FK chats to the lovely Emily, of Melbourne based swimwear label, Bombshell Bay. What a collection to get the summer swim season started! Emily has generously offered FK readers 20% off Bombshell Bay (excluding sales items) until 30th November. Just use code: FKBLOG
Tell us a bit about Bombshell Bay and what products we can expect to discover?
Bombshell Bay is an emerging swimwear label from Melbourne that designs swimwear mostly for the 25-45 demographic and live by our motto “sexy without the skimp” Our new range Pacifica Botanica is a handpicked collection of silhouettes to suit all body shapes in our vibrant colour palette inspired by the lush jungles and rainforests filled with exotic flowers and strange birds. We also have a range of resort wear including a super cute playsuit that is perfect for throwing on over a swimsuit.
What is your creative backgrounds and how did it lead you to where you are today?
Over the years I’ve studied everything from Photography to VM, Millinery and Business. I had a career in Product Management which is a great job for anyone creative wishing to learn how to commercialise an idea. I’m creative by nature however my career allowed me to develop my business brain, which is an invaluable skill to have. I have worked for some pretty inspiring and entrepreneurial brands such as STA Travel and Lonely Planet which foster creative thinking and are extremely well known and respected brands.
What do you love about working with Swimwear? and what keeps you creatively motivated?
Bombshell Bay’s motto is “sexy without the skimp” This is considered in every piece of the collection and keeps me focused. I’m fortunate that I get to travel lots and whilst most of it is for work, there is nothing like being immersed in another culture to create something special and unique. I love working with Swimwear because it is such a loathed category and the most hated item to shop for (apart from jeans maybe) I love that I’m creating a product that solves a problem for someone… giving them a choice that they didn’t have before, because they couldn’t find something that they liked enough to find the courage to strip down to a teeny tiny piece of lycra.
What is your creative workspace like, and what inspires you about your surroundings?
My official workplace is rarely used. I’m more likely to come up with my ideas when I’m out of the office, on the road traveling. I have always been a bit of a gypsy and loved exploring. Nothing makes me happier than landing in another city not knowing what will happen next. I’m very fortunate that I get to travel a lot for work and so far all of Bombshell Bay’s collections have been influenced by places I have traveled to. I’m working on a colour palette at the moment for SS14/14 that was inspired by my trip to Palm Springs in June this year, the colours in the desert were amazing and I can’t wait to get them into our next summers collection.
What challenges have you faced starting your own label, and what are some things you love about it?
Sourcing fair trade and ethical partners that we can trust and build long lasting relationships with has been our biggest challenge. We are also working really hard on building brand awareness and making sure we are seen in the media. I think the biggest challenge for us now, is growth and making sure we are expanding our business. The greatest thing about owning Bombshell Bay is that at the end of the week I sit down and review what has happened, sometimes its great sales, other times its exposure in the media and if we are lucky its an email from a customer telling us about how they love their swimsuit and I think to myself… I made this happen.
What new projects are you working on and where would you like to see Bombshell Bay in the future?
I’m working on SS14/15 at the moment (yes,even before Summer 13/14 has really kicked off) The range is expanding and I’m really excited about where we are heading. There will be a few different prints and lots of different silhouettes that will be inspired by my recent trip to California. We are also expanding our SWIMSURFSUP range which is designed for swimming, surfing and SUP’ing and is super exciting as it offers an alternative to traditional active swimwear brands that traditionally have been pretty uninspiring and unflattering. We are going through a bit of a growth spurt at the moment and its actually really exciting!
