SAFE SWIM COMING SOON

Last year, our swim collection was one of our biggest launches yet.

But we didn’t want to simply bring it back.

We listened to all of your feedback from last year... what you loved, what you wanted changed, what could have been better... and then we spent the past year completely rethinking what Baby Bear swimwear could be.

And there was one thing that kept coming back to us:

Water safety in Aotearoa & Australia.

For many of us, summer means the moana (ocean), the awa (river), the roto (lake), the beach, the pool, the backyard sprinklers and days spent around the water with our whānau.

Water is such a huge part of life in Aotearoa. It’s where our tamariki play, where whānau gather and where some of our best summer memories are made.

But water can also become dangerous incredibly quickly. Drowning remains a leading cause of child death in Aotearoa, and young tamariki can get into serious trouble in only a few centimetres of water.

So this year, we didn’t create swimwear just to be cute.

We created it with purpose.

We wanted to create swimwear that could play a small part in helping our tamariki be more visible in and around the water.

Last year, we introduced bright, bold colours. This year, we pushed that even further.

We deliberately stepped right outside of our usual Baby Bear earthy, neutral colour palette and chose colours with visibility at the forefront... because when your tamariki are running around a busy beach, swimming pool or holiday spot, being able to spot them matters.

We’ve also completely customised our sizing and reworked the fit based on everything we heard from last season, creating a closer, more secure fit that feels intentional rather than loose and oversized.

But we also want to be really clear about something:

Swimwear cannot prevent drowning.

It isn't a replacement for active adult supervision, water confidence, swimming skills, life jackets where required, or teaching our tamariki how to be safe around water. Those things will always come first.

But we believe that every little step matters.

If we can make swimwear that helps our tamariki stand out more clearly.

If we can encourage conversations about water safety.

If we can make whānau think twice about visibility, supervision and being prepared around the water.

If we can use our little corner of the Māori fashion space to put water safety at the forefront...

then that's something worth creating.

And throughout this year, we've been working on some things we've never seen done in Māori swimwear before ...pushing the design, functionality and purpose of this collection much further than we did last year.

We’re not ready to show you everything just yet. 👀

But we can tell you this:

This isn't just another swim drop.

It's a collection we've spent an entire year thinking about.

A collection shaped by your feedback.

A collection designed with our tamariki in mind.

And a collection created with a bigger purpose behind it.

Because our tamariki deserve to be seen.
Our whānau deserve to feel prepared.
And water safety deserves to be part of the conversation.

Safe Swim is coming back. 🌊