Imagine a world where every surfer gets to enjoy their sessions in a healthy ocean with crystal-clear waves. Wouldn’t that be absolute bliss?

“The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, and is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution worldwide.” – Business Insider

 Your fashion choices have an impact, whether positive or negative, on the planet and its precious ocean.

Up until now, the fashion industry has significantly contributed to the deterioration of the planet’s health. Although, more awareness of the industry’s harmful environmental and social impact has brought a recent shift towards transparency and accountability from global brands, highlighting the importance of the slow fashion movement. 

Example of fashion mass production known as "fast fashion"

What Does Slow Fashion Mean?

Slow fashion focuses on creating quality garments, encouraging slower and more transparent production methods, with sustainability and ethics at its core. It moves away from getting garments quickly to market, while also limiting production numbers to avoid waste. It draws on the skills of
local artisans to create high-quality, seasonless garments that are made to be worn again and again.

The movement aligns a brand’s practices to consumer purchasing habits, encouraging intentional consumption rather than mindless buying. It inspires consumers to invest, both financially and emotionally, in a garment that they can wear in many different ways, for many years to come.

Slow fashion is everything that fast fashion is not.

Ninefoot Studio was founded as part of the growing slow fashion movement, with a focus on creating beautiful women’s surfwear with planet and people in mind. After witnessing the exploitation within the fast fashion industry with her own eyes, founder Lucia was driven to create a brand based on respect; respect for the environment and for those within the supply chain.

Slow fashion diagram

Eco-Friendly Swimwear Fabric

Ninefoot’s sustainability journey starts from a closed loop system where waste is transformed into ECONYL® regenerated nylon. Waste like fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring, and industrial plastic is rescued to be made into a durable nylon fabric. It’s as good as new nylon and can be infinitely recycled without having to use any new resources.

How Econyl became fashion's favorite eco-friendly material
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What Makes ECONYL® So Great?

Waste that would otherwise be polluting the planet and oceans, is rescued to be sorted and cleaned to recover all existing nylon. Through a radical regeneration and purification process, the nylon waste is recycled right back to its original purity. Its then processed into yarns and polymers to be used as a sustainable fabric. The goal is to reintroduce all products containing ECONYL ® back into the regeneration system once they’re no longer useful to customers.

Econyl yarns made from recycled materials

Econyl give back to the planet
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Intentional Surfwear Design  

At the center of the slow fashion methodology is the design process. Here garments are intentionally designed and rigorously tested with the end user in mind. They’re created with quality and purpose at their core, meticulously perfected to ensure they endure long after the latest fashion trend.

Head designer and avid surfer, Lucia, draws from her 10+ years of pattern making and designing experience, as well as her time in the water, to craft pieces made to withstand the ocean environment. From her small studio in Bali, she’s led by her passion to create sustainable ECONYL® swimwear that’s both functional and beautiful, ensuring every element lengthens the life of the garment.

Before a Ninefoot piece is produced, it goes through an intense testing process. Generally, six prototypes are created and tested in all types of surf conditions to guarantee functionality. They’re also fitted on 6-7 different body types to encourage fit versatility to suit all shapes and sizes.

“The collection has a continuous evolution, based on the organic needs of my customers. I don’t follow trends, and I don’t follow seasons.” – Lucia, Ninefoot Studio Founder/Head Designer

Sustainable surf swimwear Ninefoot
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Ethical & Sustainable Production  

The slow fashion movement has highlighted the destructive and unethical nature of the supply chains within the fast fashion industry. Factory workers are exploited so cheap clothes can be sold in the west, and overproduction is having enormous environmental impacts with most clothes ending up in landfill.

Overall, one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second – Ellen McArthr Foundation

Ninefoot Studio is all about transparency within its supply chain. All Ninefoot pieces are produced in Bali by local family run businesses, reducing the carbon footprint related to shipping, while supporting the livelihoods of local Balinese.

Though, creating ethical and sustainable garments comes with its challenges. Producing smaller batches, to reduce overproduction and unnecessary waste, costs more. It also presents timing challenges when businesses close their doors for local religious holidays. It’s taken years for Lucia to build relationships with local businesses and fine tune the production process, making sure all pieces are made to high standards.  

Sustainable surf swimwear Ninefoot
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At the end

A perfect blend of premium eco-friendly fabrics, thoughtful design and local production has led Ninefoot to create a sustainable women’s surfwear collection that’s made to last. Ninefoot works hard to make each step of the process as ethical and sustainable as possible, while always innovating, to bring functional and gorgeous ECONYL® swimwear to women surfers around the globe.

Your fashion choices have a direct impact on both people and planet. By feeling the slow fashion movement, you’re contributing to healthier oceans, cleaner waves, and more soulful surf sessions.

Econyl phylosophy

[SHOP ECONYL® SWIMWEAR]

Whether you’re longboarding in the Gold Coast or on a longboard in Hawaii, Ninefoot has a sustainable option for every woman. Check out Ninefoot’s range of sustainable swimwear, including high waisted bikini bottoms and long-sleeve crop tops for longboarders.


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Share this post with your friends and family to show how the surfing community can use slow fashion to help heal the planet’s oceans.

What effects your fashion choices? Do you impulse buy, or do you make more mindful purchases?  

Sustainable surf swimwear Ninefoot
Click on the picture to learn more

Sustainable surf swimwear Ninefoot
Click on the picture to learn more