Hi, we are Sonja & Mauricio, the founders of Woodlike.
Woodlike was born in late summer 2016 out of a desire for change.
The ocean and our planet are something we deeply love and respect.
After traveling the world for a long time and seeing the impact plastic waste has on marine environments, we were inspired to design swimwear made from recycled materials instead of new ones. For part of our collection, we use regenerated ECONYL® nylon, made from pre- and post-consumer waste such as reclaimed fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring, and industrial plastic, instead of virgin nylon.
Each Woodlike bikini made with ECONYL® uses approximately 180-200 g of this recycled material — waste that would otherwise remain in the ocean, in landfills, or in industrial disposal.
Sonja was born in Hamburg, Germany. She learned the tailor and pattern maker profession at an early age, creating high fashion collections for a renowned German textile group. After a while, she took the road less traveled and spent half of her life commuting between Oahu's North Shore, Bali, and Australia. The water became her second home, and she soon realized she couldn't find a modern bikini that fit her athletic needs. She explored new fits and began hand-sewing bikinis for her own use. Soon after, people asked where they could get those pieces — an idea was born. Sonja now brings her creative vision, technical precision, and love for the ocean to the Woodlike brand and product line.
Mauricio was born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica. He spent much of his life at the beach, chasing that romantic, endless-summer ideal. Passionate about fashion design, aesthetics, and creativity since an early age, Mauricio met Sonja on the North Shore, and they have been inseparable ever since. A self-taught web developer and designer, he has worked for a leading agency with an extensive portfolio of renowned companies. Today, he helps shape and guide the Woodlike Ocean brand vision.