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<\/p>Well hello there new visitor! We\u2019re so pleased to see you.<\/p>
It can be a lonely, weird and scary place starting a brand, especially when you\u2019ve never done it before, so we\u2019re grateful for you checking us out. Not like\u2026 in a pervy way\u2026 We\u2019re not calling you a perve. Oh boy. Please forgive us, we\u2019re nervous.<\/p>
Let\u2019s start again. Welcome to Original Pilot Material, where we champion our favourite things: Wingfoiling, windsurfing, wavesailing, winging it\u2026 and Wales.<\/p>
Our ethos is that we\u2019re all just muddling through, navigating all the waters that we\u2019re swept along with and the courses we chart, but with a bit of pluck and some good humour, we can really enjoy that ride.<\/p>
Original Pilot Material is native Welsh, born out of a fascination with the sport of wingfoiling that really took off in the beachside village of Rhosneigr after our founder found herself moving up to join her very own live-in pilot near his RAF base in North Wales.<\/p>
More than just a new sport, the unquestioning acceptance and camaraderie that sprang up from just trying something new, became infectious and inspiring. The people of our founder\u2019s adopted village were so encouraging, so tenacious, and so obsessed with the sea and the earth, that it felt worth celebrating. Plus, everyone was making surfwear but no-one was really paying attention to windsports on the merch side.<\/p>
So, with colours borrowed from the Anglesey skies that are LEGENDARY (seriously there\u2019s been a song written about them) and the idea that, if you can command a wing, you\u2019re basically a pilot too, Original Pilot Material was born.<\/p>
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For those of you that lived through the early Noughties, whether you had an interest in UK garage music or not, you will understand the profound influence of a chap called Mr Mike Skinner, and his band, The Streets. Original PIRATE Material, by The Streets, was the album released in 2002, that completely shook up the scene and spoke in the vernacular of a new generation. The lyrics were empassioned, original, and humorous, which is right up our strada. We don\u2019t profess to be similarly game-changing, but we are trying to do things in a progressive way that we feel fashion should be done, that respects the supply chain, the planet, and the customer, over the bottom line.<\/p>
So, we made the first jumper via Rapanui, searching for a company that would print what we wanted to on some good fabric, without harming the planet, and that supplied a take-back programme in order that our stuff wouldn\u2019t end up in landfill.*<\/p>
*Sidenote: The original pilot for whom this was made, was, as mentioned, a fast jet pilot. Fast jets use up A LOT of fuel. It\u2019s not great. But sadly, modern warfare being what it is today, they\u2019re necessary. The RAF is working its socks off to come up with a more ecological solution. It\u2019s all very exciting, so watch this space. The original pilot feels so sad about the amount of fuel they burn that they like to do everything they can otherwise to look after the planet, so the clothing being sustainable and as un-harmful as possible was key.<\/p>
Through that first design we discovered Teemill, and their amazing set-up. Their factory is all wind and solar powered, they are zero-waste, will take back anything you don\u2019t want and make something else with it, they deliver in recycled paper\u2026 it ticked a lot of boxes.<\/p>
We\u2019ve worked really hard to get our materials in order to make this brand, and as it says on a number of our t-shirts, we really are winging it, but we really hope you like it.<\/p>
As we said, it can be a scary lonely place, so please do comment below, follow us on Instagram or Facebook, let us know what you think, what you like, what you\u2019re into, who you are, send us your photos\u2026 not to sound needy, but we really would love to get to know you.<\/p>
With the very best of wishes,<\/p>
OPM<\/p>
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