January 01, 2023

TOOL KITS | CONTENT + ASSETS | COMMUNITY + CALENDAR

CREATIVE ETHOS |

Every shoot happens in the Illawarra with frequent injections of user generated content for further authenticity.

All the official photographers are based in the Illawarra and are usually up and coming photo-groms. Why? Because they have a unique style and eye as they understand the unusual light and the end-user vibe. One of our first photographers, just 16 years old at the time, went on to win a prestigious feature in a global surf annual.

Every wearer is a real fan of the brand and call the Illawarra and Shoelhaven their home turf. And whatever they are doing in our photography, they do in real life. They are all riders + sliders, flyers + barrel monsters who bring their own kit to the shoots. There are no models or props used in our shoots.

LOOK BACK TO MOVE FORWARD |

The design ethos of the brand is based on re-found objects from the past two centuries that tell a tale of the Illawarra. Old service station signage, faded graffiti, its all part of the unique patina. The nostalgia is authentic and the rare revivalism is real. The same goes for where we shoot our images. We don't fake a perfection as some pacific pretense. The recent history of blue collar steel and coal industries are a reality that informs the workwear cross over vibe of our ranges.

COMMUNITY |

Despite these past industrial impacts we cannot change, we face the future with support for beach and ocean health with #TheForTheSea with regular beach cleans. We also support the future of our energy diversification, harnessing our natural solar gifts with the #Electrify2515 project. In terms of the apparel sector we have joined with #WeMadeThePledge created by the Australian Fashion Council. This campaign looks to reduce over-production and landfill in the apparel industry with an incoming % contribution per item made towards life-cycle system infrastructure and education. As a micro-batch maker, we are already part of the change but with the AFC we are joining forces with other Australian brands to turn ideas into actions.

We also support local endeavors to raise funds, awareness or add muscle to great causes such as The Tough Guys Book Club (Australian-founded men's mental health community), Paddle Against Poverty ( surfers international support charity) and the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (men's mental and physical health international moto fundraiser). We do so as individual contributors or as a brand, where appropriate, and also join in where we can for more localised events which are significant to the community surrounding our head office.

We support events that support stockist foot fall drivers, such as the Port Kembla Festival supporting our stockist Black Metal Motor Co. For which we created dedicated content in the lead up and post event follow up. This reminds fans who attend these events there is somewhere they can drop in to pick up that tee they had their eye on. We also create dedicated content tool kits for exclusive stockists ranges of pre-formatted images and key copy, to share with the partner as well as run across our own platforms as location awareness drivers.

CALENDAR |

Rather than silo our sub-cultures and enthusiasm into tribal ultra orthodoxies of ‘If you dig this, then you have to /can’t dig that…’ the collective vibe is just to be into whatever you’re into. We are folk that are cool about your stoke. Therefore we get involved with many different cultural aspects, whether that is art or moto festivals, theatrical premieres, gigs, swap meets and seasonal pop-ups. Rarely a week goes by that we don't have something going on that drives the unique perspective of the brand.

Turns out a heck of a lot of surfers happen to be into the roar of moto engine and when there are no waves, no problem. Skateboards, snowboards, kayaks, paragliders, BMX, mountain bikes and e-bikes fill those gnarly spaces in between.

Street wear collectors want to believe they are buying something more than a tee shirt. With Grand Pacific they are entering a community where there is unlimited opportunity to have that desire for adventure, rewarded.