New Swimwear Brand Raw Potential Rides The Wave To Success

The MA student India Goodman discusses her ever-so-sustainable line, an approach which will clean up the beach. The aspiring founder shares her experience of balancing the new launch alongside her studies. Currently undertaking her MA in Entrepreneurship: Fashion & Creative Industries at the esteemed Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design in London, her time amongst seasoned industry experts has been groundbreaking in allowing her to permeate the fashion sphere.

Cosied-up in the home office of her eclectic French country-style house in Clapham, we begin our chat over morning coffee and hair masks. “Outside my window, I can see my little garden, it’s right in my eye line. Hopefully the roses in our flower bed make it through all the rain”. An innate lover of the natural world, she shares how the great outdoors has forever held an integral grounding for her throughout her life, allowing her to ascertain equilibrium no matter the weather.

“I've always loved surfing and being outside, embracing adventure and spontaneity. From childhood, I've wanted to replicate in my clothing the free-spiritedness of nature, the feelings it evoked, and the peace it brought me." A key aspect of the formation behind Raw Potential was her time spent in Indonesia and Australia. Here she garnered a better understanding for how much need there is for eco-conscious beachwear. “When I was travelling, I found it funny how being by the sea and the beach puts you right at nature's level, completely surrounded by it. I felt that I hadn't seen any swimwear that truly replicated that feeling. In Indonesia, I saw so much discarded waste, and with the idea of what later became Raw Potential in my mind, I wondered if it was possible to turn it into tangible garments. The more I researched, the more passionate I became, and I started creating beautiful designs that replicated the beauty of nature while being made from discarded materials such as fishing nets and ocean plastics.”

Raw Potential prides itself on being no-nonsense and utterly uplifting, crafting tailor-made, painstakingly detailed pieces to execute this effect. “The textures and the embroidery, all the sea beads, these intricacies are what ‘make’ our gorgeous pieces for both men and women. We wanted our beachwear to mirror the kaleidoscope of colours found in the landscape”. This ability to mimic nature's terrain is something which consumers will find throughout the new line.

We speak at length about the current market and the spectrum of price points to what the customer receives. For a new brand, their focus was clear. "We position ourselves as affordable luxury because of our high-quality materials, vibrant colours, and gold embellishments. In the market, you either find swimwear priced at two or three hundred pounds for a bikini, or fast fashion options costing around ten pounds, which lack sustainable practices and responsibility in their production.”

Describing her brand as a “timeless collection you can wear summer after summer”, Goodman highlighted the sunscreen and oil-resistant nature of her materials, elongating the lifespan of every garment so that years down the line it has the look and feel of being brand- new. “I am also currently working on a 'no garment to landfill' initiative’, aimed at minimising waste”.

With a helpful hand, the young founder tells me how lucky she feels to exist daily within Condé Nast College, a space so readily filled with industry intellectuals and experienced creatives. “Without their support and mentorship to learn and innovate, bringing my vision into fruition, along with the access to industry speakers, the archives and so much more, confiding in everyone when I would hit a bumpy patch, I would have struggled with many aspects of approach”. It is fair to say that the struggle has been worth it. As we all know, nothing worth doing will ever be easy.

Markedly, Raw Potential will fill our cupboards with an empowering ecosystem of immersive interwoven experiences. You can add the limited edition affordable luxury pieces straight to your basket next week, however, think fast, as only 150 items will be available in each colour and style. Look out for their website launch and future pop-up stores, but bear in mind, that Raw Potential is only shipping to the UK this summer and then going global. Gen Z’ers and millennials, unlock your raw potential with these must-have additions to your beach lookbook.

Author: Nadège Elyse Mustafa, studying MA in Fashion Journalism & Editorial Direction at Condé Nast College