently thumbed through several racks of Blanket Shirts neatly hung on sustainable hangers at Outerknown’s store in Malibu. Without a doubt, Slater’s fame normally spawns a fan base in the surfing industry, but Moore notes that Outerknown’s customers are those who want to buy items that reflect their values.
” They are willing to pay the additional cost associated because they see it as a long-term investment”, Moore says. This cost of buying appropriately must continue to decrease in order for the industry to really catch up. To encourage more businesses to view sustainability as a business opportunity, a social shift in consumption is required.
To address the great economic costs of consumption, the team at Outerknown has also created Outerworn, a pre-owned marketplace hosted on Outerknown’s website, where fans of the clothing can purchase and sell pre-loved Outerknown items. Slater and Moore are n’t selfish or aloof about Outerknown’s sustainability processes, and they want other businesses to take advantage of their research when it comes to helping other brands recognize the value of sustainability in business.
We know that this model causes the least harm, according to Slater, “even though it takes time and discipline to build a dependable supply chain that takes care of its employees.” We have made our procedures open to allow different businesses to use Outerknown as a resource and source of inspiration. Moore echoes his sentiment. ” If Outerknown, as an emerging brand with no prior experience, can do it — this should be a model for the industry that businesses large and small can do it, as well”.
AN UNTAPPED MARKET
Outerknown has frequently stated that it wants to offer more affordable options for surf brands in order to appeal to a wider audience. When Outerknown first launched, the brand was carried on high-end websites, most likely due to its launch with The Kering
Group. However, as the brand has grown to nine brick-and-mortar locations across the nation, many of which are well-known seaside spots, there is a distinct chance for Outerknown to capitalize on a would-be built-in audience, if not for what some might perceive as a price barrier.
Unrelated to Kelly, the newly appointed CEO of Outerknown Dylan Slater confirms that” we are working on a product line in collaboration with Kelly for a to-be-announced coming season. We are excited to introduce a new perspective.
to a product ors within the surf market that will be delivered at a price point appropriate for the surf specialty retail channel.
A TRIPLE THREAT:
SLATER’S BUSINESS EMPIRE
In May, Dylan Slater was named CEO of the novel holding company that unites Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Designs under one roof. In 2015, Kelly Slater became the majority owner of Firewire Surfboards, allowing him to even showcase his own line of surfboards created in collaboration with some of the world’s top shapers at Slater Designs. Due to the purchase of Firewire, Kelly and long-time board sponsor Channel Designs parted ways, citing concerns about how surfboards were created and the legacy they left behind in terms of the environment. Of the boards made at Firewire, Dylan Slater shares,” Our surfboards are constructed using bio-resin, which produces a reduced carbon output by 30 %”. He goes on to say,” We are constantly looking for new materials to use to make them stronger and last long.” He points out that the three companies ‘ economic synergies and philosophies allow them to draw from research, materials, and experience to create the best products in the most dependable way possible.
SLATER’S Lineage BEYOND THE SUR
Slater is now in Fiji as a url entry for the final stop of the WSL regular season at the time of writing. The event is thought to be Slater’s next hoorah because he missed the mid-year cut for the second half of 2024, which is his ideal way to end his surfing career in his all-time favorite spot. At 52, Slater has won the Fiji Pro four times. He even holds the record for being the youngest and oldest skilled surfer to win a world surfing championship at the ages of 20 and 39, as well as his 11 previous world titles. He has claimed 56 Championship Tour victories and participated in 280 of the alleged 280 World Tour events.
As the competition opens, onlookers wait with bated breath to witness surfing’s G. O. A. T. in the most flattering of possible finales. But truly, Slater will not simply fade into the sunset. He is a force to be reckoned with, not just in the world of surfing, but even in business and certainly, ecological stewardship. He’s made caring about the environment cool, and therefore, raised the bar not only for consumers, but the fashion industry as a whole. Slater appears to be ready to leave a sustained legacy in his second chapter of life, just like he does surfing.
” I wanted to have Outerknown reflect and put my beliefs into practice, and use it as a tool to communicate my beliefs more deeply,” he says. Every little improvement we make, in my opinion, has a great impact on both people and the planet. For more, visit www. outerknown.com.
