Best of the Gold Coast: The Gold Coast’s seven best swimwear labels
INSPIRED by our sun-soaked, sandy feet lifestyle, brand bikinis are thriving on the Gold Coast. These are just some of the local labels making a splash, writes Denise Raward and Chantay Logan.
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INSPIRED by our sun-soaked, sandy feet lifestyle, brand bikini is thriving on the Gold Coast. These are just some of the local labels making a splash, writes Denise Raward and Chantay Logan
PEONY
Taking a stance on sustainability felt natural for Peony director and designer Becky Morton. “It’s been in the pipeline for more than 12 months and stemmed from a genuine care and love for the natural environment,” she says.
“We want to feel good about what we do every day and once we started talking to our customers we knew it was something they wanted too.
“Our spring collection is made up of 50 per cent recycled and sustainable swimwear styles. In the long term, we aim to transition entirely to sustainable fabrications and practices.”
The sustainable styles boast touchable texture, teamed with the Burleigh-born label’s nostalgia-evoking feminine aesthetic.
“Our Spring 18 collection, Narrative, is built upon a moody colour palette with fresh pops of pastel colour and beautifully textured fabrications,” Becky says.
“Narrative features shirring, scallop detailing, rushed carriageways, panelling, ruffles and contrast stitching.
“Our signature Essential One Piece returns more luxe than ever before in Charcoal, a sueded recycled Italian fabric with off-white contrast stitching.”
On the Gold Coast you can buy Peony at Bikini & Me Burleigh, Issue 1 at Robina Town Centre, Kind Curations at The Cornerstone Stores and Salt Living Coolangatta, but that’s just the start of an expanding empire.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for our brand,” Becky says. “We have expanded globally and Peony is now available all over the world with stockists in Canada, Spain, Switzerland and Dubai. We are also very excited to be launching our Resort ’18 collection with premier luxury fashion destination Net-A-Porter this month.”
Summer/Addiction Swimwear
Swimwear hasn’t always had a reputation for inspiring body confidence, but Chantal Umpelby and Jasmin Young are out to change that. The Gold Coast women have just launched their third collection under the label Summer/Addiction Swimwear with a more diverse range of styles and cuts and a new initiative to promote positive body image. The label will donate $1 from every bikini sale to The Butterfly Foundation. “In a world where social media and Photoshop is king, we want women to know that we are all bikini body ready regardless of our size, shape, nationality or age,” Chantal says. Established in December 2016, Summer/Addiction Swimwear specialises in Brazilian cuts, high-quality materials and striking colours to create high-end basics. “Minimalism is making a comeback and it doesn’t have to be boring,” Jasmin says. “This summer we are expecting to see a lot of clean, neutral swimsuits with unique details like alternative necklines, double or varying straps, contrast trims and ribbed or smocked textures.” Jasmin says high-cut designs, as flaunted by the Baywatch girls, are also hot property. “Ultra-high cuts, longer leg lines and silhouettes are taking us back a few decades, which we’re absolutely loving,” she says. Jasmin and Chantal are the driving force behind the brand, from concept and design to production. The 23-year olds met more than a decade ago in high school and grew to become close friends. “We are born and bred on the Gold Coast, which is all about summer, swimwear and our beautiful beaches,” says Jasmin. “Our 10-year friendship, along with our passion, makes working together super easy.”
Myra Swim
When Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez are wearing your swimwear, you know you’ve made it. Local designer and pro longboarder Bianca Elouise launched her distinctive label in 2014, designing for women just like her — with a butt, cleavage and small waist. The label’s signature look is monochrome with cheeky Brazilian cuts, seamless finishes and high-cut styles. “It’s really recreating vintage 80s/90s shapes for the 21st century,” Bianca says. Myra Swim shot to fame when Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj both wore her pieces in music videos and ramped up to a whole new level when Kim Kardashian’s famous derriere was photographed in one of her bikini bottoms. Not surprisingly, US demand has lured Bianca to spend more time in the States. “I had a vision of where I wanted to go with the label so I expected it of myself,” she says, of her global success. “It’s not as overwhelming then when it actually happens.”
Capriosca Swimwear
It was around eight years ago that Marcia Pilkington saw a gap in the market for stylish, flattering plus-size swimwear and took the plunge. Her Southport-based Capricosca label is now stocked by more than 100 retailers with a thriving online business in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US. “We cater for women 25 and over,” Marcia says. “Women in their 60s and 70s like to be fashionable these days too. Our customers generally want to look slimmer, hide their tummies and have good support so we do wider, adjustable straps.” Capriosca offers an extensive range of styles and fabrics including specialty G-cup designs, maternity, underwire options and post-mastectomy swimwear. “Our zip-up pieces have been very popular lately because they’re more sun safe and our three-tier style which hides the tummy has also been selling well,” Marcia says. Everything is designed and sourced locally and Capriosca maintains its own shopfront in Johnson Street, Southport.
Selkie Surfwear
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Selkie’s swimwear is made from 100 per cent recycled nylon salvaged from fishing nets and other ocean debris. The label is the brainchild of two local waterwomen Beth Nevill and Lucy Tait who couldn’t find what they were looking for in sustainable, sun-safe swimwear that offered better coverage and an alternative vibe to what was already on the market. “We were both spending a lot of time on the beach with our children and looking for good sun protection that was functional yet still stylish,” Beth says. Both come from an art background and love designing their own fabric patterns which Beth describes as having a boho feel with an Australian theme. Their dolphin suit with its higher neck and long sleeves has been a popular seller. “Everything is made at Tweed Heads and our fabric lasts around five times longer than Lycra,” Beth says. “It’s designed for heavy use, that you love to wear, that’s a bit different and will last for the full summer.”
Eau Paix Vie
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This cheeky swimwear label has been seen on many a global celeb, including Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. Eau Paix Vie (water peace life) was founded seven years ago by two Gold Coast sisters Carly and Simone Wilkins who love travel, fun and friends and wanted to capture the vibe in their own online swimwear label. “All our swimwear is designed with those factors in mind,” Carly says. “It shows through in our bright and fun prints and colours which are all made from luxe Italian fabrics.” EPV’s signature look features cute mix and match prints and “perfectly-cut” cheeky bottoms, much loved by the younger end of the market. Eau Paix Vie has a healthy global profile thanks largely to its celebrity customers and active social media. “We have a lot of girls who tag us in their photos where a whole group of friends is wearing EPV, as well as a lot of travel photos of girls wearing our swimwear around the world, which we absolutely love to see,” Carly says.
Salis Society
Sophie Guidolin and Ash Tardrew are two mums who spend a lot of time at the beach and decided to launch their own swimwear label celebrating their two great passions — the ocean and women. Salis (Latin for salt) Society was born, offering bikinis in hand-dyed fabrics from hand-drawn designs created to celebrate rather than hide the female form. “A lot of our customers who are mums like the fuller coverage bottoms that offer a bit of support,” Ash says. “But we do cheeky cuts as well — just because you’re a mum doesn’t mean you can’t wear them.” Salis Society is also dedicated to giving back, raising funds for the Australian Marine Conservation Society. “That’s very important to us as well,” Ash says. The girls are now on to their fourth collection, selling their separates online to women around Australia.
Originally published as Best of the Gold Coast: The Gold Coast’s seven best swimwear labels