Riz Boardshorts: Sartorial Sustainability Profiles - Thursday, 13 April 2017 Setting up a sustainable swim shorts company in London notorious for its grey skies and grim weather might not make sense to everyone but for Riz Smith, founder and creative director at Riz Boardshorts, it was the perfect fit. I actually love the irony of designing swim shorts in the pouring rain in London. It s quite honest. People here travel all the time to escape the weather. It s as if the shorts are a metaphor for summer, hence why we use the tag line: It s always Summer Somewhere, he explains.a designer with a professional background in swim and sportswear and a personal passion for surfing, Smith set up Riz back in 2009. The idea was to create 'The most beautiful and sustainable swim shorts in the world'. Spurred into action by a desire to make something better and help protect the oceans and our planet, Riz was born as an alternative to mass consumerism and waste. The brand rests on three core principles: Sustainability, Substance and Style and so all of its swim shorts are made using entirely recycled (and recyclable) fabric. The beautiful designs that set Riz boardshorts apart are created by a small collective of artists and illustrators and are printed in the UK using environmentally friendly inks. Designs like their Bee print fabric, often draw from themes of endangered species with the aim of raising awareness and appreciation for the natural world.but more than just being a brand that's ecofriendly and raises awareness, Riz is about implementing real change. Smith and his team work closely with a number of amazing ocean and environmental charities, including The Eden Project, The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and The Wave Project. Not only helping to support their work by donating profits and stock, Riz also takes part in real-life initiatives like beach cleanups. Even more exciting, right now, as part of its #bottlestoboardshorts campaign, Riz is pushing to replace the recycled fabrics it currently uses for its collections with material made from the waste plastics that so often end up in our oceans and rivers. It's an ambitious move and one that we can fully get behind. We spoke with Smith via email ahead of the brand's latest range dropping to find out more about the challenges of running a brand like Riz and the important work the company is involved in.
What s your background in design?i went to a really traditional all-boys school and was the only person to go to art college. I knew I wanted to do something really creative and just found fashion came naturally - which is not that normal for a guy, and so thought it was exciting. At the time I was inspired by what brands like Paul Smith were doing for menswear and thought I could do something similar. However, after university, a shift in fate meant that I cut my teeth designing for large swimwear and sportswear brands, designing boardshorts, swimwear and all that stuff. That's where I learnt the global beachwear market.where did the idea for using recycled plastic come from?i had seen recycled polyester at fabric trade shows before setting up the brand ten or so years ago, but hardly anyone was using it. When we started Riz we knew we wanted to do everything better than what was currently on the market. So, if using recycled plastic fabric was available, why not use it? The fact that our shorts have to be quick drying means we need to use synthetic materials, but at the same time, we want them to be as sustainable as possible. Momentum needs to build and at the start this comes from a multitude of droplets. We need an ocean Are there are other designers doing work like this who you admire?i m someone who walks around constantly inspired and I admire snippets and nuggets from all sorts of designers. But I have to say I struggle to find designers who marry style and sustainability perfectly well. I d have to come back to you on that one What have the challenges of working with recycled materials been?with regards to our shorts fabric, absolutely none. The fabric is woven strong; it is just the plastic polymers that come from recycled plastic bottles, but once melted down and spun back into yarn, they are as a strong as ever. I would say, though, that when trying to source recycled yarn and zips etc... they're exceedingly expensive, so justifying the prices is a great challenge.
Do you think there s a broader shift in the clothing industry towards using recycled materials?not really. There is a slight shift. Fortunately, more recycled materials are on offer now, both for brands to source and consumers to buy, but it s still really niche. Change is going to take a long time.why aren t more brands using sustainable/recycled materials?in general, unless the whole brand has a sustainable story, brands may think that adding a few styles using sustainable or recycled materials is not worth it. Most brands are so driven by margins and getting the product to look nice that they still neglect how it s made, or what it s made from. Sustainable materials are slightly more expensive and sometimes harder to source, so that extra effort tends to put people off.do you think the change needs to come from the industry or from consumers?i think it needs to come from both. The industry needs to lead and consumers need to voice their wants. But both of these come from knowledge and education. At the moment it s a little bit chicken and egg; there need to be more success stories of sustainable fashion brands to give both the industry and consumers the confidence to change together. Momentum needs to build and at the start this comes from a multitude of droplets. We need an ocean.
You work with lots of amazing organisations and initiatives, how important has that been for you as a brand?it s super important for us. Being a circular business means we want to give back as much as we take, so working with the Marine Conservation Society, for example, is the perfect example. We want to help protect what we love and so 1 from the sale of every pair of shorts goes directly to their fantastic efforts. We are also working with them on beach cleans and other exciting plans coming up. To help implement our Bottles to Boardshorts project we are working with a whole host of small organisations and initiatives; collaboration is key. In fact, it s essential!can you talk a little about your ongoing campaign?we re working on a campaign called #bottlestoboardshorts. The aim is to turn plastic bottles collected from UK beaches and waterways into a unique fabric, which we will then use to make our shorts. Along the way we hope to inspire people to stop using single-use plastics and have a greater appreciation for the natural world around us.the logistics of creating your own fabric from plastic that people have collected off beaches is monstrous, however. At present we re still collecting plastic bottles and have approximately 20,000, but we still don t have a final number we need to make the fabric; depending on negations with a mill, It may be more than 100,000. We re working with lots of people to help facilitate the dream and are calling on people to get involved and join the journey. Our plan is to inspire change in the way people consume through a deeper connection with nature
You talk about Riz as a collective can you explain that concept a little more?in the brand, there are only two of us, Ali (Murrell) and myself, but we work with a lovely mix of other people. We work closely with super talented print designers and also a fantastic content marketeer who helps us with this side of things. We also have a small but strong group of ambassadors who wear our shorts and help spread the word, along with a tiny army of saints collecting bottles off beaches. I like the idea of pooling talent - someone sharing their unique skill to help you, you helping them back with yours. As a small company with limited budgets, a collective of talent allows individuals freedom when needed but combined strength also. Together we are stronger. How have you found the whole process of setting RIZ up as a brand?i think one of the most difficult things has been the amount of time it s taken to be recognised as a serious brand. You have to have a
lot of faith, patience and conviction that your direction is strong and that in the end, it will pay off.the freedom of being a small brand is amazing. You can be nimble, reactive, creative. You can test things, make softer mistakes and are forced to be innovative. The challenge as you grow is to still stay small I guess. For us, the reception of using recycled fabric has been fantastic. I think because our whole brand is about this and so it s strongly rooted in the storytelling. When it s explained the right way people love it.what do you have planned for the brand s future?with regards to the product, our plan is to just continue making the most beautiful and sustainable swim shorts we can. Also, to roll out our unique fabric made from recycled beach and ocean plastics; but importantly, our plan is to inspire change in the way people consume through a deeper connection with nature.head over to www.rizboardshorts.com for more info and follow Riz on Instagram for updates.
Words by Alice Nicolov View Original: https://www.prote.in/profiles/riz-boardshorts-sartorial-sustainabilitys