How This Pro Surfer Is Making Waves in the Fashion Industry Kelly Slater joins the ranks of apparel brands diving into sustainable fashion.

This article is part of our Trends 2016 coverage.

A quarter-century into a celebrated pro surfing career that has carried him to exotic locales across the globe, Kelly Slater is still stepping into uncharted waters. This past summer, the record-setting 11-time World Surf League champion realized a long-held aspiration to helm a designer surfwear startup with the launch of Outerknown, which joins a growing wave of apparel brands and retailers embracing sustainable philosophies.

Founded after the dissolution of Slater's 24-year sponsorship deal with extreme-sports apparel giant Quiksilver, Outerknown stands apart from other surf labels by eschewing the category's signature bright colors and in-your-face designs in favor of understated, decidedly adult attire.