Gisele Bundchen‘s sandal collection is inspired by marine life.

The supermodel, who endorses the footwear made by Ipanema, is donating profits from her new range to the Tamar Project, an organization which studies and protects sea turtles, after becoming fascinated by the endangered creatures:

“It all began when I was at my home in Costa Rica. I saw the turtles were dying. These animals are essential to marine life. They’re part of the ecosystem. That’s why we started looking for a project that supported the continued existence of the species. We hit on the Tamar project. The entire new Gisele Bundchen Ipanema collection is based on marine life.”

Despite admitting she is not a designer, the Brazilian beauty insists she is heavily involved in the creative process for coming up with the footwear. She added to Hello! magazine, “I do as much as I can. It’s a collaboration. I’m not a designer, but I throw myself into everything else. I come up with ideas, I meet the designers, I tell them what I want and once everything comes together, I give the final approval. The shoes have sentimental value because they reflect the things that matter to me.”