Behind the Brand: Afends
Born in 2006 in the coastal town of Byron Bay, Australia, Afends was founded by Declan Wise & Jonathan Salfield off the back of a screen printing business they originally created to print band merchandise for punk & hardcore bands.
With the added culture of surf and skate injected into the punk and hardcore movement of the 2000s, the Afends ethos and style evolved into the look and feel that they stand by today. Driven by environmental and social impacts, they strive to do what's best for people and the planet; to design and deliver durable, eco-friendly and timeless apparel that will last a lifetime.
It’s refreshing to see a big retailer like Afends sticking to their roots and not exploiting their fan base. Transparency with big businesses is hard to come by these days but Afends never shied away from that. Not only are they holding themselves accountable for their carbon footprint but they’re also spreading the message and educating the masses.
Afends believes that every step has an impact, and nearly every impact can be mitigated by more informed business decisions. You can see the reflection of this belief on the companies that they’ve worked with. From none profit organisations that help clean up the ocean to collaborations with talented artists to promote equality around the world.
they have proudly formed a global family of like-minded and creative individuals, united by a shared passion for breathing the spirit of environmental conscious lifestyles and values into the brand. They want to voice positive change and be the role models for people to think outside the box and question everything. They’ve recently announced that by 2021 they will be using 100% sustainable fibres in all of their ranges.
After nine years of designing and investigating ways of promoting sustainability. They’ve realised that fashion industries had become less and less eco-friendly with the rapid growth of fast fashion and use of unsustainable materials. Their solution was the natural choice and all around miracle plant, hemp. Afends created their first range of Hemp Clothing, and to this day continues to create, promote and expand the Hemp Revolution
I personally recommend watching their recent mini series of their journey into buying a hemp farm and putting their money where their mouth is. Their journey from a humble beginning to being in the forefront of sustainability, equality and respecting the culture that they came from is inspiring for us as a brand and we couldn’t be happier to support the cause.
