About

The leggings

The Olas legging was created for a number of reasons…
It all began in my college days when I designed an eco friendly brand named Logical. I was all about using fabrics that helped the environment. I was aware of how damaging the textile industry is. I had lots of fun designing biodegradable shoe boxes, shoe soles out of recycled tyres and swing tags with giveaway seeds! Looking back it was such a luxury to have actual time to research into eco friendly fabrics, colour palettes and ideas. To not think about costs, numbers and regulations! At this stage I definitely had no idea of logistics of getting something like that off the ground. I was purely focusing my thoughts on what people would like to buy and why they should buy it over standard virgin fabrics. 
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I went on to design shoes, bags and surf clothing for some reputable brands and managed a design team. I had 10 years professional design experience under my belt and had learnt the back end of the industry - how brands run, the intense strategies and the planning. Been thrown in at the deep end with unrealistic deadlines, expectations and crazy workloads. Taken the reins of buying and cost negotiating with factories. I had great insight into customer focusing and consumer patterns. Along the line I have also learnt what not-to-do!
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More predominantly I have further unearthed just how damaging the textile industry is to the environment. Aside from waste and CO2 emissions, I found the main issue is water pollution. It is estimated that 17 to 20% of industrial water pollution comes from the textile industry. 72 toxic chemicals contaminate our water, 30 of which can not be removed. This water is causing many environmental problems. Fast fashion appears at prices that make the purchase tempting and the disposal painless. Yet fast fashion leaves a pollution footprint, with each step of the clothing life cycle generating potential environmental and occupational hazards.
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As an ocean enthusiast living in Devon I became very aware of plastic pollution. Being in the ocean a lot I was exposed to just how bad plastic marine litter is, no beach I visited was free from plastic debris. When visiting beaches in Thailand and Sri Lanka it was evident just how bad the plastic pollution problem is worldwide too. I delved further. I found there are 46000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre of the world’s oceans, killing a million seabirds and 100000 marine mammals each year. I found that it takes plastic bottles over 400 years to completely degrade. Over 300 million tons of new plastic is used every year. Half of this is used only once for less than 12 minutes. 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year. As this plastic waste is carried along by ocean currents, it breaks up into tiny pieces mimicking plankton to marine life. In some places these ‘mermaid tears’ outnumber plankton by a ratio of 26:1.
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It was prominent to me that that plastic is a design failure. I felt passionate about creating awareness around the importance of recycling plastic and I wanted to turn the threat in threads. Deep down I was still that college girl that was all about using fabrics that helped the environment. I now had the knowledge to make it happen. I wanted to highlight the importance of recycling plastic in the hope that it will stop entering our landfills and oceans, to use recycled fabrics that didn’t harm the environment in the process, to create a product that resists deterioration and offers longevity. Principally I wanted to add momentum to the consumer mindset of reducing, reusing and recycling. 
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I put my experience to the test researching into recycled fabric suppliers, attending textile fairs and talking to industry contacts. It was an immense amount of work! I found there are a handful of brands out there with the same ethos, so I could see my idea was within the bounds of possibility and I got the ball rolling. Keen on surfing, yoga and fitness it was natural to channel my creative energy into activewear. With plenty of will I seeked out the best recycled polyester fabric supplier in Italy. They turn a problem into a solution by converting plastic bottles into a high performance fabric. Threat into threads. They adhere to high standards of sustainability in water use and greenhouse gas emissions and have a proven track record in reducing their environmental impact. They really are at the forefront of the recycling world. Their attention to sustainability is a long term commitment demonstrated by the voluntary publication of a Sustainability Report every year, They fulfil the strictest security criteria and limit their environmental impact.
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It was very important the leggings were cut and sewn in fair working environments, I had experienced factories in the Far East where workers were exhausted trying to keep up with the demand of the fast fashion world. I wanted the leggings to be made in England so I explored the options. I got in contact with an old acquaintance who heads up a sewing house in England. They made some great samples and the rest is history! Recycled plastic fabric from Italy that is printed, cut and sewn in England. Stoked! 
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Enter Olas. Meaning ‘waves’ in Spanish. A brand all about the most wonderful things, the ocean and nature. I wanted the spirit of Olas to be illustrated. Leggings provide an awesome creative canvas and it was at this stage I invited the talented artist Callie Preston from Devon to come on board and hand paint some lovely artwork. I wanted to work with Callie as her beachy vibe is perfect for Olas. I had seen some of her previous collections and was dazed by her work. You can see more of Callie’s creations here. Rad! In the meantime I was busy designing the Olas logo, swing tags, website, lookbook, etc. 
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So there you have it, a melting pot of eco friendly creativity. The Olas recycled plastic legging show it is possible to create slow fashion that stands the test of time, is kind to the environment in the process and helps the ocean from plastic pollution. And you can pretty much wear them to do anything. Win!
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Olas is intent on seeking solutions for less harmful ways to make products. It would be great to have your support on this journey for change. With some incitement I am sure we can push the boundaries and offer a broader range of slow, eco-friendly and durable products.

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♥ Go with the wave, trust your intuition and do what makes your heart sing! 
x Claire x