The Underswell 2022 Year in Review
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the New Year, Underswell Crew!
2022 was filled with many exciting challenges and wins for us, and we hit a few major milestones. As we close out the year and welcome a new one, we want to take some time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going (hope you’re taking a few minutes to do the same ��).
No matter what we’ve been through or what we’ve accomplished, we couldn’t have done it without you guys, our Crew members. While we’re passionate about sustainability, this journey wouldn’t be the same without all of you, so thank you. Sincerely.
In addition, we have a few new things coming in 2023 that we can’t wait to share with everyone. Take a deep breath, buckle up, and get ready - we’re making the most of 2023!
Let’s quit the chatter and get into the wrap-up…
2022 in Review
In 2022, we had a ton of fun working on all of our projects and getting to know all of our students. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we felt the weight that brands, suppliers, retailers, employees, and consumers were feeling. Chaos had wreaked havoc on the world for nearly 2 years and 2022 was the first year where it felt like the dust was finally starting to settle.
Understanding the position everyone was in, we used this time to reassure everyone (and ourselves) that the way of the future is sustainability; environmental and social. While COVID-19 caused a lot of damage, fear, and heartbreak, it also made our world much smaller and demonstrated we’re all a lot closer than it might feel.
So, what were some of our favorite experiences from this year?
Brands We’ve Worked With
One of the best opportunities we’ve had is working with brands and new students that have helped shaped our understanding of the current challenges facing the apparel industry.
The teams at Boardriders, UAG, Composed, New Balance, and Blue Tomato all put tremendous energy into working on their sustainability knowledge and committing to ingraining sustainability into their respective companies. Nice work students!
We couldn’t be more proud of our students and we hope everyone continues on their sustainability journey. No matter where you go or what new job you may take, we encourage you to keep sustainability top of mind and continue to be part of the movement!
Projects We Loved
We love talking about sustainability - that’s a given!but we used some time in 2022 to hit the road and talk to others about why sustainability is vital to any business and why we love it as much as we do.
In April, Derek moderated a Panel at a SIMA event in San Clemente, CA. There he and the panel talked about the plastics problem, the apparel industry’s outdated packaging methods, and what the future of sustainable packaging looks like. A New Earth Project joined the conversation and shared some of the work they’re doing to create a solution for brands great and small.
A few months later, Derek headed to Surf Expo in September where he held a special session on Sustainability 101. This was a great opportunity for us to mingle with people and see what’s happening in the surf and water sports industries. We’re looking forward to heading to Surf Expo again in January - hope to see you there!
Besides doing these speaking engagements, we dedicated time to work with students and faculty at local colleges, trade organizations, and non-profits. Laguna College of Art and Design, SIMA & The Ocean Institute, SIA (Snowsports Industries America), and Orange Coast College, have all worked with us to incorporate sustainability into the schools in one way, shape, or form. We love working with students to help them understand how to incorporate sustainability into their future careers and working with faculty to give them the tools to communicate sustainability to future generations of students.
In 2022, we also opened up our membership platform to the general public. In the past, this platform had been reserved for Underswell students only, but in an effort to make sustainability news, innovations, and must-knows accessible to all, we decided to make it its own product.
We’ve welcomed a few new members along the way and we’re looking forward to having more community
Our Favorite Posts
We put out a lot of content and we know it can be hard to keep up with all the latest, so here are some of our favorite articles and stories from the past 12 months:
Being native Californians, one of the biggest stories that broke this year and that we featured in the membership platform was the California Climate Commitment. This sweeping package of bills has been designed to reduce the state’s impact on climate change, make California more resilient to climate change, and save Californians money. For members, you can find this article by searching #ClimateCommitment in the membership.
Over on our blog, we featured a number of topics this year, but one that holds a special place in our hearts is “Why We Can’t Have Transparency Without Traceability”. In this piece, we talk about the importance of traceability and transparency in depth in our course, but we took some time to condense the topic into a blog post. This is a must-read if you’re new to the sustainable apparel space or if your brand is just starting on its sustainability journey.
