Hotel Bondi Swim 'Golden Girl' bikini bottom
Maker
Hotel Bondi Swim
(Australian)
Date2008
Object number00046056
NameSwimsuit
MediumNylon, elastane (spandex or Lycra), metal
DimensionsOverall (measured flat): 200 x 345 mm
Copyright© Hotel Bondi Swim
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Hotel Bondi
DescriptionHotel Bondi Swim brand 'Golden Girl' bandeau bikini bottom from their 2008 collection. The bikini bottom features beach scene illustrations in multi-coloured pastel hues. The reverse of the swimsuit has silver clasp that reads 'HOTeL 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 their ethos of capturing the essence of the popular beachside suburb of Bondi in their fabric and styles.