It’s World Oceans Day on the 8th June 2019 and Love the Oceans are collaborating again with sustainable swimwear brand Deakin and Blue to help reduce, remove and recycle waste from our oceans. More than this, we’re working together to promote sustainable fashion and body positivity, encouraging more women to get into the water.
We’re running a joint campaign throughout June starting today – World Oceans Day. For every Deakin and Blue swimsuit or bikini sold, Love the Oceans will be removing 2kg of rubbish from the ocean and beaches.
Why have Love The Oceans and Deakin and Blue chosen to work together?
There are a multitude of things that link these two organisations. Both are founded by young women. Both are trying to break gender stereotypes. Both are working to get more women in the water. Both are passionate about sustainability. Empowered women empower women.
A couple of years ago Francesca (our Founder) and Andrea (our Director) met Rosie (Deakin and Blue Founder) at a show, and immediately hit it off. Shortly after we began working together. Deakin and Blue have a great sustainable ethos, coupled with a focus on getting more women in the water and feeling confident, so it was an irresistible partnership for Love The Oceans.
So… who is Deakin and Blue?
Deakin and Blue is a transformational women’s swimwear brand. Their sleek, sculpting and sustainable swimwear is designed to help women feel incredible in a swimsuit, whatever their shape or size.
Rosie founded the business back in 2017 after struggling to find a swimsuit for her weekly swim and after learning that 500,000 women in England had given up swimming and 1 in 2 mums had stopped taking their children to learn to swim, because of body image concerns.
Rosie and her team are on a mission to change that with swimwear designed by women for women and manufactured responsibly from ocean waste in London.
So how are they different?
For women by women: Deakin and Blue put women at the heart of their swimwear design. Every piece is designed by founder Rosie, and every swimsuit and bikini is shoppable by bust size. They think extensively about fabric choice (highly sculpting), colour palette (flattering on every skin tone) and product cut and fit. So whether you’re an athletic or a more curvy size 12, they’ll have the piece for you.
Sustainable: All Deakin and Blue swimwear is made from a regenerated yarn called ECONYL® which is made from post-consumer waste such as old fishing nets and industrial plastic scraps. So instead of using virgin nylon and contributing yet more to landfill, the team help turn trash into treasure and re-use and re-purpose waste nylon. Great for the planet but it also makes their swimwear super-durable, colour-fast and super-resistant to chlorine, salt water & UV rays. Win win.
Made in London: Every Deakin and Blue swimsuit and bikini is made responsibly in their small production studio in London where they know every seamstress by name. So if you’ve ever wondered “#WhoMadeMyClothes”, Deakin and Blue can tell you.
A body-positive brand: Deakin and Blue is passionate about celebrating brilliant healthy bodies at every shape and size and debunking the mad myth that bodies have to look a certain shape, size or colour to be beach ready. They never retouch their images (no teeth whitening, no cellulite removal, no reshaping entire body parts or adding in abs or muscle tone) and they photograph every product on three different models with different shapes and sizes to help you see what a product might look like on your body. For some real feel-good body positive motivation, make sure you follow them on Instagram (@deakinandblue).
Feeling motivated? What more you can do to help protect the oceans…
Cutting down on every day waste is a really easy way to start. Say no to the straw, take your own bag to the super market and choose the loose fruit that isn’t covered in plastic. Cutting out single use plastic, as much as you can, is one of the easiest and most effective ways of immediately reducing your waste footprint and environmentally conscious shopping is essential to changing the tide on plastics.
Here are some little life hacks that can also help and might save you money along the way:
- Swap to a re-usable water bottle and save money on bottled water as you can fill up at coffee shops for free.
- Cut out plastic milk cartons and go back to your milkman! Find your local milkman and put your order in today!
- Treat yourself to a re-usable coffee cup. There are heaps of jazzy cost-effective options online. Coffee shops will happily pop your latte in your own cup.
- Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush. They’re cheap and they last longer than plastic brushes! They’re just as good for your teeth too.
- Take part in a #2MinuteBeachClean the next time you are at the beach. Spending just two minutes picking up loose rubbish can help reduce the amount of waste that finds its way to our oceans and which might go on to harm our marine life.
Alternatively, why not buy a swimsuit or bikini from Deakin and Blue in June and your purchase will help us to remove an additional 2kg of rubbish from the ocean. So you can treat yourself, knowing you’re doing your bit for the planet, too!
