The People's Movement

Bali beaches ‘most polluted’: surf champ

MOVMT — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:20:20 +0000

WORLD surfing champion Kelly Slater says Bali’s beaches are littered with the “worst pollution” he has ever seen. Slater, who has won 11 Association of Surfing Professionals world championships, voiced his concerns on popular micro-blogging website Twitter on Sunday (Melbourne time) from Bali.

“If Bali doesn’t #DoSomething serious about this pollution it’ll be impossible to surf here in a few years. Worst I’ve ever seen,” he told his hundreds of thousands of followers.

When asked by a fan to elaborate on the source of the pollution, he tweeted: “Everything. Plastic, random rubbish, medical waste/needles on beach. Disgusting. Smelly water. Really sad.” He said solutions to the problem would require support from multiple industries. Slater later re-published — but did not respond to — a follower’s suggestion he make a documentary to prompt the Indonesian government to examine the problem. Bali was ranked third on CNN’s list of 50 best surfing spots — after Hawaii and Jeffrey’s Bay — in the world earlier this year.
“The island attracts the gnarliest surfers from Australia and Hawaii plus beginners from across the globe; all of whom can enjoy these perfect glassy faces,” CNN reporter Jade Bremner said.
>> Read more

Jane Lee- April 25, 2012

Plastic Pollution Coalition

MOVMT — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:47:13 +0000

SDSI Article

MOVMT — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:21:15 +0000

The People’s Movement: A “conscious” entrepreneurial leap with SDSI
By Chuck Scott

Late-morning sunlight streams through two skylights, warming the two-story building just off the Cedros Avenue Design District in Solana Beach.
Up in the loft office, CEO Kevin Flanagan is deep in discussion with design and marketing guru Mark Wystrach about their company’s new line of shoes for next spring. Flanagan jots down notes on a whiteboard resting on the floor as Wystrach paces, taking care not to step on the nearly two dozen color printouts of proposed shoe designs neatly aligned near his feet.
Satisfied they have enough new offerings for both their men’s and women’s lines, they wrap up the business meeting with a heartfelt hug.

Welcome to The People’s Movement, a nine-month-old shoe company with a mission to produce products inspired by the working class in an environmentally conscious manner.
Running a start-up has been a major change for Flanagan, whose background includes 16 years with several of the top actions sports brands in the country and who had risen to Vice President of Marketing at Reef before leaving to start his own company.

“I’d always wanted to be an entrepreneur – an inventor or an entrepreneur, is what I thought I’d be as a child,” Flanagan says. When a hoped-for promotion to the president’s position at Reef failed to materialize, he said it seemed like the perfect catalyst to pursue that passion.

“I really viewed not getting that job as a blessing,” he says. “It allowed me to have the runway and the freedom to follow my dream.”

>> Read full article here

Riviera Magazine

MOVMT — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:29:06 +0000

The Partner in Crime
“A dash of future and a touch of cowboy” is how Mark Wystratch defines his style. “My earliest fashion memory was getting my first pair of shoes, which were actually boots. They were Justin Roper lace-ups and I went by the moniker of ‘Cowboy John.’” Guess the shoe fetish started early. Today, the former actor/ model/surf wanderer is the co-founder of The People’s Movement, the Solana Beach-based sneaker company that could knock TOMS off its perch. After all, co-founder and action sports hero Kevin Flanagan, aka Flanny, is at the helm of this eco line aimed at hipsters, gypsies and saving the earth. The company has partnered with Bombastic Plastix, using old plastic bags found in Bali for its shoe applications and packaging. “As surfers and environmentalists, we’ve found that’s the largest threat to the health of our planet,” says Wystratch. The “MOVMT,” as the brand is known, stands for more than just shoes. “I design for the young at heart who are always effortlessly cool because of their spirit. It’s for people that are passionate about timeless design, fashion and the environment.”

