Hey!!
 
So firstly, allow me to introduce myself - I'm Keith and I'm the founder of Rockpool Clothing.

Secondly, thank you so much for checking out the brand and also for taking a few minutes to learn a little bit more about the who, what, how, why and when...
 
It is quite a long story, but I'll keep it short as I really want to share with you the background behind the brand. 

Whereas a lot of brands and ideas and business ventures are thought up over a couple of pints in a pub, Rockpool is the total opposite to that.
 
I came from a background of seasons between the French Alps and Cornwall. I did this for 6 years and had the best time and met the best people along the way. Unfortunately, a huge part of this lifestyle is a drinking culture which, yes, can be fun, but can also be very dangerous. As the years went on it became more and more apparent that the drink was getting the better of me, I had become dependent, and it was seriously affecting my life and health in many ways.

I knew that I had to totally remove myself from this lifestyle and in September 2019 I decided to leave Cornwall and return to stay with my family and get sober. It wasn't safe for me to be in that kind of environment anymore. I was hugely missing going out to France snowboarding and living at the beach in Cornwall, so I started coming up with ideas of a way of still being involved in the lifestyle but without actually being there in person. And that's when the idea of Rockpool came about. My aim was to design a range of clothing that I would personally love to wear myself. Rockpool was a way of living my passion for the lifestyle through the brand, through other people, and seeing you guys wearing the Rockpool brand all over the world.

Rockpool was born at the beginning of 2021. Since then, I've been building the foundations of a wonderful brand community and following. I've always stayed true to keeping it simple and sticking to the ethos - 

Would I love wearing it myself? 

and

Would I love it on someone else? 

It's very easy to get caught up in trends and who's doing what, but if you keep to your own personal style and personal taste then the outcome of the brand is truly authentic. And that is something I'm very proud of. 

I'm also extremely proud that in November 2022 I had my last drink. 3 years after committing to making the lifesaving decision to change my life. I owe this to my amazing family, friends and professional help for all of their unbelievable support. Without them, and building Rockpool, this would never have been possible.

Rockpool has never been a hustle to make a quick bit of cash, it's never had any deadlines or pressure to launch. I've always told people it'll be ready when it's ready. It's been the ultimate focus for me and my recovery from alcohol, it gave me a purpose, and has taken me on an amazing journey which has 100% saved my life.

I hope you like the results.

Thank you

Keith

20.08.23