OCEAN’S MUSE: VOWING TO PROTECT THE OCEAN WITH JENAH ST.
I don’t think I will ever be able to stop writing love letters to the ocean. No matter how I am feeling, the ocean brings me back into the present moment and holds me there with each salty breath. Myths, folklore, legends, fairytales, stories, romances and fables have all drawn on the ocean and its magic to express the depth of feeling in being alive. Waves are synonymous with moving forward, riding and surfing a turbulent to get to the other side and start anew is a metaphor used time and time again.
Every day, refugees risk their lives through crossing oceans, and around the world at this moment in time, more so than ever, the ocean with all its danger and power, feels like many peoples only mode of transport to a better world. They will cross it with nothing else to their name but the hope that it carries them to a land which recognises their rights to freedom, security and safety.
Our oceans are deeply undiscovered, and simultaneously backed to the brim with remnants of our existence. Plastic has taken on a life of its own in the ocean, binding together and making its way into every place once reserved for legends. I find it such a paradox that something which covers most of the earth and pumps life into every living thing is slowly being crushed by the very humans it is keeping alive.
The ocean with all of its unexplored darkness, has protected its caverns; they retreat away from the light as though they are begging for us to leave them alone. They are like the vulnerable soft flesh of an oyster, which winces and curls back into itself, pleading for kindness towards the pearl.
Each morning they are dredged of their inhabitants, like waste through a sieve, the sea water drips back and the fresh and vibrant living bounty is held mockingly in nets above; gasping and dangling out of reach of their home. If we have caused so much damage to the parts of our oceans we have found, what unthinkable disasters would we commit if we made it to the heart?
My childhood was soaked in a deep love for the ocean, I was drawn to stories that explored the sea, I cursed villains who wanted to take from it, and dreamed of being able to swim forever without having to come back up for air. At home, my family taught me a great appreciation for the river banks, learning how to read the streams and lakes. When we would take a trip to the ocean it was as though space expanded infinitely, to me there was nothing more humbling than the sea, I could look outwards to the horizon indefinitely. As an adult, I moved to a seaside town and I found comfort in the wild Atlantic waves. Through becoming a vegan I learned about the impact fishing has on these creatures lives, our environment and human rights, and in the last year I’ve offically started sea swimming, something which has transformed my mind even further towards caring for our oceans.
Most of all, starting to regularly dip my toes in the sea has made me value it with my whole heart. It is because of this that I make sure all my partnerships and collaborations, add any campaigns I work on are committed to practices and materials which ultimately care for our oceans. Jenah St. who I previously collaborated with on their ‘Every Bag Deserves a Home’ campaign have released a community designed t-shirt, ‘Ocean’s Muse’, made out of 100% recycled textile (70% cotton, 30% polyester) which I was kindly gifted and have worn in these seaside shots. Also, my shorts are a reworked charity shop find (chopped ’em with a scissors) and my hair tie is biodegradable and ocean safe!
Through using recycled fibres they can save an incredible 2700L of water per t-shirt! The design is an original painting and tribute to our oceans and was born thanks to their partnership with Pure Waste, a recycling-expert company based in Finland and producing in India. As Jenah St. state, ‘raising awareness on our oceans and growing water scarcity, as well as showing easy ways to reduce our impact by going for recycled/ plant based fibres is close to our heart a part of our mission as a brand’. It is also a mission which is vitally important to me, and I am honoured to have worked with them on this campaign.
You can explore the Ocean’s Muse design here and browse all of the ethical, sustainable and fair-made products on the Jenah St. website. Oceans play a crucial part in our ecosystem and along with Jenah St. I vow to protect them and all their inhabitants. Will you join us?