The Kickstarter
The big question (literally) for People’s Movement co-founder Kevin Flanagan, is: will the company make size 15 shoes? Flanagan laughs: “We’ll definitely be making bigger sizes,” mostly to outfit a lot of his friends who play in the NBA and NFL. At 6 feet, 9 inches, Flanagan played basketball at University of Arizona, where he met his wife, Alex, an NFL commentator. The action sports vet and former Reef VP was initially inspired by a worker’s shoe in China, envisioning the new brand, starting with shoes and expanding to hats, belts and more. Products are made with eco-conscious materials and sell everywhere from American Rag and Fred Segal to Sun Diego and Surf Diva. As for his personal style, Flanny says he’s “creatively fitted.” “I roll my sleeves because they’re too short or cuff my high-water pants to make the look appear intentional.” Locally, he and the in-law are inspired by local brands like Stance Socks, Shaper Studios, Raen Sunglasses, Nixon, Rusty Surfboards, Anders Creative and Vanity Hair Studio. “The Vanity Girls use organic supplies, keep my neck clean and make our shoes look hot,” says Flanny. That’s quite the winning combo.

Plastic Pollution is Everywhere

MOVMT — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:28:24 +0000

Our friends, Plastic Pollution Coalition, interview our friends/heroes, The Malloys about why plastic sucks.

TSM Awesome Flanny Shoe Review

MOVMT — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:14:19 +0000

The Simplistic Man (a.k.a TSM) has given us an awesome review!

"Recently came across these MOVMT shoes at my local American Rag in Newport Beach and just fell in love. Ive been searching for the perfect mix between a hi-top and a desert boot for the longest time, so this was just the bees knees… These eco-friendly California made shoes are light weight and are perfect for Spring and Summer. Above are both made out of organic cotton and go by the name of Flanny. These get 10 golden stars."

>> Check out the blog post

Hangin’ with Shaper Studios and Awolnation

MOVMT — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:54:01 +0000

Our friends from Awolnation stopped by last year for some drinkys & new MOVMT gear then burned The Belly Up down afterwards.
We headbanged, crowd surfed n moshed it (hard) with our friendlies from Shaper Studios til they politely asked us to stop.
That’s the video from this epic night! Booyah.

Video by Michael Weybret

MOVMT + CAL APPAREL NEWS = SOPHISTICATED AWESOMENESS

MOVMT — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:02:36 +0000

February 10, 2012

Kevin Flanagan has done his due diligence at action-sports brand machines as vice president of marketing for Reef, group show director at the Action Sports Retailers Trade Expo and VP of marketing for Globe shoes. For his new venture, The People’s Movement shoes, Flanagan partnered with Mark Wystrach and Chris Swortwood to start a brand that stood for their personal values—products that were made with environmental responsibility and promoted environmental awareness.

“As a surfer, I am connected to nature. I wanted the sneakers to stand for something, to stand for opening a dialogue about how we can produce and consume more responsibly,” Flanagan said. “I am a father. I wanted my company to make a positive impact on people and our world. This is why we partner with like-minded causes that push eco-friendlier materials.”

One of these organizations is Bombastix Plastix, a group Wystrach met in Bali that cleans up plastic pollution from beaches and “up-cycles” them into textiles. The group inspired The People’s Movement’s “Clean Act” collection, which features plastic bags “up-cycled” into different purposes, such as the pattern details on the shoes, re-useable shoe-bag packaging and on wallets. The shoes are also made out of organic-cotton canvas, natural dyes, water-based glues and organic-cotton shoelaces.

Flanagan said that explaining the story about the plastics used on the shoe opens the door to talk about single-use plastics in a larger sense.

“Often, the world’s problems can seem overwhelming, and you feel helpless as just one voice, but by taking the Plastic-Pollution Pledge against plastic, you are joining an ever-growing coalition, making a difference every day by using alternatives to petroleum-based plastics,” Flanagan said.

The sneaker itself is inspired by a Chinese worker-shoe template, which the founders slimmed down in the outsoles. They also tweaked the curves and proportions of the nose to make it more fashion-forward and incorporated the “V” MOVMT logo.

“I’ve spent my career in eyewear and footwear. I believe these two categories define people’s style,” Flanagan said. “You can wear a paper bag, and if you’ve got hip shades and shoes, you are in! The canvas-sneaker market is huge and is saturated by a ‘sea of sameness.’ I saw a huge opportunity

to create a company that speaks to a new, open-minded generation. Mark and I loved the ‘era’ look and durability of the Chinese proletariat shoes, and we felt they served as a great touchstone for thinking globally.”

The People’s Movement has been sold to stores such as Convert in Berkeley, Calif.

For more information, visit www.thepeoplesmovement.com or call (858) 345-1066.—Rhea Cortado

The Movement on KTLA News

MOVMT — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:52:09 +0000

Transworld Business Gets Under Our Hood.

MOVMT — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:26:36 +0000

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