Vissla SS21 Wetsuits Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Wetsuits SS21
Brand: Vissla
Interviewee: Arsene Vellard, Product Manager

Surfboards hardgoods have largely benefited from the freedom craze after the lockdowns. How was it for the wetsuit market?
Wetsuits were very strong all year. We ran out of many styles because of the demand. We have never seen such a strong market for wetsuits.

Can you please give an overview of your different ranges (performance, constructions, prices for s/s 2021)?
7 Seas: Everything you need in a wetsuit, nothing you don’t. Using 100% Super stretch limestone-based neoprene, Thermal Brain Fuzz lining insulates heat and dries fast, Dope Dyed Fabric – a softer, eco-friendly, anti-fade stretch jersey made by Bluesign approved mills

High Seas introducing Ridiculous rubber: High-performance, lightweight and unparalleled flexibility using 100% I-Foam neoprene – the lightest, warmest & stretchiest limestone-based neoprene available. Thermal Brain Fuzz lining insulates heat and dries fast, Dope Dyed Fabric: Softer, Eco-friendly, Anti-fade stretch jersey made by Bluesign approved mills

North Seas An ode to the cold water surfer. This is the warmest and the most eco-friendly wetsuits of the line using I-Foam Premium- the lightest, warmest & stretchiest limestone-based neoprene available, and with Power Seams, an advanced, flexible, waterproofing sealant used on the outside of the seams for added durability and warmth. Full body thermal and Brain Fuzz lining insulates heat and dries fast, Dope Dyed Fabric- A softer, eco-friendly, anti-fade made by Bluesign approved mills, AquaA eco-friendly water-based lamination is completely solvent-free with no harmful chemicals, Jersey made up of 83% Recycled Nylon and 17% Spandex

For Fall 20/Spring 21 we just introduced a new price point wetsuit which is called the 7 Seas Comp. The market was requesting a lower price point model for our wetsuits so we came up with a based on the design of the 7 seas with a more generic thermal lining and the seams taped on critical areas.

Which are your key innovations for s/s 2021? (materials, constructions, styles…)
The Ridiculous Rubber in the High Seas wetsuits: We introduced the most flexible high- performance jersey used in any of our wetsuits. We’ve designed this suit to have the softest upper torso and arms to allow an unrestricted full range of motion.

S/S wetsuits rely more on colors & graphics than winter pieces: what are the styling options in your range?
We are bringing brighter colors into the line for Spring and Summer but we do not go too crazy as we want our wetsuits to remain within the brief for Vissla. We play on design and contrast colorways on the arms on our 7 Seas Gado Gadoo Wetsuits and our new 7 seas Raditude suit to make them more fun.

Sustainability is key in the wetsuit category: which materials/process do you implement in s/s 2021?
All our wetsuits are Limestone based neoprene, and we use earth mined limestone from Japan to replace petrochemicals in the neoprene. It comes from nature and has a less environmental impact.

All our wetsuits are using Eco Infinity Carbon Black, one of the key ingredients of neoprene is now pyrolized from scrap rubber tires. This significantly reduces energy consumption and cuts CO2 emission by 200 per wetsuits.

All our wetsuits are using Dope Dye Yarns: All black, all interiors, black inside liners, & Neo 2.0 super stretch black tape are dope dyed. Dope-dying infuses dye pigments into molten plastic solution to produce colored yarns without the dying process. This saves tremendous amounts of water while reducing energy consumption and water pollution

Recycled Nylons: A wide selection of our wetsuit materials are knitted with yarns made from recycled fabrics. This helps reduce waste and material consumption at the same time.

Blue Sign Certified Mills: Our fabric mills have received the Blue Sign System Partner certification. In addition to monitoring the reasonable use of chemicals, the partnership ensures that our manufacturer’s energy and water resource utilization efficiency and waste disposal all comply with the most demanding standards in the global textile industry.

Please name your 3 highlight pieces and items that retailers should definitely order.
7 Seas Comp Chest Zip

7 Seas Raditude

High Seas Wetsuits