Meet Katie and Margot | Co-Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie and Margot and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie and Margot, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The Samudra story began during COVID-19 lockdown number one, when living sustainably became a narrative of the utmost importance. We have all seen the documentaries on plastic pollution, fast fashion and the threat of climate change. The need to change our consumer habits has become a requirement, not just a polite request and we were inspired to help nature with our small, ethical and slow production of activewear in London. Katie and Margot, Co-Founders of Samudra, best friends and running/travelling/yoga pals, have always been passionate about wellbeing and sustainable living.

Margot grew up in Paris, daughter of an artist, with a flair for drawing which really came into play when designing the sleek Samudra pieces. Katie grew up on the coast of the UK and pursued her interest in yoga by qualifying as a yoga teacher in 2017. During the teacher training, Katie’s passion, knowledge and interest in ancient yoga practice deepened and she aims to celebrate true yoga traditions, language, culture and philosophy through the Samudra brand. Margot and Katie noticed there wasn’t much on offer in terms of sustainable activewear yet the sustainable swimwear market was saturated. It was also important to them that the brand not only supports women through wearing Samudra activewear but also via ethical manufacturing with a largely female workforce as well as donating 5% profits to female-focused ocean conservation projects. They picked Oceanswell organisation in Sri Lanka to receive a donation after their first year in business.

“We hope we can welcome you into the Samudra community, where we will educate, inspire and support each other, to make the world a better and more sustainable place!”

What should our readers know about your business?
Samudra is on a mission to protect our oceans and support women around the world by creating sustainable, ethical, comfortable activewear which complements every body shape and lasts a life time. Made of regenerated ocean plastic and ethically manufactured in London.

We are most proud of being able to support women worldwide through our small ethical brand. Each piece of Samudra activewear is ethically manufactured in London. We have visited the factory which praises itself on paying its workers fairly and have been honoured to meet the talented individuals who create our Samudra pieces. Our fabric and fiber manufacturers are based in Italy and also align with our ethos on ethics and sustainability. We hope to be able to visit once travel becomes more easily accessible during this pandemic.

The word Samudra means “the gathering together of waters” in Sanskrit, the classical language of Indian and the liturgical language of Hinduism. It also forms part of the name of Samudradeva, the Hindu God of the Ocean. We respect that we, as founders, do not originate from this ethnicity or culture, however, we pledge to celebrate, educate and shed light on the meaning of the word Samudra as well as its historic and cultural origins. Additionally, we endeavor to give back to the culture we are celebrating in our brand name by supporting communities in South and Southeast Asia through selling 100% recycled t-shirts and canvas bags made ethically in India and donating 5% of profits to female-focused marine conservation projects. One particular charity we have been in contact with is Oceanswell, a marine conservation research and education organisation based in Sri Lanka.

We are proudly female-founded and hope to support and empower women around the world both through wearing our activewear as well as donating 5% profits to female-focused marine conservation projects. Ensuring we work exclusively with charities and NGOs who have a real focus on employing and inspiring women in the conservation sector. Additionally, we have carefully selected suppliers who share the same ethos of gender-equality and are proud that our ethical factory in London has a female majority workforce.

We aim to be 100% transparent with our customers, letting them know exactly where the 5% of business profits is going and how it’s making a difference to female-focused conservation projects worldwide. We will also be clear on how and where our products are made.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
London:

Walk along South Bank and end in the beautiful Covent Garden which has some amazing charity/vintage shops. Dinner would have to be at the delicious Dishoom.

Camber Sands:
A cold wild dip at sunrise in the ocean followed by a delicious chai latte at RAE lifestyle store in Rye (also happens to be one of our stockists)

Mermaid Street:
Take a stroll down Mermaid Street in Rye which is steeped in history followed by a drink at the Mermaid Hotel before dinner at The Fig.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Dr Asha de Vos, Founder of Oceanswell Organisation. Thank you for inspiring many young female conservationists and leading the way in a largely male dominated field, not to mention all the support you offer to our beautiful oceans.

Website: www.wearesamudra.com

Instagram: wearesamudra

Image Credits
Nisha Jayne Photography