Waterlust began as an experimental project by ocean science graduate students at the University of Miami’s Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Unsatisfied with the conventional methods of sharing scientific findings with the world, our early days were spent learning how to use online media to engage the public with marine science in an entertaining, fun and informative way.
Media was a great start, and having people “like” and “share” our photos and videos across the interwebs inspired us to keep thinking outside the box. How could we bring science and a love for our watery world into more peoples lives? As much as our videos and photos were reaching millions of people, those digital interactions were fleeting and we knew we could do more.
We hypothesized that clothing could be a canvas on which we tell science’s stories, and that every time you wear it, you’ll be a walking, talking advocate for the science it represents. We called the approach Advocate Apparel and overnight Waterlust evolved into a purpose-driven clothing brand.
We’re a small family-run business, but what we lack in numbers we make up for in enthusiasm and a love for hard work. Because we started from scratch, we’ve had to figure out first hand how to bootstrap and use teamwork to make the dream work. We wanted to introduce ourselves because if you ever reach out to us, one of us will respond.
CEO, Founder | Husband/Brother In Law
PhD in marine physics and a masters in Ocean Engineering. Hates spreadsheets but is learning to live with them. Avid kiter, sailor, surfer and teller of stories. Frequent wearer of flip flops in socially inappropriate settings.
Director of Operations | Wife/Sister
Masters in marine affairs and policy. Website code ninja. Shark wrangler, SCUBA diver, kiter, sailor, surfer and candle stick maker. JK on the candles, that was just a one time thing and it didn’t pan out. Weirdly obsessed with horizon lines.
Director of Apparel | Sister/Sister In Law
Bachelors in fashion merchandising with a focus on environmental and social responsibility. Seamstress since before Pinterest was a thing. It’s complicated with Overlock Machine. Fierce SCUBA diver, kiter, and recreational yogi. Don’t take her scissors. Ever.
We are not a perfect company - we make plenty of mistakes that mostly reflect the fact that we’re scientists who have stumbled into starting a clothing business. But like anything worthwhile, from training in a sport to writing a dissertation, you can often learn more from the screw-ups than you can from the successes. We promise to always aim high, and when we fall, to be honest, transparent, and get back up and do it better.
"IN THE END WE WILL CONSERVE ONLY WHAT WE LOVE; WE WILL LOVE ONLY WHAT WE UNDERSTAND; AND WE WILL UNDERSTAND ONLY WHAT WE ARE TAUGHT." (BABA DIOUM, 1968.)