Fair Harbor CEO Jake Danehy on Creating the Brand’s First Jean
Sustainable coastal lifestyle brand Fair Harbor is taking a swing at the denim business.
Originally launched as a beachwear brand by siblings Caroline and Jake Danehy in 2014, Fair Harbor introduced its first men’s jean last year after seeing a gap in the market for comfortable, sustainable denim.
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Aware of denim “negatively impacting the environment” from the water and chemicals used to create the washes, co-founder and CEO Jake Danehy said the B Corp-certified brand knew it had to find a better way.
“Our team spent more than a year working on the fit and the fabric,” Danehy said. “We [wanted our denim] to be sustainable and comfortable, like all our products. So, we tried multiple iterations before we settled on the right blend of materials that made them supple but not too stretchy.”
The result is the Ultra-Stretch Driftwood Denim jean for men, though the modern straight fit is also popular for women. Fair Harbor landed on a fabric blend of 69 percent organic cotton, 26 percent recycled polyester (sourced from 12 recycled plastic bottles) and “just a touch” of rayon and spandex.
“Choosing organic cotton as the main component in our Driftwood Denim made a huge impact. A single pair of non-organic cotton jeans can use nearly 2,000 gallons of water, but since organic cotton is mostly rain-fed, it reduces water consumption by as much as 91 percent,” Danehy said. “Organic cotton also uses no chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and it limits soil erosion, so it’s more sustainable.”
Currently, there are three washes available for the Ultra-Stretch Driftwood Denim jean: Beach Wash, Deep Sea Wash and Light Wash.
Fair Harbor is also keeping its production and finishing process sustainable. “The factories we work with use 28 percent less water, and the water we do use in the washing process is recycled. We also employ ozone washing, which keeps chlorine-bleach salts out of the environment and uses less water than traditional techniques,” Danehy said.
The back patch is made from recycled material, and the rivets and buttons are made with eco plating.
While jeans is an unexpected turn for a company rooted in swimwear, Danehy believes the pivot makes sense since Fair Harbor is known for comfort and could translate its expertise into a heritage fabric.
“Your favorite jeans are usually the perfectly soft, worn-in ones you’ve owned for years. We wanted to create that look and feel right out of the box with our Ultra-Stretch Driftwood Denim,” Danehy said. “We balance authentic washes with performance features and eco-friendly fabric, so it really sets them apart from the [rest of the] market.”
The brand is already seeing promising results. The jeans were the best-selling style for Fair Harbor in August—surpassing its best-seller, the Black Anchor Short.
“We paid attention to every little detail,” he said.
Fair Harbor’s Ultra-Stretch Driftwood Denim retails for $128 and is available now on its website.
