Eleven-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater has announced the name of his new ready-to-wear brand, Outerknown. Product will hit stores next Fall, 2015, with collections for both men and women.
About the upcoming launch of his line, Slater said: “We are tirelessly working on a brand that explores the relationship between style, sustainability and travel – timeless and functional design with a consciousness that will strive to have a positive effect on everything, and everyone it interacts with. As global citizens, we have an obligation to build better products and understand the way our consumption impacts others. I am constantly traveling and observing the multi-cultural world we live in, and Outerknown is a brand that references my travels, and stands for the values I believe in.”
Slater has put together a world-class team that includes co-founder John Moore as Creative Director overseeing product and marketing. Moore has collaborated with Slater in the past, and was recently named as one of GQ’s best new menswear designers of the year for 2014. Slater has also signed a strategic partnership with the Kering Group, a world leader in apparel and accessories that shares Outerknown’s commitment to sustainability. Kering oversees a portfolio of leading Luxury, Sport & Lifestyle brands, including Gucci, Balenciaga and PUMA.
“We want to create product without an expiration date,” said Moore of Outerknown’s design ethos. “We have a high regard for fashion, people and the environment. Our consumer travels for work and for pleasure and takes every opportunity to get out into nature, whether it’s surfing, hiking, or any other outdoor pursuit. There are surf wear brands, designer brands and technical brands, but we’ve seen the consumer’s need emerge for a transitional brand that brings together all three. Outerknown addresses this void in the marketplace between sports and luxury, and our investment in quality and responsible practices will warrant this elevated positioning.”
