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Perhaps like every other clothing designer, it has always been my passion to craft and create clothes. The idea of fusing that passion with my dream of living a surflife into my reality, excites me.
The results of combining my two passions, surfing and designing clothes?
Surf bikinis with an outstanding fit that offer comfort and stay on in the surf. Besides an elaborated fit, the colorways and patterns make Zealous’ surf wear truly unique. In addition to surf wear, I also produce surf inspired streetwear to equip you with beautiful apparel for European seasons.
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I always loved to do handicraft – I made jewelry, printed on old t-shirts, sewed and even beaded tops. Just after graduating from school, I asked my grandma to teach me how to knit. The idea was to make a beanie for my friend’s birthday. Just for fun I wrote Zealous on a small label and sewed it onto the beanie. At his party I’d gotten my first orders for costumized beanies. That’s how Zealous was born.
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_Zealous /ˈze-ləs/ means to be filled with or to be inspired by intense enthusiasm [Synonyms: enthusiastic, passionate, eager] and embodies our striving for happiness that we find in the ocean & mountains.
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Especially my studies of Textile Engineering in Hamburg opened new doors. On the one hand, it supplied me with rare textile knowledge, on the other hand I got attracted to Bali. I spent my semester abroad and did an internship on this incredible island. Gathering invaluable experiences, I just knew that there was something bigger out there to do after my studies.
Instead of beanies, I started focussing on street- and surfwear. But I wanted to do it differently than others! From day one, I was keen to source the best fabrics of the finest quality and started field testing them.
While the first collection consisted of men's and women's wear, I quickly recognized that my strengths were in the women’s section. That made me realign the product range, so that nowadays Zealous offers Surfwear, Apparel, Accessories and Lifestyle products for women!
Whatever I did or decided on this journey, I always stayed true to myself and designed what I needed myself.
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I’ve been snowboarding since I was 10 years old. Through this passion I got in touch with all the big snow and surf brands that I also worked for besides school and later university. Their image of traveling and free spirited surfer girls has been etched in my mind and since then I’ve been pursuing this lifestyle. It was my trip to Australia for a school exchange when I was 15, that I actually stood up on a surfboard for the first time in my life.
The ambition to become good at surfing and my zest for creativity have driven me this far to create a concept that suits both.
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Zealous in Bali. Why Bali? Surely there are incredible surf spots, but there are even more reasons why I set up the production of Zealous products here
:I scoured the whole island to work with local tailors, fabric manufacturers and factories to get Zealous to the point where it is today. Over the years, I’ve learned plenty of things about the challenge of creating products.
In Bali I have the chance to get to know the people who are making the Zealous products personally. I can make sure that workers earn enough, personally visit the facilities and support local family businesses which is a rarity in todays textile industry. I am delighted to say that they are all part of Zealous. Every surf bikini and item from the streetwear collection embodies this effort and love. Without them, Zealous wouldn’t exist!
Read more about our manufacturers and sustainability goals here.
