STARTING a new clothing brand is no easy feat. Despite the challenges of capturing customers in a market saturated by throwaway fast fashion, an entrepreneurial mother and daughter duo from Granada area are making a big splash with their sustainable and ethical street-wear brand, Zen Riders Club.
Rapidly going international, after launching in November 2024, Zen Riders is run from a quiet mountain village, off grid, along a goat track. The duo makes natural garments in a natural place, full of beauty and inspiration, and with love and dedication.
The clothing brand is designed “for the wild tribe” – including yogis, surfers, street stylers, and those with an edgy look. With a focus on the bigger picture, Zen Riders Club aims to be a movement, rather than just a fashion brand.
The mother and daughter team, Amy and Ella, have a keen eye for what appeals to their target audience. They both live the authentic lifestyle of active sports combined with rural and urban pursuits in Granada.
Product lines to die for
As well as a ‘Barebones Basics’ product range that is available constantly on Zenriders.club – with a diverse and tasteful colour palette – the garments are released as limited edition print drops. This occurs monthly and customers must be quick to nab their favourite products from the line. Each drop features several different designs. At present, the ‘Love Fearlessly’ drop is selling out almost immediately.
The next drop is on April 22 – ‘Earth Day’ – which has a hiking guy and a sun goddess, amongst other designs.
The website also features an archive of limited edition, previous designs. They are collectible – if you’re fast enough!
Garments include graphic hoodies and t-shirts, as well as over-sized jeans, crop tops, cargo pants, yoga mats, and other diverse items.
Popular themes include a tattoo art ‘Gitana’ design, a ‘Day of the Dead’ flamenco fan, ‘Ride or Die’ designs, and the recent ‘Love Fearlessly’ drop, which is a tribute to a close friend of the founders, who died a couple of years ago.
Proving equally popular are ironic garments with slogans as “have more sex” and “better than cocaine”. “A group of party promoters bought a whole load of those hoodies then asked for more!” said co-founder, Amy.
For the younger “wildlings”, there’s the Baby Zen babygro – “new to the crew”.
Living and loving the lifestyle
Amy and Ella are creating garments that reflect their own lifestyle, which helps explain the runaway success. Amy frequently spends time at Granada’s Sierra Nevada ski resort and is a yogi, mountain biker, snowboarder, hiker, and 4×4 roof tent adventurer.
She says: “I’m a mum, granny, and I spent more than 20 years off the grid raising five wild kids in tipis and wooden houses. I’m currently living out of a bag and am not easy to pin down!”
Both Amy and Ella could equally be found in the skate park, the city streets, doing early morning coffee runs, or late-night sessions under neon lights. Says Amy: “Our pieces are made for movement, self-expression, and everyday wear. We take inspiration from underground scenes and alternative lifestyles we’ve experienced all our lives.”
Ella is a mum of two, a tattoo artist, graphic designer and social media marketer who also runs the Social Butterflies digital marketing agency. She lives in a tiny village buried in the mountains and works from there.
The brand is promoted by a gang of ambassadors in Spain and Switzerland including dancehall girls who visit festivals, skaters, surfers kiteboarders, snowboarders, mountain bikers and dancers.
Amy says: “A large amount of orders have come from Zurich, Switzerland, and a lot of interest has come from the ambassadors there.”
Social success – going viral
Zen Riders Club has gained huge traction in a short timescale on social media, with over 9,000 followers on Instagram, and over 50,000 monthly visitors to its website.
Some big names are following the Instagram account.
Aided by all this “following”, “liking” and “sharing”, several established, high-end fashion outlets have asked to stock the clothing lines, and requests for samples are appearing thick and fast.
Ella is responsible for the social media marketing and spends time in her mountain studio uploading engaging content.
Sustainable fashion with zero toxins
At a time when throwaway “fast fashion” accounts for approximately 6% of market share (according to Research and Markets), savvy consumers are seeking a sustainable alternative.
Zen Riders Club has come at a time when many people want individual and ethical garments that won’t fall apart the first time they surf, skate, or simply check out the scene.
A 2021 study by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) tested 38 samples of children’s and adult’s clothing and accessories from popular fast fashion brands. One in five items contained concerning levels of chemicals.
In 2024, South Korean authorities tested children’s winter clothing from the same Chinese retailers. Some contained toxic substances, including phthalate plasticizers, lead, and cadmium, at levels hundreds of times over the legal limit.
Phthalates can harm reproductive functions and cause increased risk of cancer.
The opposite of these toxic products, Zen Riders Club garments are made of 100% luxury cotton or other organic materials. They are created responsibly, without any GMOs or harsh chemicals. This happens in a rural studio that employs local people in a safe working environment. The workshop is solar powered and inaccessible by vehicle.
From the mountains to the cities, Zen Riders Club looks set to achieve its aim – of becoming a movement that captivates people and gains rapid momentum.
Use the code “GREEN10” for a special offer at the checkout, to but 2 and get 1 free on Barebones t-shirts (Hang Ten tee, Board Slide boxy tee, Ghetto Bird crop tee) .
Visit Zen Riders at Instagram.
www.zenriders.club