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Salvaged Outdoor Gear Gets New Life, Thanks to a Surfer-Designer DuoView 9 Photos

Salvaged Outdoor Gear Gets New Life, Thanks to a Surfer-Designer Duo

Sealand is a brand dedicated to making sustainable, upcycled products from old sails and tents.
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Designer Jasper Eales and big wave surfer and businessman Mike Schlebach have teamed up to create a new brand, Sealand, that produces products made of hemp, organic cotton, and upcycled waste-materials, including old stretch tents, sail cloth, and advertising billboard mesh.

Designer Jasper Eales and big wave surfer and businessman Mike Schlebach have teamed up to create a new brand, Sealand, that produces products made of hemp, organic cotton, and upcycled waste-materials, including old stretch tents, sail cloth, and advertising billboard mesh.

"Mike and I have worked on a few collaborative projects together over the years, and through them we identified mutual visions for a brand that existed for the right reasons and had a core belief where environmentally responsible production is key." says Eales. "Mike ran a bag manufacturing company, which solely used upcycled yacht sail cloth as the material. With the creative direction I bring to the table and the combination of both our business knowledge, we envisioned a brand that appealed to a broader market. The idea of Sealand was born early 2015."

"Mike and I have worked on a few collaborative projects together over the years, and through them we identified mutual visions for a brand that existed for the right reasons and had a core belief where environmentally responsible production is key." says Eales. "Mike ran a bag manufacturing company, which solely used upcycled yacht sail cloth as the material. With the creative direction I bring to the table and the combination of both our business knowledge, we envisioned a brand that appealed to a broader market. The idea of Sealand was born early 2015."

Sealand launched on December 1, 2015. As well as the various upcylced materials, Sealand products are composed of sustainably sourced fabrics such as hemp and organic cotton. The products are durable and weatherproof.

Sealand launched on December 1, 2015. As well as the various upcylced materials, Sealand products are composed of sustainably sourced fabrics such as hemp and organic cotton. The products are durable and weatherproof.

"We believe in functionality and quality that stands the test of time," says Eales. "All of our upcycled products are guaranteed to be 100 percent unique, and have a lifetime warrantee. In return, this will reduce the amount of waste in landfills. We are proud to have our roots in Cape Town, South Africa."

"We believe in functionality and quality that stands the test of time," says Eales. "All of our upcycled products are guaranteed to be 100 percent unique, and have a lifetime warrantee. In return, this will reduce the amount of waste in landfills. We are proud to have our roots in Cape Town, South Africa."

Each piece of upcycled material used in Sealand’s range is chosen for its color or pattern. No two products are the same.

Each piece of upcycled material used in Sealand’s range is chosen for its color or pattern. No two products are the same.

Eales, a 2013 Design Indaba Emerging Creative whose surfboard rack won Most Beautiful Object in South Africa two years ago, is a product designer with a focus on the integrity of the raw materials he uses. Together, with a shared passion for the water and creating environmentally friendly products, he and Schlebach hope that Sealand will help keep litter from South Africa’s shores.

Eales, a 2013 Design Indaba Emerging Creative whose surfboard rack won Most Beautiful Object in South Africa two years ago, is a product designer with a focus on the integrity of the raw materials he uses. Together, with a shared passion for the water and creating environmentally friendly products, he and Schlebach hope that Sealand will help keep litter from South Africa’s shores.

Eales tells us the Sealand products are headed to France and New Zealand in 2016, and that he has been working on designs for some hemp and cotton apparel. 

Eales tells us the Sealand products are headed to France and New Zealand in 2016, and that he has been working on designs for some hemp and cotton apparel. 

 For more information on Sealand products, see their website. 

 For more information on Sealand products, see their website. 

See Design Indaba's full collection of featured South African creatives here.

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Design Indaba
Design Indaba is a multifaceted platform committed to a better world through creativity, established in 1995.

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