U&I Label
“Where did the inspiration begin for U&I Label?”
'“U&I was dreamt up in-between sets while surfing at Bells Beach, with each stitch inspired by the power of the ocean. We wanted to be part of the change and solution moving towards slow fashion and we wanted to design the perfect uniform, swimwear that we ourselves and our friends would want to wear everyday.
We also wanted to use the business to unite water women in our local community and to create Women’s Surf Culture as it was lacking at the time. Now our hopes and goals are to continue connecting the community across the globe and as passionate environmentalists help protect our coastal playgrounds.”
“You girls are ocean / sea dwellers - what do you wish people knew about the sea?”
“The ocean is the life force of our planet, but is now warmer than at any time since measurements began, more acidic than any time in the last 14 million years, and is providing less oxygen. These changes are already affecting life in the ocean from the tiniest plankton to the largest whales. Our mother ocean has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat and one quarter of the carbon-dioxide humans have generated by burning fossil fuels.
One recent shocking learning is that future projections also show a decrease in east coast lows…. Which could mean fewer waves at the points here in Noosa! Research has shown that the trend for lows and cyclones is set to decrease, yet when they do form they will be more damaging and intense leaving and increasingly vicious trail of destruction.
We believe that knowledge creates action, and that all of us can help campaign for a reduction in global emissions by fighting for the protection of our oceans, keeping fossil fuel reserves in the ground, and transition to a 100% renewables society. There are some amazing organisations and resources out there including Surfers for Climate, and We Are One Ocean by WSL pure who are calling for the protection of 30% of our one ocean by 2030. We encourage anyone reading to check them out!”
“Who are your three most inspiring sea lovers and why?”
Belinda Baggs – Climate activist and co-founder of Surfers for Climate, Patagonia Ambassador, and the most graceful & effortless style on a longboard we have seen. It doesn’t get more inspirational than Belinda for us.
Lauren Hill – A beautiful human and stylish water woman sharing the untold stories of female surfers since the earliest of times through her book “She Surf” and her podcast “Waterpeople” with partner Dave Rastovich. We are super inspired by her dedication to increasing the knowledge of those who paved the way in female surfing, and also love following her journey in permaculture living which interests us both immensely!
Liz Clark – Having both read “Captain Liz Clark’s” book Swell recently, we are so inspired by her courage to set sail in search of surf and self. Her voyage spanned 20,000 miles, much of it solo, and the tales of her journey are mesmerizing – from finding perfect reef breaks to near death experiences. Also a passionate environmentalist, Liz is a soul we both admire.
“U&I made the switch to 100% regenerated nylon fibre in 2018 (amazing!) what are the benefits of incorporating this fabric?”
“Regenerated nylon is made from rescued waste that would otherwise be polluting the earth such as fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring & industrial plastic. Through a radical regeneration and purification process, the nylon waste is recycled back to its original purity! Which means it is exactly the same as fossil based nylon. As well as being a solution to waste it also assists with climate change, reducing the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with the material from oil. We can also testify to great quality of regenerated nylon, if bought from a serious supplier it will last just as long as conventional Nylon.”
“What was the first swimwear design you ever made? Do you have any photos?”
“The first swimwear designs we ever made was our Home-sake Collection (our staple range). Jodie, one of the original co-founders had designed the range as her final Uni collection and asked Emma (the other original co-founder) if she could photograph the range. And when Em saw the pieces she realised it was exactly what she needed being a surfer. This is when the partership of U&I first sparked.“
Range here: https://uandilabel.com.au/collections/the-original-u-i-collection
“What does the future of U&I look like? Do you have any plans you wish to share?”
“We are currently working on our first ‘made to order’ apparel collection and we’ve started dreaming up a few swimwear pieces to we’d like to add to the quiver... Stay tuned!”