Every week we take to the streets to find a start-up business right here in Hackney. This week, we discovered Rosie Cook’s swimwear brand Deakin and Blue.
Rosie Cook set up her swimwear brand Deakin and Blue to allow women to swim and enjoy water without worrying about what they’re wearing.
The 29-year-old former strategic consultant realised there was a gap in the market two years ago when she wanted to get back into swimming.
“There were skimpy bikinis that are good for holidays and useless when you try to move in them, and the others were serious swimwear that’s usually black and made from a single piece of lycra.
“For a busy working woman with boobs and a bum it didn’t quite cut it,” she said.
Rosie designs the costumes from her HQ in Mount Pleasant Lane, Upper Clapton, based on looks she likes in lingerie and sports wear. She then discusses fabrics and structures with a technical company to translate her concept and vision into reality, and the costumes are made in a Latvian factory.
Having launched in June, she is selling the costumes on her own website.
“For my first collection I want to be talking to every customer - I want to get feedback on what works and what doesn’t,” she said. “Once you get stockists you lose that relationship.
“For anyone starting a business there is always risk involved, and my background isn’t in this industry.
But it can give you a perspective to say, “They did it that way in the past and maybe they shouldn’t”. So that can be a strength, as well as a challenge.”
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