Written by Sophie Martzloff
on 26 November, 2018

Bubble swimsuit paired with Sunny shorts – designed by Yellow Jungle

One of the most exciting things about summer as a kid (apart from ice cream and…ice cream) is getting your bathers back on, and with summer AND Finders Keepers just around the corner – there’s no better time to introduce you to Yellow Jungle! Debut stallholder Yellow Jungle create playful, original swimwear for kids, all beautifully dreamt up and designed in Australia. Sophie Martzloff is the Sydneysider behind the swimwear and also today’s guest writer! This French-born fashion designer has captured the happiness that surrounds summer while also creating swimwear for children that is durable, easy to wear and holds a UPF 50+ rating.

Before you head to The Cutaway, Barangaroo this weekend for some Finders Keepers swimsuit shopping – read this.  

If you’re lucky enough to be in Sydney this weekend Nov 30-Dec 2, be sure to support debt stallholder Yellow Jungle at stall D27. 

Tell us more about the story behind Yellow Jungle?

I’m originally from France – I studied fashion design in Paris and my first job was for a kids designer brand. I immediately fell in love with the universe of children’s fashion and have always felt in my element when working on colorful, playful and imaginative designs. During the 10 years, I collaborated with children brands I always had in the back of my mind to one day launch my own label. When I moved to Australia the time was right! I decided to focus full time on summer wear for kids and created Yellow Jungle. All designs are made here in my Sydney studio and then manufactured in Bali.

Alice swimsuit- designed by Yellow Jungle

Bubble swimsuit colour hibiscus – designed by Yellow Jungle

Spring / Summer 2018 is your first collection. What was the inspiration behind it?

Living close to the sea has been very inspiring and my goal was to incorporate some of the coastal lifestyle into my designs. I wanted this first collection to feel like summertime: long days, sun, and playtime. Just watching the joyful activity on and around the beach at peak hour was sometimes enough inspiration to spark design ideas. I also wanted to show the underwater depths I was seeing diving, with all the stories and wildlife they contain. It felt like a perfect subject to encourage the imagination of our little ones.

Bubble swimsuit print Abyss – designed by Yellow Jungle

Abyss print- designed by Yellow Jungle

Tell us about your inspiration for creativity? Is there a Finders Keepers designer who you admire?

I spend countless hours gathering images and photos from all around the world, in magazines and on the web, and I try to be aware of new trends, especially in fashion. I love to discover new artistic works and concepts and my free time is usually spent seeing art shows and installations. I’m very much into visual inspiration and it increases my creativity to try to see what’s around me from a different perspective.

It’s difficult to only pick one designer from the Finders Keepers community as there are many I admire. The first that comes to mind is Bea Bellingham and her incredible ceramics. I live surrounded by plants and her pots are my favorite. For women clothing, I absolutely love the bold and fun prints from Jericho Road Clothing and Julie White, both very avant-garde. And for kids I think Halcyon Nights have the most adorable and imaginative children’s textile collection.

swimsuit with Abyss print – designed by Yellow Jungle

Abyss print – designed by Yellow Jungle

What goals do you have for your business over the next five years?

It’s early days for Yellow jungle right now but I have big plans for the years to come. I’d like to expand into a more complete beachwear range and collaborate with artists on original designs and concepts. Next year my plan is to design caps for kids and to add more styles to the swimsuits line. Other goals include finding more retailers to distribute the brand and opening a pop-up shop.

yellowjungle.com
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Alice swimsuit paired with Sunny shorts – designed by Yellow Jungle