Hotel Bondi Swim swimsuit with Bondi/Tamarama map print
Maker
Hotel Bondi Swim
(Australian)
Date2008
Object number00046050
NameSwimsuit
MediumNylon, elastane (spandex or Lycra)
DimensionsOverall (measured flat): 600 x 360 mm
Copyright© Hotel Bondi Swim
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Hotel Bondi
DescriptionA black and white one-piece swimsuit features a silver clasp clip-back and is part of Hotel Bondi Swim's 'Community Garden' collection from 2008. It was designed by Fern Levack and Damion Fuller who owned the emerging Australian swimwear label.
The fabric features a map of the Sydney suburbs of Bondi and Tamarama. Founded in 2008, Hotel Bondi Swim continually celebrates the lifestyle, community and culture of Sydney's Bondi Beach in their art and swimwear designs. This swimsuit is a typical representation of their aim to express the authentic, creative, village attitude of Bondi.HistoryFern Levack and Damion Fuller were the founders and artists of Hotel Bondi Swim , an Australian made and printed swimwear with textile prints designed in Bondi.
Levack and Fuller believed that in the wake of globalisation and rise of technology, people were 'craving the authenticity of the human touch and a personal dialogue with likeminded passionate people'. Original artwork, exclusivity, high quality workmanship and attention to details were features of the brand. Bikinis are a way of life in Bondi and each one was designed as a unique piece of art that expressed the eclectic, laid back Bondi Beach lifestyle. Prints by Hotel Bondi Swim were designed to express the personality of this 'colourful and beautifully Australian backyard'.
Hotel Bondi Swim was one of the contemporary swimwear designers invited to reinterpret the classic one-piece swimsuit using a technologically advanced wool/lycra textile for ANMM's 2009 exhibition Exposed! The Story of Swimwear. The use of this fabric articulates the technological importance of performance textiles to fashioning a modern garment, whilst acknowledging the importance of wool as a yarn to Australia and the swimsuit's history.
SignificanceThis swimsuit is representative of the emerging Australian swimwear label Hotel Bondi Swim and is an example of their 2008 Community Garden collection.
