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

This article is part of ourTrends 2016coverage.

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.