All it takes

The workshop has taken a few knocks over the last 12 months and you know what, we’re still here and we couldn’t be more proud of everyone in it and they’re ability to find the opportunities. Rebecca, Gregor, Davo, TK, Jackson, Debs, Sara, TP and all those in the wings showing their support – you guys rock and we’ve got probably one of our most exciting times ahead. When we’re unsure, let’s remember to take those little steps forward, that’s all it takes. Our mates over at Betty Wants In, in Melbourne have shown us what’s on the other side of those little steps – enjoy the video.

Experience Freedom from Betty Wants In on Vimeo.

We’ve got a shop…

for only one day.

This Saturday, we’re going to be running our first ever shop and for one day only. Why? Because we’ve got products that have accumulated over the years, not much, but enough to open up a shop and have product shifting from prices as low as 5 pounds (this is nuts)!

The product ranges anywhere from our beautiful insulation, through to merino and t-shirts, people are getting excited, the whole team will be there and we’re hoping people can make it, even travel from a far.

Where? Polzeath, North Cornwall, inTHE TUBE STATION

When? Saturday, 11 of February, from: 10AM – 5PM

Bring mates, bring dogs, bring the family. There will be food, drink and Finisterre product at ridiculous prices – show up and grab yourself a bargain.

Spinning

Doesn’t matter where you live, what you do, we reckon this’ll get the wheels spinning. Beautiful work Project Yosemite, music: M83, track: outro – we loved it, the workshop is spinning, the fleeces are fresh in, flying out and getting people outside – stoked!

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

copping out?

Often shot from the water, tow teams on the shoulder and the boys waiting in between sets, Shipsterns has opened the eyes of many. A solid North Coast winter swell can spike the emotions of most, you get anxious, you stare at it, you see a few guy take some sets on the head and for a second, you think about copping out and then your mate has you recall the video below and the rest just seems like child’s play and suits go on.

Hats off to the chargers, to the guys who keep you in the water.

shipsterns from Dave otto on Vimeo.

Why China?

We’ve always shot straight and tried to give you guys a good look into how things work here at Finisterre and if there are any questions – we’ll answer them. A couple weeks back a customer of ours asked a question we thought others may be asking and so a good straight answer we gave. Rad question James, wicked shout Debbie!

J’s question:

Love your stuff – BUT was surprised when the latest purchase, Sastruga, shows as made in China! Previously, items made in Portugal – sustainable; low air/carbon miles? How come China ? I fully agree that the East is rising as we set in the West. Sri Lanka seems to be next on the trail. Balancing cost with ethics with delivery is no short conversation but any guiding thoughts appreciated. Keep up the good work. J,

Our response:

We’ve been manufacturing all of our products in the UK and Portugal since moving out of China five years ago, we’ve worked with some incredibly supportive and creative suppliers on the way, who have helped us to improve on the quality of our product year on year. During this time we’ve also built up a key relationship with Teijin, Japan – premium suppliers of recycled and recyclable closed loop polyester, which we use for our insulation styles, including your Sastruga.

Producing jackets in Portugal often means arranging shipment of fabric from Japan six months in advance of receiving the jackets into the workshop, also the YKK zips and Primaloft Eco filling used in the jackets are also manufactured in China. Whilst we always push to source alternatives closer to home, at present the technology and market for these quality trims is still to be found in the East. So from a localisation perspective our mission 2010/11 was to shrink the supply chain and bring fabric and component sourcing closer to production and to limit the time at sea and our overall carbon footprint of everything being shipped separately to Europe.

Working with similar small brands based in the UK who produce limited runs from China, we carefully researched and selected a premium Okotex accredited factory in China to produce our jackets and we worked closely with them to develop and attain the highest standards of production. We do not believe in accreditations for their own sake and we’ve found it’s not always black and white when it comes to sourcing, and that factories cannot be taken at face value. Some of the best and the worst factories we’ve found are in fact on our door step and equally some of the most technologically advanced and ethical factories are in China, and now that they are increasingly servicing their own internal market, it is a misconception that they represent the cheap needle they used to be.

2011 was quite a year for Finisterre and for every leap forwards we made, we’ve also highlighted areas we were already leading in and lacking in others. We have learnt more in the last year than in any other time I can think of and it has renewed our passion and commitment to what we believe in and to the people who believe in us. The long and short of it is we’ve decided to return all of our manufacturing closer to home, and you’ll find from February ’12 that 100% of our production is made in the UK and Portugal. We have come to this decision, not because of standards in China or because of price, but because we feel we have greater control and can affect change more within our supply chain through knowing our suppliers intimately, meeting regularly and growing together in terms of knowledge, experience and education. We are committed to the journey and know that there is still more to learn, so please keep the comments coming and I hope I’ve been able to answer your questions. Thanks James, I hope the sastruga is keeping you snug!

