• Finisterre

• Est 2003
• Founded by Tom Kay
• “born from the need to make innovative product for hardy British surfers and the life we lead”
• Named after one of the most rugged headlands
• “We’re committed to making informed decisions about our impact on the environment and are
constantly trying to push boundaries to make the best product we can.”
• “…making innovative product built for purpose that would last. I wanted the brand to be
committed to a better way of manufacturing, both in the fabrics we use and the manufacturers
we choose to work with, seeking alternatives to what has gone before wherever possible.”
• Design ethos: functionality and sustainability, remaining committed to product, environment
and people
• B Corp certified business – morally and legally binding commitment; “we take a long-term view
in all that we do, having regard to our customers, employees, suppliers and the environment”
• Yulex is both the name of the company and a brand
for the fabrics it creates
• Founded by Jeffrey A. Martin in 2000
• Creating plant based biomaterials made from
“Yulex’s mission is to protect and improve the health of
guayule
people and the planet by replacing
• Produced and refined in USA using environmentally
petroleum-based and toxic materials with safe, plant-based
and socially responsible manufacturing processes
specialty natural rubber and energy.”
• Used by Finisterre and Patagonia to make wetsuits
which are more eco friendly and have a smaller
http://yulex.com/about/
carbon footprint to those made from neoprene-
without compromising durability, longevity or
quality of product
• Yulex also creates other products which can be used
for fabric coatings and foams which act as fire
retardants LINKS
https://finisterre.com/pages/history?from=header
https://finisterre.com/blogs/broadcast/the-
nieuwland-3e-yulex-pure
 Currently unanswered questions…
Material properties
How would a materials scientist describe the material’s
properties?
Could these properties be described in less technical
more designer/user friendly language?
What does the material look like/feel like/smell like/sound
like? What emotional responses does it evoke?
What colours can it be produced in?
Applications
What constraints or opportunities does the material offer
to designers?
Production processes
What production processes are possible with
the material?
What tooling/jigs/machinery are associated
with these processes?
What scale(s) of production are appropriate
to these processes?
What technical terms are associated with
theses processes (and what do they mean)?
What colours can be applied to the material?
What surface finishes can be applied to the
material?
Where is the material formed/processed?
What are the production constraints or
opportunities of the material?