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Today we chat with Sallina, the founder of the refreshingly innovative children’s swimwear brand Ina Swim. Sallina gives us an insight into herself and her brand, and we discuss the values behind her brand.
Join us as we chat about all things swimwear, including materials, sustainability, and tips for a more conscious lifestyle.
Hello! Can you tell us about yourself and the brand you run?
Let’s start with I am a Mother. I have a beautiful little, now nearly 2 year old boy. I am a Wife. Home to my beautiful husband. I am also a Step Mom to 3 beautiful children. Running a household with 4 children, YES that is me. It is safe to say I like a great challenge in life.
Life is hectic, rough but also as much enjoyable, filled with laughter and much love that it makes all the hard work soo worth it.
If I had to describe myself I would say I am ever changing like the wind. As an air star sign I am an ever changing personality. This makes life very entertaining and also challenging. NO day is the same. But for those that know me it is important to say that I have a heart as big as a mountain. I like helping, giving and supporting those that really need it. I always believe in Karma and that whatever great things we do, the earth and the people will give back and treat you kindly.
“It is our responsibility to guide our children to live meaningful and sustainable lives. Through minimising our impact and making mindful changes, we can preserve the natural beauty of our planet for our children” – Sallina, Ina Swim.
Talking about Ina Swim.
Ina Swim is a brand that strongly believes in the good in the world, the people and its surroundings.
We create sustainable and ethical produced swimwear for moms, bubs and children aged 6 months to 8 years.
The fibres that we use, in the form of swimwear fabric, were made of post consumer waste such as fishing nets and plastic bottles.
Our swimwear is 2 times more resistant to chlorine, oils and suntans and has a UPF50+ rating, achieved with no harmful chemicals.
We believe that beautiful products can be designed without causing harm to the environment or anyone involved in the process.
We take great care of our products by ensuring we only use the bare minimum of what is needed. We try to reduce our waste where possible, do not use any harmful chemicals at all during any stage of our manufacturing, sourcing and finalisation of our products. We also ensure that all of our sourced fabric is appropriately certified with OEKO TEX Standard 100, GOTS and that even the management is certified with ISO standards.
Ina Swim cares for its workers as much as for the customers that support us.
Ina has a strong relationship with its workers, suppliers and helpers.
What elements of Ina Swim are important to you which illustrate your own values?
All of them. I know it sounds cheeky but if the brand is not what you 100% believe in then why sell it. I believe that the more good we can do and the more we can look after all of our arms of our business (people, product, customers) the more great we can create.
It is our most core value to ensure we make meaningful decisions on a daily basis, support those that do the right thing and try and get the message out to people that sustainable, organic and recycled is the new today and is so much better.
In your eyes, what’s the biggest achievement or milestone so far?
The fact that Ina has now a great following of loyal customers. Our brand awareness is fantastic when it comes to recognition of product, materials and signature items such as the Mesa Trunks, Mara Onesie and Lumi Swim Nappy.
“Our customers are what makes us great.” – Sallina
Can you tell us about the materials you’ve chosen to use and why?
Ina Swim is curated with both design and sustainability in mind. We are proud to have created a product that is 100% sustainable, recycled and ethically produced. We have teamed up with a global network of suppliers to ensure our environmental impact at a raw material level remains minimal.
Fabric education is important to us as the people behind the brand. It is important to understand what your ina piece is made of and how to care for your item so it can be worn time and time again.
ECONYL is a synthetic fibre – Made from pre and post- consumer waste products, like fishing nets, fabric scraps and carpet flooring from industrial landfills and oceans around the globe, Econyl processes recycled nylon into a quality material that can be recreated and remoulded again and again.
So basically, we’ve been able to create new products for you without having to use new resources. With no sacrifice to the quality of our swimwear, our fabric is two times more resistant to chlorine, suntan creams and oils, proven to be UPF 50+, beautiful to see and feel and it keeps our oceans just that little bit cleaner.
Another fibre we have been using is called REPREVE. Billions of plastic bottles go into landfills every year. But now we are doing something about it. REPREVE is the leading, most trusted, branded performance fibre made from recycled materials (including plastic bottles). REPREVE transforms plastic bottles into high-quality and high-performing products. The contents of your recycling bin become thermo-regulating pants for hikers, moisture-wicking apparel such as swimwear for athletes, odour control tees for teens, fire-resistant sofas for loungers, and water-repellent phone cases for accident-prone environmentalists.
So the next time you recycle a plastic bottle, remember this: Together, we’re making a difference for our planet, for the good of tomorrow.
We also use LYCRA- SPANDEX FIBRE. Since its invention over sixty years ago, LYCRA fibre has set the standard as the world’s best-known spandex fibre brand. Lightweight and nearly invisible, LYCRA fibre became the active ingredient in our clothes and revolutionised the way we wore them.
Whenever it’s used in fabrics, LYCRA fibre transforms garments into better-fitting, durable clothes that move with our bodies, delivering fit, shape and comfort that lasts. Day after day. Wash after wash. Swim after swim.
It is most important for Ina to only use fabrics and materials that are 100% OEKO TEX 100 Standard certified. We quality check and certificate check each of our suppliers and all received materials. We also ensure no chemicals have been used in the treatment, processing and creating of our products.
If our material is organic, rest assured it is GOTS certified.
Do you have any advice for people looking to be more sustainable in their consumption habits and lifestyle?
I always think less is soo much more.
Think less…
There is so so much we can do in our day to day living and our daily choices.
What does the future hold for Ina Swim?
We are working hard on establishing a good international presence. We want to spread the word about sustainable slow and long living fashion.
We always hope to have an impact in people’s choices to live and choose sustainability over mass consumption, reducing wastage and impact as we grow and ensuring we support our community wherever we can.
Wrapping Up
We want to say a huge thank you to Sallina for taking the time to share insight into her brand, Ina swim.
If you’re looking for sustainable swimwear for yourself or your little one, they’re a fantastic brand to support.
To discover more from our Sustainable Founder Series, check out our interviews with the founders behind amazing brands like Votch, Paneros, and Thought.
