Arbor apparel is a brand that has a long history that comes with a philosophy of using environmentally friendly and natural materials—starting first in snowboards 13 years ago, then skateboards, particularly long boards, and in the past few years, apparel. As Rob Fabregas, the Marketing Manager for Arbor said in our recent Label Networks TV interview at their Venice store location, “The extension of our apparel and using bamboo as the primary fabric is complimentary to what the company has always done, including creating snowboards and skateboards.”

As many street fashion and hardgoods brands jump on the environmentally friendly band-wagon mostly for marketing and p.r. boosts, Arbor has sustained this lifestyle since its inception, and after more than a decade, is among the leaders in creating new types of designs in bamboo apparel. Their store and upstairs offices, which are located a block from the Venice Beach pier and boardwalk create a very important “testing” backdrop. The store itself deserves a shout-out as a creative extension of their design aesthetics with bamboo and various other woods used in the floor, walls, and displays creating a feeling of a clean, modern jungle. Snowboard masterpieces ring one side of the store, with longboard decks on the other displayed to the ceiling, including an artistic collaboration with pro surfer Kelly Slater. The apparel hangs gracefully, as bamboo fabrics tend to do, and various accessories in belts, caps, and other items are displayed, along with top skate, snow, and surf videos.

For the Arbor team, many of whom surf, snowboard, and skateboard, the appeal of using bamboo in their apparel also includes the technical characteristics of the fabric itself: Not only is bamboo remarkably sustainable, requiring no pesticides to grow, and grows very fast, as Rob explains, it is simply a superior fabric. “Bamboo fabrics are very soft, wick perspiration away better than most materials, and has UV protection.” Many of Arbors apparel is designed with 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton to provide stability in the silhouettes. In addition, most pieces in the apparel collection use trim pieces from the recycled woods cut from their boards, including bamboo, eucalyptus, raven’s wood, and koa. Arbor also makes amazing belt buckles, and uses the wood pieces as hang-tags, buttons, and inside pearl shirt snaps.

A concentrated effort for Arbor’s Summer ’08 collection includes more women’s designs including dresses, tops, and tanks such as their walnut ring tank-top designed in a camo pattern from Yeti snow monsters. Others pieces include new men’s boardshorts with designs such as the telephone poles and palm trees from the Venice, CA landscape, jacquard–woven collared shirts and the usage of unique dyes and inks that work on both sides and are water-based and environmentally friendly.

As a leader in bamboo techniques, Arbor’s next move is the creation of bamboo denim, which as Rob states, is a first that he knows of for the denim industry. Within the next year, Arbor will not only have bamboo denim, but entire men’s and women’s collections, including more dresses, shirts, caps, and their popular belts—which all comes full circle as complements to their roots for creating conscious designs whether they be in boards, stores, or apparel. But their efforts don’t stop with their own brand as Arbor donates 5% of their profits each year to the Nature Conservancy’s Hawaiian-based efforts, plus they buy wind credits to offset the fossil fuel-based electrical needs of their headquarters. Such progressive moves sets a new pace and places Arbor as a leader in the board and fashion industries.

Stay tuned for more from Label Networks TV interview with Arbor including insight on their unique creation of snowboards and skateboards using environmentally natural materials.