Every pair of Black Algae Shorts starts with a world-class base material – a rare cotton called Karnak Menoufi. One of the lightest, softest materials on the planet, Karnak Menoufi is a silk-like cotton that’s only found in the Nile Delta, and only grows in the years when the rain, soil and wind conditions are perfect. We combine this with ultrafine nylon and elastane for durability and stretch, before submerging the finished shorts in a giant bath of the world’s first black algae dye.

Over 5 years of R&D have gone into creating a black algae dye, as each individual particle in the pigment has to be microscopically small – at an average of 1 micron. While most dyes are still petroleum based, the algae we use starts life in huge open-air ponds where it absorbs carbon dioxide and pumps oxygen back out into the atmosphere. The result is a pair of super lightweight, breathable and fast drying shorts, with a naturally faded look created by the garment dyeing process.