EXERCISE physiologist-turned-swimwear designer Shannon Donovan is hoping her label Don Swim will create waves in the Perth fashion scene.
Launching the label last month at the South of Perth Yacht Club, Donovan said having previously lived in England she had always dreamed of creating a swimwear label but thought it was impossible given its weather.
“I was born in England and moved to Australia in 2009 and have always admired fashion within magazines and in clothing stores but never imagined having a swimwear line when living in chilly England,” she said.
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READ NOW“Since I lived in the middle of England and saw the beach twice a year when my parents took us on our summer holidays, after the long car journey, myself and my siblings would compete as to ‘who can see the sea’ first.
“The beach has always been a desirable place for me and never would have I imagined living near or designing a range of swimwear here in WA.”
Donovan said after completing school and university she realised working within the exercise physiology industry wasn’t all she wanted to do.
“I never studied fashion or design but felt that I could dab into my own sense of style and image to create pieces,” she said.
“The start of Don Swim was to create elegant, well-fitting one-pieces that I struggled to find myself and this was what began the first line.
“My aim for the swimwear was for women of all shapes to feel comfortable and amazing in my pieces. I do not want to design minimal pieces that are not comfortable and preferred not to be worn by the majority of women.”
Starting the label a year ago, Donovan described the designs as simple and classic. “Every piece that I have designed is my favourite. The first design I tried on myself was the CARI piece and this really struck the pursuit of making the swimwear a brand,” she said.
“Our first season are simple, timeless classic pieces that are suited and cut to complement any silhouette, with each piece designed with love and are named after special people in my life.
“I started designing to fulfil this gap and slowly formed a line from it.”
The label is available at www.donswim.com.
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