When you think of surfers the words cool, rebellious, and non-conformist may spring to mind.
Challenging themselves to be the best they can be every day, surfers separate themselves from the pack.
BusinessLive visited surf brand and outdoor clothing company Finisterre at its base on the rugged northern coast of Cornwall.
Perched on cliffs overlooking Trevaunance Cove sits the remains of Wheal Kitty mine, which is now home to the B Corp fashion company and its neighbour Surfers Against Sewage.
Like this story? Why not sign up to get the latest South West business news straight to your inbox.
Such as its inspiration and clientele Finisterre has continued to raise the bar and take on some of the most challenging waves the fashion industry has.
Since its launch in 2003 the Cornwall brand has committed to a deep belief: to make truly exceptional products in a more responsible and transparent way.
Founder Tom Kay told BusinessLive : “In regards to what we do in business has always been about making the best product you possibly can while mitigating impact.”
For 20 years that is what the brand has done and while it has been “really hard work”, Mr Kay said “but you’ve really got to commit to that”.
“It’s not always commercial but it’s the right thing to do and hopefully as an example of how we should be operating business.”
There are around 150 people working at Finisterre across Wheal Kitty and its 10 shops, soon to be 11 when it opens doors in Norfolk.
“It’s key to grow and the more we grow hopefully the more we can effect change,” said the founder.
'Brands doing things with real integrity and meaning rather than those doing it for marketing gain'
He told us that he does not plan on opening a lot of stores but revealed in November this year the brand will start work on launching an overseas offering in Northern California.
Finisterre has made a name for itself as an environmentally conscious company. The brand has made huge strides in wetsuits over the past five years and this summer partnered with the North East fashion rental company Hirestreet.
Some 8,380 wetsuits are discarded globally each year, bound for landfills or incinerators.
The B Corp company recognises wetsuits as one of the least circular products on the market with traditional neoprene coming from fossil fuels.
Mr Kay explained: “The way it is made into what is known and chloroprene is very harmful to both the environment and also human health.”
For over five years Finisterre has instead worked with a product called Yulex, which is a naturally occurring, natural source of foam. Yulex comes from trees as a natural by-rubber material.
The founder continued: “So that’s part of the circular business model. And then we started thinking about how you can design for repair; so with our wetsuits they are all being made with strong stitching and manufacturing techniques that promote durability as well as reparability.”
Mr Kay told BusinessLive how most wetsuits are made with liquid seals on the seams which crack over time, making you exposed to the elements and are not repairable.
With no end of life solution, Finisterre hired a full time wetsuit recycler and now the brand has created a recycled wetsuit in collaboration with the University of Exeter.
Neoprene is a difficult substance to make as it is formed with heat and pressure. It is equally tricky to break down so Finisterre had to find a way to chemically re-engineer wetsuits. Now they have a prototype they can look at functionality.
Last summer Finisterre collected 1,000 wetsuits in its stores to be recycled. Partnering with the Bulgarian company Circular Flow these wetsuits will be used in research on how to remake old wetsuits into foam.
“If we are seen as a bit of an example as to how business can be done, we’re changing the industry then that’s a good thing. The more people doing things the better. Brands doing things with real integrity and meaning rather than those doing it for marketing gain or marketing share, social post and whatever it is,” said the Finisterre founder.
While all of this innovation and development is a positive thing, the B Corp brand is aware that sustainable clothing is still at a higher price point and from a business standpoint they want to make it accessible.
A typical wetsuit can be priced between £100 to £200 whereas Finisterre comes in at £300. Mr Kay has been told by surfers that they want to shop more consciously but cannot afford to.
By partnering with Hirestreet, Finisterre’s Yulex wetsuits can be rented for as little as £5 a day.
Using Hirestreet’s white label Zoa platform to rent out suits, charging a daily rental fee of 2.5% of the total recommended retail price of the wetsuit. Delivery of the wetsuit to the customer is free and comes with a prepaid label for returns. Finisterre also offers a money-back guarantee for any item returned unworn, to make the rent-use-return process even simpler.
'It has the same energy now as it had when it was three or four people 20 years ago'
Mr Kay said: “We started it in July and we’ve seen a much bigger uptake than we thought. We’ve seen a really strong demand, which has been exciting. We are now rolling it out for our winter wetsuits.”
Hirestreet founder Isabella West was introduced to Mr Kay through an investor.
“I really liked them, they are quite entrepreneurial, they had a good approach and we liked them. It wasn’t anything more than a shared outlook to the way it could work, and that was really exciting,” he added.
Mr Kay launched the brand with its original fleece, which was windproof, waterproof and wearable.
He said: “I designed it back in 2003 and the idea was you would come out of the sea in the middle of a cold February day, and back then none of the surf brands were responsible or sustainable; making bikinis and board shorts off a £5 basis.
“Whereas here surfing is cold, grey, raining and you need a product which is built to last that’s functional. It was to help me have the surfing life I knew over here. It was very basic, but you still see it around 20 years later, a good testament.”
Looking towards the future, Mr Kay told us: “It has the same energy now as it had when it was three or four people 20 years ago. So I’m so proud of keeping that down to earth driven mindset in the business. Really grateful for the people that have jumped on board and helped and steer the ship. And taking my ideas and making it into the business you see before you.
“So I’m really proud of it and excited for where it could go.”
