Swimwear from Gemma Lee. Images by Jacob Coutie.
Last summer, Gemma Lee debuted the brand’s first range of sustainable wetsuits and this month they’ve released their first equally colourful collection of swimsuits. The new range is aptly called Hello Sunshine and features vibrant hues on a range of one pieces and bikinis.
Designer Gemma Cornish has a life-long love of the ocean and grew up knowing that one day she would have her own swimwear label. Her brand Gemma Lee shares her ethical values and she’s proud of her sustainable approach to creating her collections. “We are focused on creating consciously beautiful suits with style and quality that doesn’t cost the earth,” says Gemma. “Our luxurious swimwear is made from 100% recycled materials such as abandoned fishing nets and other post-consumer products using ECONYL® Nylon LYCRA®. A material that is a part of the Healthy Seas Initiative ‘A Journey from Waste to Wear.” Her values extend to using home compostable courier bags and using zero plastic in the packing of her swimwear.
The collection itself features playful styles that have a 70’s feel with rainbows of stripes and strappy details. Each piece is handmade here in New Zealand and designed to be comfortable and functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. “The colours we choose use colour psychology, so that with one look at our suits, and it will give you the feelings of the invincible summer, evoking feelings of joy, happiness, playfulness, and an abundance of energy.”
Images by Jacob Coutie and Sherry Cornish.