PAPER is one of the most sought after brands known for its sustainable swimwear and their inspiring mantra: ‘Look Good, Do Good, Feel Good.’
It all began six years ago on a secluded beach in Mexico that Kelly Townsend, the creative director of PAPER, visited 10 years earlier. Having fond memories of white sand and the glistening blue ocean, Townsend got a rude awakening after witnessing a new reality: drab, littered with trash and locals worried sick about the poor environmental conditions.
In an interview with Glamour Magazine, Kelly explained, “The turquoise waters of the past have been replaced by a thick red seaweed due to the rise in sea temperature. It’s hard to fully grasp the magnitude of some of the ongoing issues or how bad they really are when we live in big cities, but whilst we were there we vowed to try and change PAPER’s overall footprint to become more sustainable.”
Since then, PAPER has dedicated itself to being eco-conscious and strives to implement new ranges that avoid harming the environment. PAPER takes a holistic approach to their brand and this is demonstrated with the materials they use as well as projects they support.
Their unique and innovative ECONYL swimwear range is made out of 100% regenerated nylon fibre made from recycled fishing nets and other waste products found floating in the ocean. Removing toxic debris from the oceans helps save millions of marine animals which are frequently victims of entanglement with fishing nets. Fishing nets take 600 years to decompose, so incorporating these materials into their swimwear takes something that is harmful and turns it into something functional.
For their signature Rainbow Swim collection every piece that is sold leads to five trees being planted, and this is made possible by teaming up with the environmental charity One Tree Planted. But this isn’t the only environmental project they participate in. With every Coconut swimsuit that’s sold, 25 percent of all profits go to Project Biodiversity, a charity which is dedicated to the protection and conservation of sea turtles and other vulnerable wildlife on the island of Sal, Cape Verde.
PAPER doesn’t just stop at swimwear; they have an entire clothing range that echoes the same ethos. These products use linen and deadstock fabrics, with both materials following the brand’s sustainable approach. They even go the extra mile by stating that one of their future aims is to transform all their packaging to compostable plastic poly bags. This will result in the bags decomposing within six months, rather than the 1000 years usually required by a conventional poly bag.
As PAPER founder Philippa Thackeray powerfully stated in an interview with Elle Magazine, “Nothing is more pertinent that the quote from Robert Swan “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
Down below are some of the best from PAPER’s current offerings.
All images in this article are courtesy of PAPER.