If you’re not a fan of reading, head over to our YouTube channel! One of our favorite videos is “How to Stay Optimistic When Sustainability Feels Overwhelming”. Let’s be real - working in sustainability can be draining at times, so how can we stay positive when it all feels like too much? Derek has a few ideas and we bet you have some too. Leave us some of your tips and advice in the comments section!
Favorite Brand Stories & Products
While there’s still a lot of work to be done in the apparel, footwear, and accessories industries, there were a few success stories we’re stoked to share.
The hardworking team at Boardriders released their first ESG/CSR Report this year and we’re so glad they took this important step in documenting accomplishments, progress, and future goals. We’re looking forward to next year’s report!
Patagonia made huge waves by “giving away” the company to fight climate change. The new business structure allows for almost all profits made by Patagonia sales to be allocated to the nonprofit Holdfast Collective. This revolutionary step has many wondering what the future of environmentalism and capitalism looks like, but one thing is certainPatagonia wil North Star.
Limiting the impacts of our footwear products can be quite the challenge, but the folks at Unless Collective and Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) were up to the task. They released “The Degenerate,” the first shoe made from 100% natural inputs. Designed with durability in mind, this shoe is built to last, but when the customer is eventually ready to get rid of the shoes Unless Collective has them covered. With a great takeback program, The Degenerate will get broken down to create new soil products. We’re tempted to pick up a pair - anyone else?!
Although not related to the textile industry, one of our favorite sustainable products this year was the Always Pan from Our Place. Made without PFAS, PTFES, lead, and other toxic metals, this is a great replacement for conventional nonstick pans. Derek’s wife can vouch for it; he got her a pan just-because, and she loves it! If you have someone in your life who’s an avid cook, pick one up for them before their sale ends!
And while it’s been some time since our first meetings/discussions with them to help kick things off, we’re really stoked on the progress that Roark is making with their commitment to Fair Trade products, more sustainable materials, and supply chain improvements. Haven’t checked things out lately? Head over to roark.com/pages/sustainability.
Eyes on 2023
As we enter the new year, we have a few goals we’re planning on accomplishing, but our driving force remains the same - help, guide, and train as many people as we can!
Over the course of 2023, we will be releasing new, individual courses for purchase that are an extension of our original full course. These new courses are designed for anyone at any stage of their career in the apparel and footwear industry. We’ll be featuring a wide range of topics from new reports to more must-knows and so much more. We can’t wait to have you back in the classroom!
For our members, we’re working on a new feature that’s going to make the platform more interactive and exciting. Beyond watching videos and reading articles, we’re going to be incorporating new tools that make it easier to engage with other members and keep track of your sustainability progress. Keep an eye out - we’ll be releasing more information on this through our newsletter.
Got a tight budget for 2023? No worries! Be sure to check in on our blog and YouTube channel. Throughout the year, we’re going to be releasing free content to help teach people about current events in the sustainable apparel space and must-knows that can help benefit your personal and work lives. Don’t forget to connect with us in person! Derek is going to be at Surf Expo in Orlando, FL from January 4th-6th. Join him for a discussion about how you can apply sustainability to your role - no matter what your title is or how big your business is, we can all participate in creating a more sustainable future. You can also catch us at Outdoor Retailer on January 10th-12th in Salt Lake City, UT. Derek and some of the crew from A New Earth Project will be holding a panel to discuss why the apparel industry needs to transition from plastic packaging to new, innovative solutions. Hope to see you there!
A Big Thank You
Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or you just connected with us, thank you so much for being a part of the Crew. While we love working in the sustainability space, it makes it so much better knowing that we have a great group of peers who are just as passionate as we are.
We’re looking forward to working with you all in the future and don’t forget to bring your family, friends, and colleagues to the party! If you know someone who wants to make sustainability part of their everyday life, send them our way.
As always, if you have any questions or are looking to connect, you can send us a note at moreinfo@theunderswell.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram.
We hope you all have a wonderful New Year and we’ll see you soon!
Derek & McKenzie