Eco-friendly Swimsuits I A sustainable slow fashion swimwear brand I Hakuna Wear

We are a small brand with a big mission, we believe in all people and giving them the tools for success to have the best time possible in the water. Sustainability for us follows from that support of people, for us it isn’t just about sustainable materials but giving back to the community, hosting weekly surf meet ups, and we often give 10% or more back to the planet. For example, during 2020 we gave away 100 free masks and donated to healthcare workers. We also matched all discounts with donations to the NAACP and are giving 10% to support the native ‘Ohi’a Lehua tree that is featured on one of our patterns. 

To us loving mother earth means for everything we do for our planet we also do something for you, the people living on this planet. 

We have become a more aware consumer culture, that’s fantastic. But as the founder of a sustainable company, sustainable means more than just environmentally sustainable.

Some companies throw around the word sustainable as a marketing term, but sustainable packaging or fabrics don’t make a sustainable company. So we have compiled a list of ways that we love mother earth and show it. We are always open to suggestions on how we can do better, contact us with ideas.

Dear Mother Earth,

Let us count the waves we love you.

1. Our swimwear fabrics are made from recycled plastic or plant-based neoprene.

Our swimwear fabrics are made from recycled polyester which comes from recycled water bottles. There are other options for swimwear, including nylon which is made from recycled fish nets, but it isn't as long lasting. We source Yulex (plant-based neoprene alternative) and Geoprene (limestone neoprene) as our neoprene alternatives which are more eco-friendly than most neoprenes.

2. We manufacture in small batches and as locally as possible.

We always want to make sure we manufacture what we can sell and manufacture as responsibly as possible. Most of our swimwear is made in southern california. However, due to the technical nature of neoprene, we have our Cloud 9 One Piece Surf Suit I 2 mm Yulex® manufactured in Thailand and some other technical pieces manufactured in China. We believe in diversifying our supply and building up international communities so as long as we can manufacture responsibly, we enjoy working with our international partners.

3. We offer a ding repair policy to keep you suits worn longer.

Our goal is slow fashion, we want your pieces to last as long as possible, and we want to help you keep your swimwear in your closet for as long as possible. So if you have a piece that has gotten a lot of wear or a piece that just malfunctions, contact us and we will repair it for free or for a small fee.

4. Our fabric prints are sublimated prints, which save water and dye toxicity.

Traditional ways of printing use a ton of water and dye to soak the fabric, but sublimation printing prints exactly the dye you need, directly on to the fabric you use. They even have ways of printing only on the pieces that will make up the suit, it’s pretty amazing!

5. We host weekly surf meet ups to empower and support our fellow surfers. We are there rain or shine, and on rainy days we do beach clean ups.

Every week at our home surf break Cardiff Reef we bring free coffee and tea for our fellow surfers in paddling out. We love sharing our passion for the ocean, so if you’re in San Diego, come up and meet us, we would love to have you. 

6. All our packaging is recycled, recyclable, and limits plastic.

We don’t package in poly bags and we use recycled kraft mailers for mailing, we love the company EcoEnclose for all their information on their mailers.

7. Our tags can be planted to grow wildflowers.

Pretty cool right? They are embedded with seeds and if you plant them they grow wildflowers, just add water and create your own rainbow. 

8. Our apparel is made of eco-jersey and eco-fleece.

We work with partners that manufacture high-quality, sustainable apparel such as Alternative Apparel and Next Level Apparel. 

9. We donate 10% of sales or our ‘Ohi’a Lehua collection to save the native Hawaiian tree.

The story of ‘Ohi’a Lehua and the ability of the native Hawaiian tree to be the first to grow on lava inspired us to name the collection and design the print in honor of Hawaii. This collection represents rebirth, and we are always looking at causes we can donate to to make a difference.

10. We volunteer for organizations, donate to raffles, and generally support the community.

We love volunteering our time and donations to organizations that support inclusion and diversity in the outdoor community. If you have an organization that you would like a raffle gift for or an organization we can support with donations or a discount, please reach out. We would love to hear from you.

We love you and all your inhabitants.

Love,

Hakuna Wear