Hotel Bondi Swim 'Woollen Mermaid' swimsuit

Maker Hotel Bondi Swim (Australian)

Date2009

Object number00046049

NameSwimsuit

MediumNylon, elastane (spandex or Lycra)

DimensionsOverall: 650 x 350 mm, 115 g

ClassificationsClothing and personal items

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Hotel Bondi

Terms

DescriptionHotel Bondi Swim 'Woollen Mermaid' swimsuit by Fern Levack and Damion Fuller. The Australian swimwear label Hotel Bondi Swim designed this women's black one-piece swimsuit for the Australian National Maritime Museum's 2009 'Woollen Mermaid' project. The simple black swimsuit features a single white elastic detail decoration on the bust. The simple cut and minimal decoration reflects the label's outlook on Australian beach culture and women as laid back, unpretentious and independent.HistoryIn the early 20th century most swimsuits were produced in wool, in part due to its ability to reveal less of the body when wet. There was early experimentation with developing rib-like knits that were more elastic, followed by the use of Lastex, a rubber yarn that created a garment with less sag and drag. In the 21st century, advances in textile technology have resulted in the development of wool jersey fabrics with a high compression Lycra component. Looking to the past and designing for the future, the swimsuit designs embody a contemporary aesthetic and active glamour inspired by the original mermaid, Annette Kellerman. Kellerman (1886-1975) was the 'Australian Mermaid,' the 'Diving Venus' and the 'Perfect Woman.' Through a career as a long distance swimmer, diver, vaudeville performer and silent movie star she became a global identity associated with glamour and physical beauty. She was the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel, and swam her way across Europe and the United States. Kellerman was a controversial individual. She was allegedly arrested for indecency preparing to swim along the coastline at Revere Beach, Boston in 1907 and expressed her independence and self-possession through bodily spectacle in daring swimsuits styled on the existing one-piece swimsuit design for men. There were initially no modifications made to the original, masculine design; no structuring to the contours of a woman's body, in particular the breast area, and it would not be until the 1930s that designers would feminise the swimsuit, and new technology would assist the development of textiles that would enhance its fit and performance. Kellerman's innovation was revealing the female body, which had been concealed beneath layers of clothes and corsets for centuries in the public arena. She was a role model for women, encouraging self-motivation and self-development. Kellerman extolled the virtues of exercise and a healthy diet to shape the body naturally. In 1918 her book Physical Beauty: How to Keep It was published, and it promised that through a series of simple daily exercises in the home, every woman could achieve a level of physical beauty that was essential to the wearing of a body hugging one-piece swimsuit with confidence. As a prototypical Hollywood star she prefigured the celebrity culture focused on the body that has predominated since then.SignificanceThis swimsuit is representative of the emerging Australian label Hotel Bondi Swim and their response to the Australian National Maritime Museum's 'Woollen Mermaid' project in 2009. Hotel Bondi Swim's Woollen Mermaid project swimsuit embodies a modern aesthetic inspired by the original Australian mermaid Annette Kellerman.