Hello Portugal – to view David Gray’s picture story – click here

Debbie

he’s kind of good

We met Tom Wegener a couple years back, we shook hands, he talked us through the boards, his shaping process, the craftsmanship. When we parted ways and said good bye, it kind of felt like we were going through some native american trade ritual, where we both came bearing gifts. Us with one of our jackets and him with one of his Alaia boards.

We were camping over the weekend in a very quiet little place on the south coast, no one around and about 5 different wave riding tools, this video reminded us of Tom, us meeting, his boards and how ridiculously good this guy is.

Alaia & Machado from 360 To Nowhere on Vimeo.

Long-Lasting Socks & Relationships

Over the festive season you may have been bought the gift of warm and happy toes, courtesy of our Last-long socks. Back in 2009, we set out to make the most durable and cosy socks, so we thought it a good idea to speak to some people who knew a thing or two about the sock trade. The factory we selected to make our wool socks is based in the sock heartland of the UK – Nottingham, where the factory have been making socks for gentlemen’s leisure and the military since the 1850′s. The company was started by Sarah Bamkin, but was registered under her husband’s name, as back then it was illegal for a woman to own a business. Today the managing director is the great grandson of the ambitious founding female and the two directors are his grandchildren.
The relationship we have with Bamkins is special to us, not least because they’re a family run UK company, but as a result of the skills passed down from generation to generation, combined with our passion for wool, we’ve been able to realise and improve on our idea to craft the warmest and most durable socks. For me the motivation to make a Finisterre product is about enjoying and solving simple problems, whether it be the problem of holey socks, the post-surf change, or the cold and wet weather. But the design problem is only part of the process, as we grow as a brand and as individuals, as we tinker with convention and set out to resolve problems, it’s the relationships with our suppliers and learning from them, that allows the idea to take shape beyond the design bench.
PS: In case we are low on stock on your socks, they went so well at Christmas we’ve got more arriving from the end of the month….remember a sock is not just for Christmas!

…the big trees were kings

When we started Finisterre, we did it to make cold water surf spots more accessible and to do that with product that was beautifully crafted and had the environment at its heart. As we’ve grown, so has our reach and although the growth is exciting, it can be a difficult thing to wield.

However exciting going forward can be, we must always stay true to where it is that we came from. When we came across James’ video, we fell in love with it. The man is very talented, he’ll be wearing our product soon and as you listen carefully to the videos narrator, he talks about “travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings’. 2012 for us, is all about looking back, finding our big trees and moving them forward.

Beautifully shot James and stoked to have you on board.

We Were Wanderers On A Prehistoric Earth from James W Griffiths on Vimeo.

We’re idiots

Why’s the Pruga so warm?

Compared to our SDS system, used in our Etobicoke and Sastruga – our Pruga utilises a technology never used before, a new and exclusive insulation innovation driving weight and warmth to the forefront.

Why’s the Pruga so warm? The Pruga’s secret, lies in its construction, it incorporates our double decker sandwich philosophy. If you think of a double decker sandwich – bread, filling, bread, filling, bread – we’ve taken this household bread sandwich making technique and applied to our insulation. So instead of bread, you have a windshell and instead of filling, you have primaloft eco insulation.

- The two layer insulation system reduces airflow and traps more warm air closer to the body.

- It provides more protection from the outside elements, is less reliant on loft and so is less bulky and more durable over time.

In short, the Pruga will keep you crazy warm, will last a long time and is made from planet friendly fabrics. It also happens to be ridiculously good looking.

Do you have a product your proud of? If you do, go onto the site, find the product, write the review and tell us, tell someone!

what are you proud of?

What’s the winter jacket your most proud of Debbie?

The Sastruga represents for me a journey from throw-away fashion to a simple and chic solution against the cold. I am proud to be seen walking along the coastal path on a blustery, frosty day snuggled up in my winter white Sastruga. When friends come down to Cornwall to visit, they come in their cut-off cotton swing jackets, that let in the cold, and I’m obliged to lend them a lightweight life preserver before they freeze. Equally for me the Sastruga MkII represents the evolution of an idea and a realisation of the improvements made because of your comments, and only made possible because of the commitment of every individual in our supply chain.

Do you have a product your proud of? If you do, go onto the site, find the product, write the review and tell us, tell someone!