Launched in 2015 by surfer Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore, Outerknown describes itself as “the first brand founded on a total commitment to sustainability”. It’s a bold claim, especially in a time when the consumer and legal lens is trained so keenly upon greenwashing and false environmental claims. The key to unearthing sustainable fact from greenwashing fiction is to look past the words to the action brands are taking, and the LA-based casualwear brand has bolstered its commitment to sustainability with a significant investment in a Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) cotton supply chain in Peru.
Not as simple as saying yes to a new supplier and applying for certification, the Outerknown team had to get in on the ground, meet with farmers, commit to local manufacturing, develop new yarns, and embed themselves within the community. There's no doubt about it, regeneration has become a buzzword but on a recent visit to Peru, Outerknown showed us what it looks like in practice.
