Lifestyle brand Outerknown – the brainchild of surf legend Kelly Slater and designer John Moore – has created the world’s first boardshort crafted from 100% Australian Merino wool.
Merino wool is a 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre grown from the simple blend of sunshine, water, grass and air. For the lifestyle of the nomadic surfer that the Outerknown brand was created for, the innovative product truly is from nature, for nature.
“We love collaborating with like-minded brands to push boundaries and charter new territories in sustainable design,” said Kelly Slater, Pro-surfer and Outerknown Co-Founder. “The Woolmark Company’s long-time dedication to authenticity, fibre quality and supply chain excellence naturally aligns with Outerknown’s ethos, and we’re so excited to launch the world’s first Merino wool trunks together.”
Developed with The Woolmark Company, Outerknown’s Woolaroo boardshort is a throwback to the golden age of surfing, when trunks were considered equipment and made from a heavy twill fabric. Now, thanks to innovations in fibre, fabric and manufacturing techniques, a high-performance weather resistant fabric made from 100% Australian Merino wool hits the surf, with a strong environmental mission.
“In our constant quest to push the limits of sustainable design and responsible innovation, we partnered with The Woolmark Company to make the first ever 100% Merino wool boardshort,” said Creative Director, John Moore. “This trunk is for a man with a keen sense of nostalgia, who puts style and soul on the same plain as function and quality. We’ve been wearing the Woolaroo since its early development and it’s soft yet strong and the more you wear them in, the better they look.”
Made entirely out of nature’s original performance fibre, Merino wool’s natural benefits come into their own in the world-first Woolaroo. Naturally breathable and resistant to odour, the Woolaroo is quick-drying and wind resistant for post-surf comfort and the fibre’s natural softness and drape offers freedom to move in the waves and on the sand.
Using the latest OptimTM spinning techniques, Merino wool fibres are pre-stretched and spun into yarn before being woven to create the fabric used in Outerknown’s Woolaroo. The fabric then super contracts creating a highly compact fabric and the ‘jammed’ weave structure delivers a resilient handle able to withstand surf conditions.
“The Woolaroo perfectly sums up the soul of Merino wool,” says The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough. “Soft on skin but tough enough to handle the elements, wool is not only the world’s oldest fibre but also the most technically advanced, with modern manufacturing techniques making the best even better. The first of its kind in the world, Outerknown’s Woolaroo is redefining the way we wear wool.”
The Woolaroo is available at www.outerknown.com/woolaroo and select retail locations starting Monday, June 10th and will retail for $125 USD.
Media Centre and assets downloaded here.
About Outerknown
Outerknown is a coastal men’s and women’s lifestyle brand made For People and Planet. Every decision at Outerknown is made with the highest regard for the hands that craft our clothes and the world we call home. From seeds to suppliers to circular design, the mission is to not only craft beautiful, lasting wardrobe staples, but to protect natural resources, empower the people crafting our clothes, and inspire change within the industry and beyond by being completely transparent about our process. From our launch, we have created trusted partnerships with companies such as Fair Trade USA, bluesign® and Econyl®. By patterning our supply chain processes around the Fair Labor Association guidelines, we reached full accreditation by the FLA in two and a half years, faster than any other clothing brand ever. Outerknown proves that sustainability and style can be synonymous and neither has to be sacrificed for the other.
Outerknown was founded by Kelly Slater and John Moore in 2015 and is sold at outerknown.com and at select premium retailers worldwide. For more information about Outerknown, its products, and sustainability efforts, please visit www.Outerknown.com.
@Outerknown @Outerknown_womens
About The Woolmark Company:
The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through an extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, it highlights Australian wool’s position as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in outdoor and luxury apparel.
The Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands, providing assurance of the highest quality, and representing pioneering excellence and innovation from farm through to finished product.
The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise that conducts research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers that help fund the company.
