Step One in the Beachwear by Geology process is looking at rocks that have been shaved down to 40 microns, so they can be viewed under the microscope in either Plane Polarised Light (meaning no filter applied just plain old light) or Cross Polarised Light where two perpendicular filter are applied revealing a fluoresces of colour. Think of plane polarised light as a cylindrical beam of light, and cross polarised light as an "X" of light. From there I'd take a photo of about 1/80 of the slide and repeat that all over the specimen to which I then stitch the photos together to create the high definition photo ready for printing.

Once we have the high definition photo stitched together I can then look at the specimen as a whole rather than looking at 1/80 of it at a time. This is where the fun really starts as I get to see the greater granular relationships and metamorphic textures such as foliation: a repetitive layering found in metamorphic rocks when the rock is hot and sliding over itself. This specific one on the right is amphibolite from Western Australia, the slide that started it all. With the completed picture I take the colours and patterns from it to be the inspiration behind the designs you see today.

All of our swimwear and polos are made by an amazing boutique clothing manufacture of 13 staff in Indonesia who have been integral in this whole process. Being quite new to the clothing industry they've been very patient with all my hiccups and are always offering help when needed. They are an ethical, registered, and fair-trade–focused company. All of their operations are fully compliant with government regulations, including the provision of health insurance and social security insurance for all employees. Overtime is paid in accordance with the law, and they provide annual leave, maternity leave, and above standard wages. For tailors, they go beyond standard requirements by offering fair piece-rate compensation. They strictly prohibit underage recruitment and uphold responsible working conditions, with working hours limited to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. The company is closed on weekends and public holidays. Employee well-being is a core priority. They provide free lunch every Friday, unlimited snacks daily, and promote a healthy lifestyle through regular sports and exercise activities such as futsal, football, badminton, soccer, and cycling twice a week. They also support mothers who are unable to work in an office or factory environment due to family responsibilities. By offering flexible, home-based work opportunities, they enable these women to earn an income while continuing to care for their children. All fabric waste produced is given to cloth collectors to be used in vehicle workshops as rags amongst other uses. Beachwear by Geology is proud to working in partnership with them and look forward to continuing our relationship.