WHO ARE WE?

OH LA MER is a Sustainable and Timeless swimwear brand which supports the Slow fashion concept and tries to raise awareness and empower people to fight against plastic pollution.

 Why not turn existing trash into Fashion?

The idea came up during the  delivery of a yacht from Hong kong to Dubai.

As soon as we lifted the anchor up for departure in one of Hong Kong bays we  hooked a ghost fishing net.
During the month of crossing we were witnesses of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises, dolphins jumping next to us, and of course, PLASTIC floating in the middle of the immense ocean.

In the course of life at sea, without phone signal or internet connection i had a lot of time to meditate and think about myself, who I am, what i like to do, and what could i do to contribute a little with our planet.

I have always loved drawing, designing, the beach, swimming and anything to do with summer vibes. so the idea came to me: SUSTAINABLE BIKINIS  (Swimwear)

Therefore, i did some research on how to create a low carbon footprint product, yet durable, strong, and beautiful, and i discovered Carvico Vita.

Carvico Vita is an eco-friendly Italian fabric made of two yarns woven together. It’s 78% Econyl, which is made from 100% recycled nylon yarn made of ghost fishing nets and plastic waste, and the remaining 22% is elastane for the ultimate stretch. 

For our  unique custom prints,  Digital printing  was the best option to minimise dye and chemical waste.

All the designs of this first collection are Reversible, I personally find that the idea of having 2 bikinis in one is just wonderful and great for travellers. 

So now that i had the idea, knowledge about materials and resources i flew from Dubai to Bali on a mission to find an ethical manufacturer that matched the values of my brand. And after a few fail attempts i was lucky enough to meet Marisa.
Marisa is a balinese woman who runs a family business and now helps me with the hand made production of each bikini, with quality control and ensuring to reduce the waste as much as we can. 

Talking about Packaging

Packaging and shipping can be big challenge for sustainable brands. we decided to avoid plastic AT ALL. for this the bikinis come in a lovely reusable cotton pouch, we use recycled cardboard hang tags, recycled paper on the thank you notes and for the  shipping of every single order i found home compostable satchels. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and i hope that you like our bikinis !!!

Luciana Castro
Founder