Golden Buoy Clothing

We’re always on the lookout for new and truly exciting people. Whether they are an individual or represent a brand we don’t mind. If they want to exchange thoughts on something dear to our hearts or just want to “chew the fat” about their day to day lives we are down for some kind of collaboration. We recently came across Golden Buoy Clothing and immediately felt drawn to their ethos and mindset. We dig’d them! We’d love to have met up with its owner Paul O’Brien for a coffee at a beach side cafe but lockdown has forced us to email each other to find out more about what Golden Buoy Clothing is all about and what it can offer its customers. Paul is based in London but his heart is certainly by the waters edge- whether thats the ocean or a lakeside depends on what equipment he has to hand for fun in the deep blue!

Full Name: Paul O'Brien

Preferred Name: Paul

Location: London

Location of Golden Buoy Clothing: London (with desires to settle on the coast soon)

Fave Sandwich: Steak and cheese

Fave Movie: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Fave Colour: Blue

We've read on your website you were once a competitive sailor and have taught others to enjoy the water. How did Golden Buoy Clothing come about from that?

When I was 10 years old I was invited to try out sailing with a school friend at South Cerney Sailing Club in the Cotswolds. That quickly became my 'thing' and I spent every weekend competing around the UK at various race meets. As I grew older I branched out into other sports like kayaking and windsurfing, gained some coaching qualifications through secondary school and landed a job as an instructor at Grafham Water Centre when I was 18 where I went on to qualify as a sailing, kayaking, powerboating, mountain biking and rock climbing instructor. So my formative years were massively influenced by watersports, but as I grew older I transitioned into more traditional work and have spent the last decade working in digital marketing and creative strategy for big brands such as Harry Potter and Warner Bros. in London. I've been looking for a passion project to work on that combines my love of the water with my skills in design and marketing, and the end goal is to quit the corporate scene and spend my days on the water building a great brand that the watersports community wants to engage with.

Does living where you do help with creating the company and brand? How does your environment do that?

It's certainly been good for providing me with the experience required to build a brand, as I've worked with small and large brands in a digital capacity for years, and there's a surprisingly good water scene in London, but I'm definitely keen to move coastal or rural in the near future so I can get more involved with a community. I've been properly planning Golden Buoy since summer 2019, and finally launched it in March 2020 with grand plans to spend the weekends travelling around various events with a pop-up store, sponsoring races and working with athletes - and then lockdown hit and I've been restricted to a purely online presence. Luckily so far it's been going well, I just can't wait to get out and about when it's safe to do so!

Is it an easy market to get involved in?

It's certainly a crowded market, and I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes to be made along the way, but I've been overwhelmed by the reaction to the brand so far and how nice people are when you get in touch, so that's made it a pleasant first few weeks of trading. 

I entered the market knowing how crowded it was. I went for this market because I had a wardrobe full of surfing brands that I loved, and wanted to create something along those lines - just a bit different so that it appealed to a wider audience than just surfers. So I approached it with sailors, windsurfers, kitesurfers, wakeboarders and a load more disciplines in mind. Not looking to alienate anyone, but make it an inclusive brand for all.

How important is it that Golden Buoy Clothing is friendly to the planet? What decisions/compromises have you made to help combat these issues?

Hugely important. The main delay in getting the brand ready for launch was sourcing high quality sustainable and ethical t-shirts. I've got an attic full of samples from suppliers who produce t-shirts sustainably, but they're all either see-through or poor quality. At one point I almost didn't push forward with the idea as I didn't want to build a brand that didn't have the same values I do personally, and then I sent off for one final sample and it was perfect. Super soft 100% organic cotton, manufactured by workers who are ethically treated on a production line powered by wind and solar energy. 

Once I had the t-shirts sorted I spent a while investigating packaging as I hate it when you receive a delivery that is either in a material that's non-recyclable or completely oversized for the object inside. I discovered a UK company that manufactures 100% sustainable, 100% recyclable and 100% biodegradable paper packaging in sizes that perfectly accommodate a t-shirt and can fit through a letter box. Another dislike of mine is when you receive a t-shirt in a plastic sleeve within the postal packaging, so all t-shirts are supplied to us batched in recyclable cardboard boxes, then they're individually checked and stored carefully folded, and then simply placed in the paper packaging for posting. We also don't attach any tags or labels that get thrown in the bin as soon as you want to wear the t-shirt, that's just creating waste for no added benefit to anyone - and it's an added cost to produce as well! 

The only additional item we pop in the biodegradable packaging with each order is a thank you note that's printed on seeded paper. It's a quick way to provide our contact email address, as well as our Instagram handle, and then they can pop it in some soil to grow some tasty herbs.

I've invested heavily in all of the above sustainability factors. I could have built a brand at a fraction of the cost if I'd opted for non-organic, unsustainable materials, but I stuck to my guns and trusted that the investment would pay off in the long run as consumers start to shop more responsibly. So I've not really wanted to compromise on anything in that respect. I'm sure there's a lot more I can do as I progress, so every decision I make will have sustainability at the forefront.

Is fast fashion something you think we should do something about?

Absolutely! There are too many brands out there chasing money over sustainability, and as long as it's more profitable to continue doing what they're doing it will be a while before they adapt. It is becoming more valuable to offer sustainable options, so some are starting to change their approach which is a great start. I can imagine it's a huge task for a large company to completely change their manufacturing process, it's certainly a lot easier for someone like me to embed those principles from day one and build up from there.

