Hotel Bondi Swim HB-027 'Local' North Bondi Boat Ramp collection tie side tri bikini
Maker
Hotel Bondi Swim
(Australian)
Date2008
Object numberV00046051
NameSwimsuit
MediumNylon & elastane (spandex or Lycra)
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Hotel Bondi
DescriptionDesigners Fern Levack and Damion Fuller of emerging swimwear label Hotel Bondi Swim take inspiration from Australia's laid back beach culture and Bondi Beach. This tie-side tri bikini from the 'North Bondi Boat Ramp' collection uses a cream fabric with lime embellishments and features multi-coloured shoe string ties with gold beads at the ends. A doodled map of North Bondi is printed on the inside lining of the bikini bottoms and the word 'LOCAL' is printed on the back. This bikini and others in Hotel Bondi Swim's range are iconic representations of Australian beach culture in and around Sydney's most famous beach.HistoryFern Levack and Damion Fuller founded Hotel Bondi Swim in 2008. Their Australian made swimwear uses textile prints designed specifically in Bondi, Sydney, Australia. Both designers strongly believe in celebrating the local, eclectic, laid-back Bondi lifestyle. They say, '. . . bikinis are simply the best canvasses for the type of art we like to create . . . every print and every bikini that is created by Hotel Bondi Swim is made especially to express the personality of this colourful and beautifully Australian backyard'.
Both Levack and Fuller have a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles from the University of Technology Sydney. Levack started out in the fashion industry with Collette Dinnigan before founding the streetwear label Kitten and Fuller worked as a senior designer for Mambo. Examples of the couple's designs are held in the permanent collections of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and Union Francaise des Arts du Costume and Musee du Louvre in Paris.
Levack and Fuller believe that in the wake of globalisation and the cold interface of technology, people are craving the authenticity of the human touch and a personal dialogue with like-minded passionate people. They define their brand as part of 'The New Luxury Movement,' which is all about original artwork, exclusivity, high quality workmanship and the sheer gloriousness of the materials and details. They are passionate ambassadors of the Bondi lifestyle and Hotel Bondi Swim's bikinis express this authentic, creative, village attitude of one-street-back-Bondi.
From the 19th century Australians wore homemade bathing costumes based on overseas pattern books, or ready-made mail order swimwear. Retailers soon provided the latest fashions from British and American companies.
By the 1930s swimwear was being mass produced by local knitting mills with brand names that reflected the Australian lifestyle- Challenge Racer, Sunkist, Penguin, Golden Fleece, Kookaburra, Top Dog, Seagull and Speedo.
Australia's relaxed attitude to fashion has enabled swimwear and beachwear to become a focus of the Australian fashion industry. Innovative local brands have gained international recognition. Australian designers blend high-end fashion and performance swimwear with a leisure market that demands the latest fabrics, colours and styles.
In 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. Contemporary swimsuit design has a more functional purpose in mind with its use of fabric but incorporates bold patterns, innovative silhouettes and eye-catching prints in the design.
Wool was the most elastic fabric available until the invention of synthetic fibres in 1938. Rib knit technology gave woollen swimming costumes their stretch - the knit stitch provided strength and the purl stitch stretch. The tight rib knit used for jumper cuffs was first used for men's rowing suits in 1913. The elasticity of these woollen rowing suits was the inspiration for the male swimsuit.
The growing popularity of swimming inspired new fashions, manufacturing techniques and fabric technologies. The linear stretch of elastic enabled manufacturers to mass-produce figure hugging fabrics that provided greater
movement and improved swimming performance.SignificanceThis bikini is a representative example of emerging Australian swimwear label Hotel Bondi Swim's 2008 collection and demonstrates how they celebrate Sydney's Bondi Beach through their designs.
Parent (child)/Child (parent)