For Isabella Cisneros and Ramiro Carranza, the launch of their eco-conscious swimwear line was kind of a perfect storm. Both felt a profound connection to nature, with Carranza turning to the outdoors when he moved to Miami from Argentina as a young man. After watching A Plastic Ocean, a documentary on Netflix exposing dangerous levels of plastic polluting our oceans, the two felt restless about the consequences of
These musings would remain simply that, until a 2016 trip to Tulum, Mexico, drove them to take an actionable course toward a more sustainable future. On that trip, Cisneros and Carranza spent a week at an eco-friendly hotel. Electricity was forgone in favor of solar energy; the food served was grown in the hotel's private garden. Spending a week off the grid was a sharp contrast to the typical Tulum experience, where
In founding the Tropics, a swimwear line composed of plastic recyclable materials, Carranza and Cisneros aim to solve two persistent problems in the fashion industry. Fashion, one of the most eco-hazardous industries — EcoWatch reports the industry is the second-largest pollutant in the world — needs more innovative clothing brands that make use of recycled materials. By utilizing fabrics made from recyclable plastic, the Tropics is both eliminating harmful waste from the ecosystem while implementing a more sustainable production process and inspiring their peers.
"We're on a mission to spread the word about sustainability," Cisneros says. "It's up to our generation to make a change."
Now sold exclusively through the Tropics' website, the brand works with Repreve textiles, which are frequently employed by eco-friendly brands such as Patagonia. Cisneros and Carranza handpick recyclable plastics — usually at beach cleanups they've organized — and send them to a
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
SHOW ME HOW
Newsletters
"We've saved 5,500 bottles out of the ocean," Cisneros says, "and each swim trunk is made
In addition to its eco-friendly mission, the Tropics
The Tropics' mission is to elevate Miamians' environmental consciousness. As a member of 1% for the Planet, the company donates a portion of the proceeds from every $95 pair of trunks sold to the organization. Carranza and Cisneros plan to host frequent beach cleanups to continue to draw awareness to ocean pollution issues, and they hope to engage new environmental warriors through targeted social media campaigns. The Tropics
While the Tropics
Or sign in with a social account:
FACEBOOK GOOGLE + TWITTER YAHOO!