The act of immersing ourselves in cold water is an act of saying yes to life – the beauty of the environment, the elemental thrill, the spontaneous joy. Harnessing Folk’s imitable design & spirit, with our heritage and swimwear expertise, a partnership was created for outdoor swim adventures.
The collection celebrates the rush and rapture of wild swimming with the cosiness and comfort of the post-swim warm up. Comprising of 31 skillfully designed pieces, the range features British apparel brand Folk’s outerwear styles such as fleece tops, parkas, track pants, sweatshirts, t-shirts and autumn/winter accessories, all made in relaxed fits showcased in vibrant colours with a signature Folk print.
For the swim pieces, our best-selling iconic silhouettes have been incorporated with Folk’s earthy spirit. The Long-Sleeve Paddle Suit, classic Medalist and Front Zip Hydrasuit on the womenswear side feature the exclusive Speedo x Folk print – a graphic in burnt orange, sunshine yellow and sky blue tones. The same print takes shape on our classic Brief, Jammer and Swim shorts on the menswear pieces. The unisex Swim cap and Goggles are simply coloured, using the earthy but fresh tones with the collaboration logo on the side – a perfect rising sun over the horizon with its shadow rippling through the sea.
The campaign saw the two brands meet in Bude, North Cornwall to create an uplifting, ethereal set of images where swimmers, surfers and outdoor lovers came together to capture the essence of the collaboration. The rugged coastline and ever-changing weather grounds each image in the campaign fronted by former surf champion Sophie Hellyer and supported by a group of true wild swimmers.
The windswept shots capture the kinship between Speedo and Folk and how each brand represents the moment of exhilaration in the water and the comfort of warmth back on dry land.
Folk founder and Creative Director, Cathal McAteer, notes –
“Losing yourself in nature has always appealed to me – hiking up mountains, dancing in a field, floating in the sea – all big positive moments. So naturally we have admired and been part of the love for cold water swimming, these small groups & communities of people taking to the rivers, ponds, lakes & coast to get the elemental rush of being outdoors in the water…
…Wanting to introduce a lived-in sense of ease to the kit that people use, the aim was to make an excellent range of swim and warm-up gear. So we designed robes, fleeces, base layers, hoodies, hats etc plus partnered with swimming icon, Speedo, for performance quality swimwear. We have tackled the outer cold to help deliver the inner peace.”
The collaboration is represented in a brand marque featured through the whole collection – mixing Folk’s half moon icon with Speedo’s dynamic boom.
Check out the exclusive collaboration collection here.
