About Riz- Swimmer

About Us

‘Spread a little sunshine.’

At Riz, we believe in change. With less consumption and more consideration, together we can change how we think about clothing, how we do business and how we live on our planet.

With this in mind, we set up the Riz Boardshorts company. Designed for a more thoughtful life, Created to connect you to the beach and beyond.

For summer and the sea.

Riz fabric

Less but Better

We only make shorts. That’s it. Beautiful and made to last.

Since the birth of the Riz brand in 2009, this ‘less but better’ philosophy feeds into everything we do.

By only making one thing, it allows us the time to do things properly. To become masters.

By putting the environment and wellbeing at the heart of the design process, it shapes this journey.

As Buckminster Fuller once wrote, ‘The best way to predict the future, is to design it’.

Designing with waste.
For nature.

There is already more than enough plastic in the world. No more needs to be created, ever.

We want to champion the change in creating things and buying things made from recycled materials, that will last a really long time and then be recycled at the end of life.

For over ten years, we have been making our shorts from recycled fabric, made from recycled plastic bottles.

For our latest range, everything is made from recycled materials (excluding the metal popper and nut button.)

Riz plastic bottle

‘To create a more sustainable future, fashion has to become more circular. Waste is a design flaw.’

Riz Printspiration

Printspiration

We work with a small collective of artists and illustrators to create unique prints that foster awareness and inspire appreciation for the natural world around us.

Print is a huge part of what characterises a pair of Riz shorts. Influenced by Hawaiiana, traditional wallpaper and Japanese patterns, we have created our own unique ‘British-Aloha’ style.

Printed in England using the latest digital print technology, we have been working with the same printers since the beginning. They are true masters, the best, and our shorts proud canvases.

See the Print Gallery

Our Shorts

We passionately believe in crafting shorts with soul.

Inspired by Savile Row and surf culture, a pair of Riz blend elegant tailoring with a laidback mood.

As a London based brand, the shorts are born from the need to escape to the beach. Created to take you between the streets and the sea; one pair for dinner and dives.

With this versatile nature in mind, the brand offers 3 different fits in a variety of lengths.

See sizing & fit guide
Riz Surfer

‘A unique ‘British-Aloha’ style that we hope will foster an awareness and appreciation for the natural world.’

Ali and Riz

Our History

Becoming Tailors of Sunshine

In 2009, Ali and myself decided that there was a need for something better in the men’s swimwear and boardshort market. I had worked for many years designing beachwear for a number of global brands and Ali was about to sail across the Pacific, where he would witness first hand the crisis of plastic pollution facing our oceans.

Together, we set out to build a brand with the aim of creating 'The most beautiful and environmental boardshorts possible'. Based in London, we love the irony of designing shorts in the pouring rain. It’s quite honest. People here travel to escape. It’s as if the shorts have become a metaphor for summer itself.

If you’re a sunshine soul and have enjoyed our story so far, you might like to join our community by signing up to our newsletter. The journey continues.