Kelly Slater (properly) announces new brand: Outerknown

Kelly Slater has just unveiled his new brand, Outerknown. Since teaching us that diamonds aren’t forever by parting ways with 23-year sponsor Quiksilver back on April 1, Kelly has been working away in the background towards this launch. What an age we live in when an announcement this big is made on a photo-sharing social media platform: It’s been a long time coming and I’m proud to let you know that the clothing brand I’ve been working on has launched our ‘Handshake Website’ at Outerknown.com this morning. Our team, lead by designer John Moore and supported by our strategic partner, The Kering Group, are tirelessly working on a brand that blends the relationship between style, sustainability, and travel. I believe we have an obligation to build better products and understand the way our consumption impacts the world around us. In saying that, the focus of our brand is to make a product that has a positive effect on every possible level. I look forward to telling you more as the brand develops and beginning today you can follow our daily feed at @Outerknown to learn more. #Outerknown #BeLikeWater #LaunchingFall2015 Kelly’s business partner, John Moore. As we’ve already reported, Kelly’s partner on Outerknown, John Moore, is the Californian designer he worked with on VSTR. John is a real clever cat: he’s California-cool, understands the tricky surf market and creates great product with the right marketing behind it. The VSTR program was dropped after a little confusion and the reasoning by Quiksilver was simple: why would they pay Kelly Slater to ride for Quiksilver when he’s trying to represent another brand on the side? Rumours are the new line isn’t dissimilar to VSTR but obviously with more sustainability focus. From a marketing standpoint, there were two obvious directions Kelly could have taken this brand; full-blown performance, or the very zeitgeist-y sustainable angle. The latter won. The very-2014 Outerknown portal features some abstract black and white photos, one of which portraits Kelly, and minimal text other than this: The name Outerknown references the furthest reaches of our knowledge today. As designers, it challenges us to build better, more sustainable products. As producers, it asks us to lift the lid on our supply chain bringing the consumer along on our journey to transparency.As storytellers, it enables perpetual evolution of our brand vision. As athletes and performers, it pushes us to formerly impossible levels. And as global citizens, it offers the opportunity to observe this multi-cultural world we live in and bring together seemingly unconnected people and ideas for the purpose of discovering the next Outerknown. You can check out the Outerknown Instagram and get more of a feel for the brand aesthetic, here. Expect to see product on shelves in the American fall next year.