What Do Vissla, Christian Dior, and Hawaiian South Shore Have in Common?
Japanese Neoprene
While surf culture has shaped global styles for decades, we don’t often think of the world of high fashion when it comes to wave riding. But Vissla is out to change that, having recently partnered with French fashion house Christian Dior and Japanese wetsuit manufacturer Axxe to create a line of high-fashion, nature-focused wetsuit products.
Dior artistic director Kim Jones worked closely with Vissla’s creative team and the manufacturing geniuses at Axxe Wetsuits to design this line that “combines innovation, couture style, and respect for the environment. The line of products is made from quick-dry recycled jersey fabrics, custom recycled hollow fiber thermal liners, and the best Japanese wetsuit foam on the market. The suits were styled by the Dior team, lending them a sense of high fashion as appropriate on the runway as it is in the water.
The line of wetsuits includes a 3mm fullsuit, a spring suit, and a wetsuit jacket. All three suits feature CD Diamond Jaquard thermal torso linings and BGS seams, as well as the highest-quality Japanese wetsuit rubber.
Here at Hawaiian South Shore, we have been using high-quality Japanese rubber in our wetsuit line for years. Japanese neoprene is widely considered to be the best in the industry, providing unique warmth, stretch, and comfort characteristics in some of the softest, smoothest rubber in existence. Our Hawaiian South Shore wetsuits are all made in Japan from this industry-leading neoprene and have been extremely popular with surfers here on Oahu, many of whom say they are the most comfortable suits they have ever used.
