11 FOR 11: Kelly Slater Reflects on 11 Years of Outerknown

*“Outerknown was really born out of an idea to expand creatively with clothing. I had a lot of ideas that maybe couldn't be implemented in the situations I was in before, and wanted to be free to do those, even though starting clothing line is not the easiest thing in the world”* – Kelly Slater What started as Kelly Slater’s desire to expand creatively with clothing became something bigger: a challenge to rethink not only the products we make, but how they’re made. From the beginning, Outerknown set out to smash the formula and build with the highest regard for People and Planet. To protect natural resources, empower the people crafting our clothes, and prove that a clothing company could hold itself to a higher standard. 11 years later, Kelly sits down with longtime friend and filmmaker Taylor Steele to reflect on the journey, the lessons we learned, and why we’re still committed to smashing the formula. True greatness isn't built on a single accomplishment. It's built through a collection of defining moments. In the spirit of ‘smashing the formula,’ we’re celebrating 11 years of Outerknown—through 11 defining moments—because 11 is a pretty important number for us… 11 Defining Moments: Outerknown was created to smash the formula of how clothes are made. We were Fair Labor Association (FLA) accredited before we even sold a stitch of clothing. We committed to operating at or beyond 99% preferred fibers such as organic cotton, ROC® Cotton, and recycled cotton, wool