Sustainable Spotlight: Finatics
Olivia Notini, founder of new brand Finatics, is taking over the social media shark space, and with good reason! Finatics, a clothing company born out of Notini’s undeniable pull to sharks, not only promotes their protection, but also donates 10% to organizations dedicated to conserving sharks around the world. A recent college graduate, Notini started Finatics while elbow deep in books and papers, yet somehow she found the time to launch her passion project. Olivia is in every thread of the company, whether she is picking her favorite new hoodie color ways, posting photoshoots with her close friends in the gear during the most stunning of East Coast sunsets, or taking to TikTok to explain how to speak up for sharks. She is the perfect example of taking your skillset and applying it to a passion.
SC: You started Finatics when you were in college! Tell us how the idea came about.
ON: I had always thought sharks were cool animals growing up, nothing more until about high school when I started to learn about shark finning, what it is and the affect it is going to leave. Since high school I had the conceptual idea for what is now FINATICS, but I never had plans to actually do it. In college, my spring semester of 2020 I studied abroad in Australia on the Gold Coast which is where my love for the ocean I believe was reignited in a sense. I returned home in April due to COVID which at that point the world was shut down so I had all this extra time on my hands, and money left over I had saved up for Australia so I decided if I am ever going to launch this brand, then that was the time to do it.
I saw people were passionate about sharks and people thought shark finning was horrific, but there was nothing that really combined the two besides donating to organizations. I wanted to create a mission people could wear or, so FINATICS was born. And I haven't looked back since!
SC: What was the most challenging part of starting a company?
ON: I think starting was honestly the hardest part. FINATICS is a type of business no one really saw before with the concept of donating to save sharks, so making sure consumers were informed on the issue of finning and how we were helping was something I had to figure out how to portray in the simplest way.
SC: What is the best lesson you've learned along the way?
ON: I always try to look back and remember why I started. As FINATICS grows and we're adding new items, collabs, features etc sometimes the core purpose can get hazy. If I bring someone on the team or start a new project I always remind myself that I started this out of my love for sharks and wanting to make a difference, so I make sure whatever project or person I am working with will align with that mission too!
SC: You donate 10% of profits to shark conservation organizations, including Shark Allies. What inspired this decision?
ON: Before FINATICS even had a name or concept donating 10% was the model of the business however it was going to look. From the start donating back was always the goal of the brand no matter what we sold. Currently we have one major nonprofit partner Shark Allies located on the West Coast, who is an amazing organization working to pass more shark finning legislation and awareness in the United States. As we grow I plan to donate to other organizations who help shark finning in numerous different ways like Project Hui, a nonprofit run out of Indonesia that repurposes shark fishing vessels by providing alternative income to the fisherman through tourism. There are a lot more shark conservation groups out there than you would think who are doing amazing things. I urge people to look into some on their own and make a donation of whatever amount, if we all come together on this we will make an impact.
SC: How do you put sustainability at the forefront of your brand?
ON: I think the fashion industry in general is hard to label as sustainable so one major way I try to be as eco friendly and sustainable as a clothing brand is to try to use the most eco friendly materials such as cotton in my pieces. All of our garments are uniszex sizing so we produce less clothing than a normal brand that offers women and men sizes. Our model of limited edition drops so we never have a surplus of clothing going to waist and if we do have defective items (misprints, ink stain etc) I do givebacks to our customers or donate them to local shelters. We never just throw them out. Additionally, this year we also are beginning to manufacture our own clothing which will allow us to have more control over the sustainability process as well as have all our garments be made in the USA!
SC: Which Finantics piece are you the most proud of, and why?
ON: It is clothing, but is more the purpose of the clothing, jewelry, and other goods. When you buy our best seller, the Protect The Locals hood you aren’t just buying another hoodie, you are buying a product that is a wearable mission. I’ve gotten messages from customers saying hey a stranger came up to me and asked what protect the locals means and I got to tell them all about shark finning and now they want to be involved too. For me that is why FINATICS is so different from most brands, we aren’t just making products, we’re making products with a purpose and that's what makes me the most proud.
SC: Do you have any exciting plans or new launches at Finatics?
ON: So many exciting things are in the works but one I can spill some tea about is our completely sustainable swimwear line launching this Spring of 2022! Our suits will be made from recycled plastics from our oceans as well as regenerated nylon made from nylon found in landfills and oceans around the world. Of course we will add our sharky twist to them all.
SC: What can people do on an individual level to help sharks?
ON: Become informed, donate, and spread the mission. There are loads of amazing articles and documentaries about finning out there all free to watch and read. The more people become aware is when change will start to happen which we are seeing with Hawaii just making shark fishing illegal. There is power in numbers. Also donating to causes like Shark Allies, any amount. Don't feel you need to put down hundreds or thousands to make a difference, anything helps! Then lastly share the information to a friend or family so they can share it and so on and so on. I find the majority of people have no clue shark finning is even a thing, or know how severe it is.
Support Olivia’s brand and shark conservation initiatives at www.shopfinatics.com and on social at @finatics.