Billabong Partners with Coral Gardeners

Billabong, a global lifestyle brand, has partnered with Coral Gardeners, an international organization dedicated to ocean conservation, to launch a new collection. The collaboration aims to raise awareness around Coral Gardeners’ mission to “save the reef.”

The collection, which celebrates the connection between people and the ocean, will donate a portion of proceeds to Coral Gardeners’ ongoing efforts.

The organization was founded in 2017 by a small group of ocean kids in Mo’orea (French Polynesia), who witnessed the rapid degradation of the coral reefs around them and decided to act. Seven years later, the organization has grown into a global collective of gardeners, scientists, engineers and creators committed to saving the reefs and creating a worldwide movement. With more than 100,000 corals planted in French Polynesia and Fiji, their goal is to scale up reef restoration and plant one million climate-resilient corals around the world.

“We are stoked to partner with Billabong and have their support in scaling our reef restoration efforts and spreading awareness about the reef worldwide through this collection,” says Titouan Bernicot, chief executive officer, founder, Coral Gardeners. “As surfers and ocean lovers, it is our responsibility to protect our playground and think big for the future of our blue planet.”

The new collection pays homage to the South Pacific tiki prints and sea symbols of the past. The women’s line includes bikinis, surf suits, off-duty beach sets, T-shirts and fleece in moody tropicals creating an après ocean vibe. The men’s collection offers boardshorts, South Pacific-inspired tees, long-sleeves, button-ups, outerwear and more. The collection’s pieces have been designed keeping in mind the ocean’s conservation and the restoration of its coral reefs, which are essential for surfing.

As a part of this collaboration, Billabong athletes, Aelan Vaast and Brodi Sale, spent a week propagating coral with Coral Gardeners’ team members in Mo’orea, gaining hands-on experience and witnessing firsthand what Coral Gardeners is all about.

“The ocean plays an integral part of our lives as surfers, and we have a responsibility to protect it and the coral reefs that make surfing possible,” says Brad Lancaster, global head, men’s product, Liberated Brands. “Our collaboration with Coral Gardeners is a step towards raising awareness about the importance of ocean conservation and coral restoration within the surf community and beyond.”

The collection will be available at Billabong.com, Nordstrom and specialty retailers across the U.S., Australia and Fiji.