Welcome to Banks Journal
The Banks Journal mission is simple - to merge style & function with a sustainable approach to design and development.
Our Story
Banks Journal is a modern clothing label inspired by coastal living and a love of design. Thanks to its founders, it’s infused with a unique blend of Japanese and Australian heritage. Masa Shibahara and Motoo Noda grew up under the neon lights of Tokyo. Tim Cochran and Rama McCabe spent their childhood in the creative hub of Byron Bay.
These contrasting perspectives of the world come together as Banks Journal to create the contemporary coastal look and feel of the brand.
These four individuals have combined their vast industry knowledge and experience to shape a label with offices in Byron Bay, Tokyo and Newport Beach in Southern California.
Our Approach
When it comes to crafting our product, we aim to take a modern approach to design with a fine regard to the details.
Our actions have a direct impact on the world we live in, and it is our responsibility to make an effort to preserve it. We value and take every opportunity to reduce the footprint of our everyday journeys, with the hope that it will bring forward positive change and progression.
Our innovative collective of surfers, designers, artists and photographers are all bound by their curiosity and share the desire to make the world a better place.
We embrace the everyday journeys we take with optimism in our hearts. It’s through this yearning for adventure that we aim to add utility and function to everything we produce.
A bit of stretch here, a little waterproofing there, means we achieve functionality without sacrificing our signature understated style.
Our Name
In Australia we call them sand banks. You know, those magical formations on the ocean floor at your favourite beach break that shapes the wave? We like the name because sand banks are constantly changing and evolving and we have the journal to capture these changes along the way. Our logo is a reflection of banks on the beach and a balanced approach to our lives.
Our Sustainability
Since day one we wanted to take a sustainable approach to design and development. Growing up in Byron Bay, Tim and Rama were ingrained with a deep respect for their natural surroundings from early on. With this in mind, the choice was simple for us to utilise as many environmentally friendly materials as possible.
We’re proud that all our tees and the bulk of our fleece, are made with organic cotton. We use PVC and phthalate free inks across all our screen printing. We use re-purposed soda bottles to create the polyester that’s used in all our woven labels across every product we make. This same process is also implemented for a large portion of our boardshort development. Along with these measures, we also use FSC approved paper for all our swing tags and catalogues.
We’re not perfect, but we’re working hard to improve the way we produce everything we make.