Meet The Maker | Fondu Swim
Interview By Nest Journal
We chatted to up and coming sustainable swimwear maker Tanya Kerr, founder of Fondu Swim, about her new surf wear range for women. Lead designer Tanya found a niche market that had yet to be touched here in NZ and after covid caused her to loose her job, she ran with it. What came out was a sweet little project that will surely make any wave babe need a pair of fondu’s in their closet asap.
Hi there Tanya, thanks for having a chat with us. Tell us a little about yourself.. Who are the brains behind Fondu Swim? Where did you start out?
My name is Tanya Kerr and I came up with the idea for fondu around a year ago. I was made redundant due to Covid and wanted to start a project that combined all of my passions: surfing, fashion, sustainability and design.
Did you feel like there was a gap in the market for women's surf wear that was well designed + sustainable?
For sure in Aotearoa. I couldn't find anything here that I could surf in which also matched my personal style. Creating a brand with sustainable and fair trade values was a no brainer. I wasn't going to compromise that. Quite a few brands are using a more sustainable approach now because of the consumer demand for it, which is pretty epic.
What materials do you use?
The swimsuits and their linings are made of 100% recycled polyester and nylon from pre and post consumer materials, such as plastic water bottles and fishing nets. It was important to me that I could create new products without using new resources. The swimsuits are also made in really small runs so there is limited to zero waste.
“It was important to me that I could create new products without using new resources. The swimsuits are also made in really small runs so there is limited to zero waste.”
