8 Ocean-Friendly Brands to have on your Fashion Radar

A brand showcase in celebration of World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day is an annual event celebrated on June 8th that serves as a global reminder of the vital importance of our oceans and the urgent need to protect and conserve them. This day provides an opportunity for people from all walks of life to come together and raise awareness about the significance of the world's oceans, their immense biodiversity, and the countless benefits they provide to our planet and its inhabitants.

As purveyors of luxury, sustainable fashion, we take our role in promoting positive change seriously. And in light of this year’s World Oceans Day, we’d like to celebrate the outstanding contribution that each of these brands is making towards this all-important cause. 

1. Dive and make a difference | Salt Sister Swim

Salt Sister Swim is a one-stop destination for bikini sets that you can mix, match and make your own. In the range you’ll find bikini tops and bottoms in classic black and white, as well as a few pleasant pops of colour. 

As a swimwear brand, the conservation and preservation of the ocean’s delicate ecosystems is at the top of its commitments. Most recently, Salt Sister Swim was nominated as a tier-one sustainable brand in the newly established Azraq AUE sustainable fashion directory. The directory is a guide for conscious consumers who care about how their buying decisions affect the planet and its people. A number of factors determine how brands are ranked in the directory, with top tier brands being recognised as leaders in slow-made, ethical fashion that is produced using natural textiles and packaged using sustainable materials. Salt Sister Swim ticks all these boxes.

The textiles used to create their bikinis are made in collaboration with ECONYL®, an innovative textile producer that makes regenerated nylon made from discarded fishing nets and waste found in the ocean. The prints in the collection are created using eco-friendly ink and every Salt Sister Swim creation will arrive at your doorstep in biodegradable packaging. 
2. Future-fit, in every way possible | Anima Active

The search for eco-friendly, ethically produced activewear that is kind to the ocean, can be arduous. Thankfully, Anima Active has the answer. In the collection, you’ll find all the quintessential sportswear apparel you’ll need to complete your active fashion capsule wardrobe. 

Brand founder, Raquel Telo was inspired to create Anima Active when she realised just how toxic many of the world’s most common synthetic fibres can be to the environment. Mass-produced textiles such as polyester, rayon, acetate and nylon are treated with thousands of chemicals during production. At the end of their relatively short lifespans, these garments end up in landfills or in the sea as pollution, where they cause damage to delicate plant and animal life. 

With Anima Active however, you get all of the functionality without any of the nasties. All the garments you’ll find in the range are made from recycled Tencel fibres that are produced in Austria. This pioneering textile is made from wood taken from trees that are cultivated without the use of chemical fertilisers and in sustainably managed forests. This makes all Anima Active garments fully biodegradable in both soil and marine conditions. 
3. A brand for the enlightened | Isabelle Moon

Hailing from the crystalline shores of Bali, Isabelle Moon comes from a land surrounded by the richest natural resource in the world. For founder, Meghan Currie, embedding the values of sustainability into a brand that creates island-inspired fashion was a non-negotiable. Currie and her team of artisans from the local communities in Bali, create eco-friendly yoga wear that is consciously and lovingly handmade, stitch by stitch.

Each garment is coloured using natural dyes that do not damage coral reefs and other marine life forms. In the range you’ll also find garments made from Micromodal, a completely biodegradable, semi-synthetic fabric made according to a closed-loop manufacturing process. This means that any chemical waste produced during manufacturing is considered non-hazardous to the environment and humans. 
4. Find what moves you | The Idō Movement

Inspired by the natural movements of the body and the many benefits that simple movement can offer people in a fast-paced world, The Idō Movement produces sustainable alternatives to athleisure wear and dance performance gear. It is, as the brand founders like to say, “a brand for the movers.” 

Each piece in the collection is inspired by the philosophy and life of a dancer, creative or artist based in the Middle East. And, underpinned by a belief that good fashion shouldn’t negatively impact the earth or the people in it, each garment made by the The Idō Movement is produced according to a sustainability manifesto. Part of this manifesto involves the use of textiles and production processes that rejuvenate the environment. They do this by using recycled or regenerated materials, supporting marine conservation initiatives and using product tags that contain seeds which can be planted and cultivated. 
5. Activism through activewear | Seela

Launched in Zürich in 2020, Seela Studio is a brand that has been built on sustainable principles and purposed towards offering women activewear alternatives to the plastic-intensive items that fill the rails and shelves of mass producers. The brand is particularly focused on eliminating the by-product of synthetic clothing production – microplastic. 

According to a recent study, 80% of people who were tested had traces of microplastic in their blood. Microplastic and plastic fibres have also been found in the sediment of beaches, mangroves, arctic ice, at the top of the Himalayas and in the deepest points of the ocean. Seela is one of the brands that is on a mission to end the use of microplastics by using sustainable alternatives and methods that do not cause harm to marine environments. 

In addition, Seela has partnered with No More Plastic – a non-profit foundation that aims to protect our oceans by raising awareness around the negative impact of plastic use and microplastic pollution. A portion of Seela’s proceeds goes towards this important cause as well as other environmental restoration projects such as the Gula Gula Forest Project. 
6. Fashion to live in | N3YH

Locally produced and ethically manufactured in Cape Town, South Africa, N3YH garments are glowing representations of what a sustainable future for fashion looks like. In the range, you’ll find activewear that will make you feel good, while doing good. This is because every N3YH garment is made from recycled and sustainable materials. 

The best part is that with brands like N3YH, being fashion-forward and future-fit doesn’t mean compromising on comfort or quality. Textiles such as organic bamboo will give you the figure-hugging form you’re looking for and the breathable structure you need to feel and look your best, without polluting the environment. In the collection, you’ll also find pieces made from recycled polyester, which gives a potential pollutant a second lease on life. 
7. Clothing for the eco-conscious | Apnée 

Inspired by the life and career of two of the world’s most awarded freedivers, Apnée is a brand that turns “waste into a resource.” In many ways it is made by people who respect and cherish the beauty of the sea and for people who want to protect it for generations to come.

 Apnée started as a swimwear brand but quickly evolved beyond those boundaries to become a brand that is at the forefront of the war against single-use plastic. Founder, Sebastian Fredeau was deeply moved by the plight of the ocean, which the UN predicts will contain more plastic than fish by the year 2050. The brand partners with SEAQUAL™, an initiative run by a large network of fishermen in the Mediterranean who collect plastic waste found in fishing nets and on beaches. This waste is transformed by a team of craftsmen based in Portugal, into 100% ethical and recycled pieces of clothing. In 2019, Apnée launched its first eco-responsible range of swimwear called, ‘Ocean.’ And since 2021, this range has been expanded to include organic cotton t-shirts, linen shorts, jackets and trousers.
8. Making waves | Summer Glen

Like many pioneers in the realm of fashion, Summer Glen brand founder, Tegan Glen created the brand when she struggled to find the perfect fitting swimsuit. Any lover of premium swimwear will have their fair share of choice with the Summer Glen collection, which offers a range of one-piece designs and bikini sets that can be combined to suit your unique style. 

Every piece in the range is made from regenerated ocean plastic to create a textile called REPREVE®. This innovative fabric is widely regarded as the world’s leading brand of recycled performance fibre and is made by transforming discarded plastic bottles into certifiable, traceable, high-performance yarn. Summer Glen is a South African forerunner, based in one of the richest natural environments on earth, Cape Town, also known as the Mother City. We love this brand for so many reasons, and its ocean-first philosophy is certainly one of them.