As a parent, I know the struggles of finding swimwear for tweens. Swimwear that covers all the right places, that is bright and colourful, comfortable, practical, and most importantly that the kids actually WANT to wear, encouraging kids to simply – just – be – kids! Sun Safety and sustainability were also high on the priority list, and so with that – Bon+Co was born.
My name is Tori, nice to meet you! I am passionate about swimwear, colour, creativity, family and sustainability. I have built a career of over 20 years designing beautiful and high quality products for many Australian clothing and homewares brands, passionately creating from my Brisbane studio. I also am “Mum” to 3 amazing kids, Harvey, Ollie and Florence – who really are the main inspiration behind Bon+Co as I strive to find (and create) the perfect swimsuit for my kids to wear.
By my side is my husband and business partner Scott. It is Scott who has believed in me and my passion for great swimwear, who is responsible for pushing me into taking the ultimate plunge, and giving my dream of our own swimwear brand a red hot go. Scott is responsible for the endless hours behind the scenes connecting all the dots in bringing Bon+Co to life. With a career in Quality and Safety consultancy, it is Scott who is also responsible for implementing and maintaining our ISO 9001 Certified Quality Management System, a qualification that very few swimwear brands across the globe have achieved. This ensures that the quality of our products meets the highest standard across all levels of the supply chain – from the mill to manufacturing, and to then on to our customers.
And with the creative and practical sides of the business covered off – so began Bon+Co swimwear offering a range of ethically made swimwear for kids, teens and tweens that is functional, practical, affordable, ethical, and looks great.
BEHIND THE BON+CO BRAND
It’s all in our name.
‘Bon’ is the French word for ‘good’. At Bon+Co, we’re all about celebrating goodness and positivity. Our mission is to create a sense of joy and optimism through creativity, colour, and original design. We want our kids to feel good in their own skin – as well as in our fabulous swimwear – and to allow them to simply be kids, having the very best of fun, under the Summer sun.
‘Co’ refers to our tribe, our community, our sense of belonging. It is part of our brand promise to provide support for one another, to look out for each other, and to encourage Aussie kids to surround themselves with people who will lift them up.
EXTRA FEEL-GOOD FACTORS
Aside from ensuring outstanding quality, service and value-for-money, we’ve also worked hard to ensure that the Bon+Co kids swimwear brand has some extra feel-good factors sewn into the seams.
As an Australian family and an Australian brand, we’re committed to doing better for Aussie kids through our commitment to positive action in promoting mental health and environmental awareness.
This is why we donate $1 from every Bon+Co sale to Headspace, helping to make a difference to young Australian lives.
It’s also why our swimwear is crafted using fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, rather than traditional newly manufactured plastic-derived materials.
We spent many months searching for a solution that our kid’s swimwear brand could stand behind proudly. We knew that we needed to find a fabric that didn’t contribute to a known environmental issue, without compromising on quality. We needed a high-performance fabric that could meet the demands of a typical Aussie Summer. It needed to offer UPF50+ sun protection, be resistant to chlorine, anti-pilling, and feel amazing to wear. Too easy!
Where possible Bon+Co swimwear is made using fabric constructed out of recycled plastic bottles – REPREVE fabric. This way, our swimwear retains all the benefits of traditional plastic-based material, but instead of manufacturing more plastic to create pieces for the Bon+Co kids swimwear brand, we’re using recycled plastics. A Bon+Co bikini represents approximately 8 recycled plastic bottles. We think this kind of plastic, already in our world, is put to way better use protecting little bodies from the sun on our beaches, than floating about in our oceans or piling up in landfill. Win-win.
HAVE I SEEN THAT DESIGN SOMEWHERE ELSE?
No. You definitely have not.
Painting artwork for textile design has long been a great passion of mine. Nothing brings me more joy than pulling out the paints and creating a little sketch that can be scanned in and crafted into a stunning repeating pattern. There really is something wonderful about creating something completely unique, embracing the old processes, and enhancing them through technology to take the design to the next level.
All of our Bon+Co designs have been created this way. Starting with a simple sketch and evolving into a vibrant, beautiful piece of fabric to be made into swimwear for our tweens.
PUT FUN FIRST!
So next time you’re looking for swimwear for your kids, choose the kids swimwear brand that helps you and your kids feel good – inside and out.
Skip the worry over whether your boy or girls swimwear will last the season. Skip the guilt about how terrible traditional swimwear, produced from virgin plastics, is for our environment. Skip the confusion of your kid getting lost in a crowd of same-same Disney princess and Marvel superhero swimmers.
Focus on feeling good! Have fun with your kids in the sun. Make those memories. And do it in style.
Feel extra good, knowing that you’ve chosen to support an Australian-owned, small family business and a quality product that has been sustainably designed and manufactured.
