As consumers become more eco-conscious about the clothing they purchase, brands across the globe are amping up their sustainable initiatives. In fact, according to a survey by PicoNext, 71 percent of consumers say sustainability is important to them while 67 percent say they’d be more likely to purchase a product if they had more information about a brand’s sustainability initiatives.
Fair Harbor, a coastal lifestyle brand, has made sustainability and transparency part of its ethos since its inception in 2014. To find out more about its sustainability journey and initiatives, Sourcing Journal caught up with Fair Harbor’s CEO and co-founder Jake Danehy.
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In this Q&A, Danehy discusses where he hopes to see Fair Harbor 10 years from now and how the New York City-based apparel brand designs sustainably—from making its recycled polyester fabric from plastic bottles to maintaining responsible factory partners.
Sourcing Journal: Going back to the beginning, what was your inspiration behind creating Fair Harbor?
Jake Danehy: My sister Caroline and I spent summers in Fair Harbor [on New York’s] Fire Island surrounded by the ocean. While there, we often passed the time by fishing, swimming, surfing and running around outdoors. Years later, a college trip to Costa Rica reignited my interest in surfing and my connection to the ocean.
When I returned to Colgate University—located in Hamilton, N.Y.—to study geography, I was shocked to learn about the devastating impact of plastic pollution on our planet. In fact, a study shows that 11 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year—and that number is estimated to triple less than 20 years from now. It became a full-circle moment where I fully appreciated the connection between plastic and the beach community my family loved.
So, it was then Caroline and I decided to take action. Drawing inspiration from our Fire Island memories and our desire to protect the waterways, we founded a beachwear business named after our childhood haven, Fair Harbor. We committed ourselves to creating clothing that not only evoked the spirit of the beach but also contributed to its preservation.
SJ: While we’re on the topic of sustainability, how has Fair Harbor positively impacted the environment since its inception?
J.D.: Sustainability was our founding mission, and it’s still the core of everything we do. We started by making our recycled polyester fabric from plastic bottles. After doing so for almost 10 years, I’m proud to say that we’ve repurposed over 35 million plastic bottles to make our clothes.
When designing, we only use sustainable materials. However, there’s also so much thought that goes into everything we do, and we’re constantly trying to discover the newest fabric and production innovations to incorporate into our processes.
Additionally, maintaining responsible factory partners that are certified compliant with social, ethical and environmental standards—like Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA)—is another important part of our impact.
SJ: When you launched Fair Harbor 10 years ago, brands weren’t really advertising their sustainable initiatives. What inspired you to make transparency part of the brand’s ethos?
J.D.: We’ve always thought it was important to raise awareness about the plastic problem and how we can all take steps toward solving it. From the beginning, it was our goal to make sustainability a seamless part of everyday life. We wanted our customers to know they never had to compromise style, comfort or eco-consciousness, because Fair Harbor combines all these elements into every product.
The sustainability space is still evolving, so there’s plenty of exciting new ground to explore and boundaries to push. We’re excited to continually find new ways to use innovative materials and practices and to invite our consumers along as part of the journey toward a more sustainable future. For us, it’s about more than creating great products; it’s about fostering a community committed to making a positive impact. We have exciting new partnerships and new fabrics we’ll share in the coming months.
SJ: One crowning achievement for Fair Harbor was when the brand became B Corp certified. Why was that an important milestone?
J.D.: After a two-year process, we finally became a B Corp-certified brand in 2022, which was a defining moment for us.
The regulations and certifications are important, but adding the Public Benefit Corporation and changing the company’s bylaws was differentiating. It was probably my favorite aspect of becoming a B Corp. Standard C Corporations exist to increase shareholder value, but B Corps are required to become Public Benefit Corporations, which means amending our company bylaws to consider all stakeholders, including employees, the community and the environment in business decisions.
I really like the idea of being a Public Benefit Corporation because I believe in using our company as a force for good, not just a profit center. Of course, we’re a for-profit business and are laser-focused on driving profits, but that’s not the only reason we exist.
SJ: What are you currently working on?
J.D.: We just launched our third collaboration collection with 1 Hotels, a sustainable luxury chain of hotels and resorts. They were an early supporter of our brand and hosted a pop-up shop for us in 2019, so we’re happy to continue our partnership with a mission-driven brand like theirs.
On May 16, we will launch our 10th anniversary collection, a special nostalgic collection inspired by Fire Island that has everything you need for summer. It’s also full of surprises. As part of the collection, we’ll be introducing women’s swimming, a passion project that has been in the works for years. We had to get it right, and we feel like our 10th-anniversary collection was the perfect time to do it.
I’m also excited about our “10 Years, 10 Cities” anniversary tour that Caroline and I will embark on this summer. We plan to go back to our roots and host trunk shows at some of our earliest retail partners. We can’t wait to get out there and talk to our customers. That’s what our business has been built on, so our anniversary is a perfect full-circle moment.
SJ: As you’re currently celebrating your first decade milestone, where do you hope to see the brand 10 years from now?
J.D.: Our goal is to be a household heritage brand with a diverse range of products available through multiple channels—both online and offline. We’re committed to crafting exceptional products while prioritizing environmental sustainability.
Lastly, there’s a reason we have more than 60,000 five-star reviews on our site. I’ve always been very customer-service driven since we started selling our products at trunk shows where I spoke with our customers face to face and got immediate, invaluable feedback and insights. I still read every single review that comes in—and often send them around to the team. It wasn’t long ago that I used to handle customer service for the brand, so I know the importance of listening to customers and responding to their concerns. I always say that customers spend their hard-earned dollars with us, and keeping them happy is key to our continued success.