What other steps have you taken to make the company more ethical?

First up I donate £1 from every t-shirt sold to the RNLI as it's such a simple way to raise funds for a charity that benefits the target market. Secondly I've been super keen to support small businesses, and pay them fairly and promptly. The screen printing for my tees is done at a small local studio 5 minutes from my home who I'm in constant contact with and able to maintain a great relationship. I also work with a fantastic illustrator who has a studio in Bournemouth. He's been great and I'm always more than happy to throw some work his way. Thirdly, the goal has always been to embed the brand into the watersports community and provide sponsorship to athletes and clubs to help people of all levels progress their love of the water. This is something that has been put on hold during the lockdown, but I'll be raring to go as soon as possible. I think it's really important to be able to approach business with an ethical mindset to help others where possible. 

We spend a lot of the time around the coast ourselves so feel very passionate about the work the RNLI do. What made you choose them?

I wanted Golden Buoy to be an inclusive watersports brand, not another t-shirt brand that's aimed just at surfers. So the designs and branding were all created with the wider watersports community in mind, and when it came to choosing a charity that would be relevant for that user group it was a no brainer to pick the RNLI. We'll all have heard of them, and no matter what sport you're doing you may end up relying on them at some point.

Your tee designs are fantastic. How does this design process work?

Thank you! I'm really happy with everything that's been produced so far. I wish I had the talent to draw well enough to print onto a t-shirt, but instead I leave that to Aron at Fried Cactus Design Studio. He's been involved since last year when the brand was simply a growing idea in my mind, and I am so grateful to him for bringing it to life. We collaborate really well, he deciphers my explanation of how I want something to look and then creates magic. I've got a fair few other designs already created with him to release this year, and I'm keen to get more designed with him very soon.

The designs on your clothing and accessories are retro and remind us not only of nautical influences but vintage advertising. What has influenced your designs?

I'm glad you've picked up on those influences as that's exactly what I've been aiming for. Obviously nautical influences are in there because of the theme of the brand, but vintage advertising is something I'm a huge fan of. I love the classic Coca-Cola advertising of yesteryear, and surfwear itself is full of timeless designs from decades ago that still look amazing on clothing today. So I was very keen to bring in a retro, classic design vibe to these tees and Aron had a great portfolio that matched that desire.

Are you influenced by any other brands whether in design, branding or values? 

I think what the team at Patagonia are doing is fantastic. Their whole company ethos is respectable and responsible, and they keep things simple with their tees too. They rarely stray from just sticking their logo on the back of a tee, with subtle variations here and there. That's brand confidence! They're really hitting the mark with educating consumers about sustainability and clearly explaining how they're improving their methods to help.

Going back to your love of water. What water sports have you provided tuition for? Where was this done?

I started teaching canoeing and kayaking when I was about 15 years old. I went to Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham and they had an incredible Outdoor Pursuits department there that supported me with my watersports and put me through a load of courses. I was coaching on student activity days for several years, even beyond my education I came back and taught for them to help out. When I finished my A-Levels I headed to Grafham Water Centre in Cambridgeshire and spent a couple of years there teaching sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, power boating, mountain biking and rock climbing. I absolutely loved my time there, it's a huge stretch of water in a very peaceful setting. Fingers crossed I can take Golden Buoy over there soon and see what everyone's up to these days.

What do you gain from getting others in the water?

When I was a kid I was obsessed with being on the water and always had the best time learning new skills/sports from instructors, so it was a bit of a childhood dream to become one myself and get as many other kids obsessed with the water as possible. There's no feeling like it, the tranquility of a calm day or the adrenalin of a windy one. You can forget all about life on land and just lose yourself in the moment. I think the more people who get to experience that, the better. So as well as getting involved with already established athletes and race meets through Golden Buoy, I'd love to be able to create something that encourages newbies to get involved too.

How can Golden Buoy Clothing help with getting people in the water doing sports?

As the brand grows I'd really like to be able to put on/collaborate on grass roots events that enable people who wouldn't ordinarily give watersports a try to get out on a boat/board/kayak and experience it for themselves. That doesn't mean just kids, there are a load of adults that should give it a go too. If anyone out there runs an activity centre or similar and wants to collaborate, please get in touch. I'd also like to get involved with clubs to put on race meets that encourage people to get involved with racing as that was such a good experience for me in my teenage years. I'm already sponsoring a very talented sailor, Sam Whaley, to help him compete at the Waszp Europeans this summer (coronavirus permitting) and I'm looking to help other athletes in other sports to get involved with competitions too. A few conversations are ongoing, and I'm open to talking with more people if they're interested!

How is Golden Buoy Clothing different to other companies out there?

Sounds cheesy, but I truly care about what I'm doing with Golden Buoy. From the sustainability aspect through to the community I'm involved with, I'm passionate about creating quality clothing and supporting people who love watersports. I'm not here because it's a job, I've built this up in my spare time and invested my own money into building the brand and I'm really enjoying it. 

Look into the Bearded Outdoors crystal ball and try and see what Golden Buoy Clothing is doing in years to come. What would you like to see?

The dream is to be living by the sea or a lake, with a Golden Buoy shop and cafe/bar where everyone heads after their session on the water for a drink and bite to eat whilst wearing their beloved Golden Buoy t-shirts, and I'll be spending my days travelling around the country getting involved with loads of great events and meeting loads of great people!