Making it easier to ‘do good’
Vancouver’s OCIN (pronounced ‘ocean’) offers multipurpose swimwear made from recycled materials
Searching for the perfect swimsuit can sometimes feel like an impossible feat. Some are too skimpy, while others are too boring — and still others, well, they just don’t fit.
A new Vancouver swimwear brand, OCIN, is looking to take the stress out of shopping for a swimsuit by offering chic, minimalist styles for men and women, that also happen to offer a eco-conscious element.
We caught up with Courtney Chew, the founder of the brand, to chat about swimwear, respecting the ocean and what makes her brand unique in a sea of other swimwear options.
Q For those who aren’t familiar, what is OCIN?
AOCIN is a lifestyle brand and men’s and women’s swim line. But at our core, we exist to connect human beings to our most open, free, and conscious selves, for our collective future. We feel that if people live in a global openness, there will be more compassion, awareness, and general respect that will allow us to work together and do some amazing good for our communities, our earth, and our oceans.
Q Is there a story behind the name?
A
The name actually has a personal connection to me — it’s mine and my sister’s name, backwards. NICO. She’s been such a huge support from the very beginning, and after brainstorming so many different ideas, combinations, and potential names every day for a month straight, when I finally wrote this one down, it just clicked, and felt perfect.
But the name also represents our purpose as a brand. OCIN is pronounced “ocean,” which we have a strong connection to. To us, the ocean is a symbol of this sense of freedom and limitlessness that we mentioned above, and it also needs our protection. So we wanted to create a brand that would help to bring awareness to this magnificent body that gives us life and that we need to survive. If together we can care about something that affects all of us, that ability to care and take action can extend into other areas of our lives as well.
Q What makes it different from other brands?
A
Something that I’ve taken away from my 12 years in the industry, is that when brands have a true commitment to and understanding of their purpose, while remaining flexible to learn and innovate, that’s when they see success. So I hope that what helps us stand out and what people recognize is that we are really working hard to show up as more than just another apparel brand.
We’ve made certain commitments to make it easy for our community to ‘do good’ with us, including ensuring that our packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable. Our products are all made with recycled polyester and nylon yarns. And we choose one organization each year to donate partial proceeds to — and this year is to our friends at Surfrider Foundation.
Q Where are the pieces designed and made?
A
I design it here in Vancouver and we work closely with our manufacturing partners overseas in China. They’re been dominant leaders in manufacturing for the past couple decades and I’ve been very lucky to be able to work with them, especially being a young startup.
Q What inspires the designs?
A
Versatility is one. I want people to be able to wear these in and out of the water, so I designed with that in mind and really thought about where the day might take someone before heading to the waters and after. I wear my one-pieces as a bodysuit, and have been loving the classic top as an alternative to a base layer under my tees. And for guys, all my shorts are lined to provide extra comfort and support so that they can go from the gym to the surf to grab food without necessarily having to go home to change first.
A clean and elevated esthetic is another. From a visual standpoint, I’m personally inspired by modern and contemporary art, architecture, lines and angles, nature and minimalism, so I wanted my product to showcase that, including how we shoot and style it. And I’m absolutely in love with our two earthy colours for our first women’s Chapter — Sunset and Olivine, are an homage to nature, and specifically the islands of Hawaii that I love.
Q Is there a ‘hero’ product in the line? If so, which one and why?
A
I wouldn’t say there is a ‘hero’ product. They are each intended to pair well with one another, especially with our women’s pieces being sold as separates to mix and match. Women are really loving the cross back one piece though. And for the guys, the Easy Tie Board Short and Mesh Compression short (my favourite), have been the top picks.
Q You’re launching with men’s and women’s styles. What made you want to offer something for both?
A
My career has been in both menswear and womenswear, so it made sense for me to do both. Women’s is the primary demographic for this market, but guys need cool swim too. Other than the big swim and surf players, there isn’t really one key brand in my category and esthetic offering a swim line for both men and women. So I’d love to be the first.
Q What is the price range for OCIN products?
A $115 to $185 CAD for Chapter I.
Q And where can people check them out?
A Currently you can check out all the styles online at OCIN.CO.
Q Lastly, what’s next? Any plans to expand the line?
A.
We have some fun pop-up events and experiences planned in the near future. And we definitely want to expand the line, not just our own brand, but carrying more complementary products and brands on our website to offer to our customers.