New Swimwear Brands To Watch
Image: Londre
When choosing your next hero swimsuit, first take a look at our round up of the best sustainable new swimwear brands to watch.
Is that time of the year again! Now more than ever, we’re craving some well deserved relaxation and a dip in the sea. However with the constantly growing amount of microplastics in the sea, coral bleaching events and underwater life extinction, not to mention waste in and around our shorelines, it is estimated that there are 640,000 tones of fishing nets in the ocean. They remain adrift for 500 years, posing a threat to turtles, fish and other sea mammals. The earth’s oceans are the unhappy home to around 165 million tons of plastic waste. It comes as no surprise that even though nylon is a perfect material for our swimsuits, we must consider environmentally friendly options. We have rounded up some of the most stylish and inspiring swimwear brands, paving the way for guilt-free summer shopping.
Evarae
Evarae is creating conscious luxury pieces that are built to last. Their production process features a fully transparent supply chain, consciously choosing materials that are made through more sustainable processes that lower our environmental impact. 95% of their swimwear is made from the regenerative yarn ECONYL®. It’s a material that is infinitely recyclable and made using nylon waste plastic from our oceans and landfills. The regenerative system forms a closed-loop which reduces water consumption and creates less waste. Evarae have a small family run atelier in Rimini, Italy, that has over 20 years of experience producing swimwear. They choose Earth-friendly packaging made from 100% certified recycled & recyclable or biodegradable materials.
Bower
Bower is a sustainable and ethical swim and resort wear brand that sources materials from an Italian sustainable techno-fabric made from ECONYL® recycled yarn. By producing in Europe they can regularly visit and guarantee that all employees are paid under EU guidelines and are provided with safe working conditions. Packaging is carefully chosen too. Their tissue paper is certified by the Eco Packaging Alliance, which means their supplier plants trees to contribute to global reforestation in areas of need. Swing tags and stickers are also FSC Certified. The printed tissue is sourced from a forest & supply chain that is managed responsibly & sustainably.
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Stidston Studio
Grounded in ethical manufacturing and using sustainable materials, Stidston Studio is finding its inspiration around the English summer. From beaches and countryside in Devon to London’s swimming ponds and lidos. All of their styles are designed, cut and sewn in the UK. They’re handmade in small batches to ensure product waste is kept to a minimum. All Stidston Studio Lycra swimwear is made from Econyl regenerated nylon made from recycled fishing nets and other pre and post-consumer waste. They have chosen to avoid print placements as this creates a lot of fabric wastage. By using repeat prints, each garment is unique as the placement is always different.
Swimsuit, £88, Stidston Studio x Lottie Goodman at Wearth London
Elle Nage
ELLE NAGE luxury swimsuits are made to last through empowering customers to be conscious consumers. Through their campaign, they want to create stylish swimwear using ECONYL, which reduces the global warming impact of nylon by 90%, compared with the manufacturing of virgin nylon from oil. ELLE NAGE suits are vibrant, with gorgeous bold prints. They have spent months working on the perfect fit. This has been achieved using double lining to contour with every element carefully considered. Every swimsuit comes with a free ‘Repair Kit’ made from the authentic off-cuts of the fabric, so that if your swimwear ever gets damaged, you can use your patch to repair it yourself.
Monte & Lou
Lets face it, the Aussie’s know great swimwear, so when we heard that Australian swim brand Monte & Lou were coming to the UK we got very excited. Founders Lynne Tramonte and Kay Howitt have a background in swimwear, so designing pieces that fit well but were also sustainable came naturally to them. Each piece is lined meaning it sculpts your body and feels very soft. This is thanks to a recycled plastic nylon fabric that is made using plastic bottles and ghost fishing nets. The swim fabric is also quick drying. It takes a mere 15 minutes for your suit to dry thanks to their Exclusive Quick Dry technology. The brand utilises digital printing to create its beautiful range of unique swimwear styles, which reduces water waste.
Londre
Londre is committed to making the most flattering and high-quality swimsuits with the lowest possible environmental impact. Most styles go from a size 6 to 5XL and come in a variety of cuts to flatter any bodyshape. So far, they’ve taken over 200,000 plastic bottles from beaches and streets to craft swimwear. Each suit has a minimum of 6 recycled plastic bottles in every one. All of the water used in production is reused as it is completely free of harmful chemicals. Plus, the swimsuits can be rejuvenated into new materials at the end of their long life, and compensation is given to customers to have suits repaired within the first year after purchase if needed. Londre have donated tens of thousands of dollars to environmental and women’s health initiatives, including Amazon Watch and The Ocean Clean Up Project.
Deakin and Blue
Deakin and Blue makes transformational swimwear that empowers women, whatever their shape or size. Every piece is sleek, sculpting and sustainable. Its founder Rosie realised that “swimwear offered either style or substance but almost never both”. So, she decided to reconsider and reinvent swimwear, and to develop a set of pieces that are transformational. She has combined fabrics made from regenerated ocean waste, revolutionary production methods and a ground-breaking sizing system to create a set of garments to suit all body shapes and sizes. Using ECONYL®, they produce their swimwear in a small London production studio that prides itself on premium craftsmanship in a safe working environment. All swim pieces come with CoppaFeel! #BraHijack labels, reminding you to check for signs of breast cancer, and they can customise any of their pieces (free of charge) to fit a post-mastectomy prosthetic.
Tona
Tona is the newly launched swimwear line from stylist Tona Stell. Through her day job, and personal experiences, she recognised a lack of modern, well fitting swimwear for every shape. She set out to change this with the launch of her first collection. Comprising of separates that can be mixed and matched, the range goes from size 8-20UK and underwired tops come in size 32DD-38G. We love the flirty, retro colours and prints too. Good fit was incredibly important to Tona, but so was fabric. Using only organic Towelling and ECONYL fabrics, she has ensured that responsible choices have been made throughout the design process.
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Disclaimer: The people and models in the images featured are not associated with The Vendeur and do not endorse it or the products shown. This post may contain affiliate links. Prices correct at time of publishing.