2020 Stories of Stoke: Partner Highlight: Seasalt Kids Swimwear
In 2020, Seasalt Kids Swimwear adopted Urban Surf 4 Kids as a brand nonprofit partner contributing 100 custom beach towels and raising funds for US4K surf therapy camps throughout the year. We had a chance to sit down and chat with Seasalt Kids Swimwear Founder Sae Park to discuss the aloha spirit, fashion, sustainability and our mutual love of the environment.
How did you hear about Urban Surf 4 Kids?
We knew that environmental progress went hand in hand with social progress. So when we were reflecting on what our core values would be, we always knew from the start that giving back to our communities would be one of those core values. Our motto eventually became Love, People, Planet. We did a lot of research into different types of nonprofits we could reach out to and during that time we came across a lot of wonderful non-profits. What stood out about Urban Surf however was that you worked with foster kids through mentorship programs. We loved the idea of using surf therapy as we know the amazing healing benefits that can come from creating a connection to our oceans and nature.
Hawaii has such a beautiful culture that is based around respect, preserving the environment, and taking care of one another. In fact, Hawaiian culture and the aloha spirit has a huge influence on US4K programs. What does the aloha spirit mean to you?
I deeply admire the Hawaiian’s connection to their land, people and nature. The aloha spirit is really a way of life that is all about love and harmony, and sharing this with those you come in contact with throughout your day. And the aloha spirit goes hand in hand with aloha aina, love of the land and being good stewards of the land. In a deeper sense it also means everyone working together in harmony for the benefit of those present as well as future generations. I feel the aloha spirit and aloha aina in a sense is the soul of sustainability, why it’s so important.
What inspired you to combine fashion and sustainability?
I think that desire to use my work to help our planet had always been a part of me, even if it was only a faint voice at first. In Interior Design School I enrolled in a sustainable design class and learned about the circular lifecycle of products, and for my final project I designed an eco-resort that used plastic bottles as wall insulation to help find a solution to the issue of plastic pollution. I even got LEED accredited with aspirations of joining a sustainable design firm, but life took me in a different direction, and it was wonderful, and I learned many valuable lessons along the way, but deep down I knew there was something missing.
During my 3rd pregnancy, thanks to a very supportive husband, I was able to take a year off from the business we were running together, and it was during this time that I decided I wanted to launch a children’s swimwear line. It began as a side project with intentions of building fun, creative work from home business that allowed me to focus on my family and that I could also do with my kids. As I learned more about the fashion industry and the environmental and social issues it created, I also learned about all the incredible ways brands and companies were trying to address these problems, and I realized the more I learned the more my own shopping habits and choices were changing. Through this learning I was becoming a more conscious consumer and I came to realize that was the real power of brands. To offer not just beautiful products or the latest styles, but to open up our minds about how our buying habits not just affect us but our communities, our resources, the planet, and ultimately our kids and future generations because they will be the ones to deal with the state of the planet we leave behind for them.
As a parent that was starting a new business selling products to other parents, I felt it was my responsibility to make sure the product I was selling them was not going to make this planet worse for their kids or mine. My kids are a daily reminder that my actions and choices don’t just impact myself anymore and it motivates me to make sure I am building a brand that will continuously find better, more sustainable ways to do business.
How has living by the ocean impacted your mindset and lifestyle?
The ocean has always been a source of healing and rejuvenation. It’s a place I often come to with my family for some quality time, or alone when I need some solitude. When living on the mainland, beach side towns were the first place we would go on family vacations every chance we got. But most of those beaches had not yet been affected by the plastic pollution in our oceans. It wasn’t until we moved to Hawai’i that we saw the problem first hand. So many beaches are littered with microplastics washed onto the shore from the Pacific currents. My oldest is 9 and able to understand that it’s a problem for our environment and sea life. But the youngest two don’t know and it saddens me that they may grow up thinking pollution on our beaches is the norm. So it’s really opened up my eyes even more about our lifestyle choices. We still love getting out the beach as a family to relax and unwind, but there’s also a deeper sense of respect and responsibility I feel now more than ever to do what I can in my own small way to help preserve the beauty of our environment for my kids and their kids.
What is something most people don’t know about sustainability in the fashion industry?
Good question. I don’t want to generalize too much. People today have so much information at their fingertips and are really savvy consumers. So I’ll just mention questions, comments I’ve come across. I think for some they hear recycled fabrics and don’t understand why the cost is more if it’s recycled. Some of that has to do with the technology, but some has to do with supply and demand. As the demand for recycled fabrics or eco-friendly products increase, the cost of producing those, and ultimately the retail costs will come down. Also sustainability isn’t just about the environment. We can use eco-friendly materials but if they are being made in factories that practice unethical labor practices, don’t pay their workers a fair wage so they can ultimately offer cheaper products, that in the end wouldn’t be a very sustainable apparel. Lastly, in the US alone, 17 millions tons of clothing get thrown away. 84% of our clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators. A lot of that is driven by fast fashion and our need to have the latest styles at the cheapest cost which often produce low quality clothes that don’t last.
What advice would you give to our kids that dream about working in the fashion industry?
Fashion is not going anywhere. It creates so much joy and creativity, but can be at a huge cost if not done responsibly. Figure out what area of it you want to do. Apparel design, textile design, pattern making, production, marketing? And then learn everything you can about that field, both the good and the bad so that you can figure out how you can do things better for your generation and the next. It’s a very competitive industry with so many talented people, but as environmental concerns start taking more precedence, the ones who can help find sustainable solutions will be the ones that will make a meaningful impact.
