Wetwear Is The Eco-Minded Swimwear Label Bringing Sexy Back
This new Singapore label wants you to feel empowered in your own body.
The blurring of lines between swimwear and everyday clothing has been one of the biggest takeaways in terms of how the pandemic has shaped the way we dress today – an idea that's part about comfort and part about celebrating your body unabashedly.
It's also one of the motivations for young designer Isabella Boladian, whose label Wetwear is the newest kid on the block in the growing swimwear market here. The 26-year-old Singaporean describes the brand as a "conscious luxury swim house" (though one could not ignore the ultra-sexy cuts and Y2K-inflected sensibility of her swimsuits which could double up neatly as bodysuits).
Isabella Boladian, founder of Wetwear
“The main reason I started a swimwear label is that when I lived in Sydney, I would go to the beach a lot. Even if I wasn't at the beach, I'd spend the whole day in a swimsuit and sneakers," says Boladian who earned a degree in Photography and Situated Media from the University of Technology Sydney.
"Whether I was taking a smoke break outside my house or cooking, once the swimsuit went on my body for whatever reason, I'd keep it on till I went to bed or have a shower," she adds.
After learning the ropes in retail working the sales floor of a Fendi boutique Down Under, Boladian returned to Singapore in 2019 and started work on Wetwear. The brand's debut collection was launched on Tuesday on www.wetwearbyib.com and is aptly titled Relocation 1.0 as a wink to the designer growing up across Singapore, Taiwan and Sydney.
Creating her inaugural swimsuit was both a science and art form for Isabella Boladian. Not being trained formally in design meant she got to be more experimental with her piece. "You don't have all those pre-emptive mindsets of 'I need this and that to create this product' and you see the end results it can be fulfilling," she says.
The debut features a one-piece black "illusion" swimsuit. Made from a sustainably-created polyamide blend fabric that features sultry cutouts on the mid-riff and back, it could pass off as a bikini at first glance and echoes the skimpy aesthetic of emerging labels such as Nensi Dojaka and Ottolinger. Accompanying the design is a sticker pack by local tattoo artist, Keith Yeo (@angmohkeith).
The emphasis on skin is deliberate, according to Boladian. “We want to create styles that are unique but still enforce and encapsulate a silhouette for all types of bodies to feel nothing but right. When we design we don't have a specific body type in mind, we want to cater to all. We don't want to just make one body type look good. Wetwear is for everyone that wants a piece of the cake.”
Ahead, she tells FEMALE more about Wetwear.
When did you first get into fashion?
“I'm not even going to act like I was a fashionista straight out of the womb but my parents have always let me express myself with my wardrobe – no matter how weird it got. It could be platform butterfly slippers and bootcut jeans with a bedazzled white tank top or anything Ralph Lauren.
When I was young, I always wanted to be a fashion designer and even dreamt of going to Parsons. But I thought I would get bored so never pursued it, yet here I am – not bored at all! I think the ultimate thing that did it for me was vintage shopping in every country I would visit, which always stirs the pot for me.”
What sparked the decision to create Wetwear?
“I toyed with the idea when I was living in Sydney but regular life ate away at me. Then I had a breakup, quit my job, packed most of my life up and ran away, back to Singapore. This innate fire started burning in me and I threw it all into Wetwear. Hence the name of the first collection, Relocation 1.1.”
What has the whole experience been like starting up a swim label for the first time?
“I wish somebody told me that starting a brand meant that you would be constantly putting out fires – I am now a walking fire extinguisher. On top of that, it takes time in more ways than you can imagine. This is over two years in the making and being a perfectionist, I thought I would never see the day we would finally launch.
I see people around me set up a brand in a month and I'm trying to find the right supplier with the right certifications just for foam cups then getting my little sister help to insert them one by one. It's challenging yet rewarding – when just a one-minute thing advances in the right direction it feels like, 'Oh okay, something's happening'.”
Wetwear defines itself as a “conscious luxury swim house”. What does that mean and how does your brand live up to this promise?
“It means that we know fashion is an industry where the word 'sustainable' is almost romanticised or unrealistic. Still, we want to take the necessary steps towards making this dream reality, being conscious of how we operate. Doing what we can with the tools we have to educate ourselves so we always source, create and evolve responsibly. Holding ourselves to a certain degree of accountability but still having our output be kept to a high and long-lasting standard; some may call that luxury.
However, everything has a sustainable element in mind. The fabric is made with 78 per cent regenerated Econyl nylon fibre (a.k.a. polyamide). We source our invoice envelopes from an Australian establishment that produce 100 per cent post-consumer recycled products only. Our foam cup insert's offcuts are recycled and the remaining material is used in foam mats for under carpets."
How has your personal style and journey influenced Wetwear’s design identity and brand decisions?
“In every way possible I'm afraid. It's always sneakers and swimwear for me, I guess I married the two sides of Sydney I was influenced by: the Inner West and the Eastern suburbs. That and a little designer flair never hurt anybody.”
Talk us through your debut fashion campaign, how did you come up with the concept? What were some sources of inspiration?
“I knew from the jump I wanted to shoot at my friend Sophie's house – the towering pillars and French double doors really did it for me. The concept followed shortly behind that and was drawn from my adolescence having climbed a few gates.
I love fusing together soft, girl-next-door energy with an almost aggressive, degenerate air. Stylistically, I guess it feels like Thirteen (2003) grew up some four years and Janine Cody was their mom – but less robbery, more sweat. I've also referenced inspiration from many fashion brands and photographers such as Come Back As A Flower, Amina Muaddi, Helmut Lang, Courreges, Nadia Lee Cohen, Wong Kar-Wai, Harmony Korine and life subtitles inspired by Sarah Bahbah, of course.”
As of now, your brand has only released a singular bikini style. Can you explain what’s the intention behind this?
“Thanks to a hell lot of slow fashion values with the intention of exclusivity – you know going to the beach, lake, club or mall you won't see two other girls wearing the same threads you have on. It's the same sentiment you would get copping an amazing find at a vintage shop and ethical workmanship! It's just one very talented garment maker building these pieces of art from the comfort of her home studio, based in Malaysia. This was something I knew I wanted before I even started."
How do you think Wetwear disrupts and sets itself apart from other swim labels in the scene?
“In Singapore especially, there's nothing like Wetwear. Stylistically, we're a bit more daring and bold – choosing to push the envelope and create a new silhouette. Additionally, we stand firm in our prowess for slow fashion and luxury workmanship.”