Performance Sportswear Design Students Collaborate with Speedo
Friday, 17 December 2010
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The latest in a line of creative collaborations to recycle the surplus Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit has seen University College Falmouth Performance Sportswear Design students reshape the record-breaking suit into an exciting range of cutting edge fashion concepts.
The swimsuit, made famous by athletes such as Michael Phelps and responsible for an astonishing 91 world records between February 2008 and October 2009, was rendered obsolete following a change in rules set out by the governing body of the sport of swimming FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) which prevented the use of body suits in competitive swimming. Along with students from the London College of Fashion and the University of Huddersfield, UCF students, Owen Bennett, Mette Larson and Bethany Orrell, worked with Speedo to create new designs from 18,000 excess units of the revolutionary suit.
Bethany Orrell designed a fashionable ruffle clutch bag from the LZR Racer suit material, while Mette Larsen was influenced by the history of the world's leading swimwear brand and created a stylish jacket from the swimsuit, combining it with other fabrics associated with the historical development of swimwear - in this case wool, silk and cotton, offering a subtle nod to Speedo's heritage of more than 80 years.
In his design, Owen Bennett chose to celebrate the Speedo LZR Racer's legacy as a highly technical aquatics sports product by redesigning the suit into a stylish impact vest. The vest acts as a buoyancy aid and can be used in a variety of water sports such as kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing. Utilising every part of the Speedo LZR Racer suit, with the exception of the elastic straps, the vest features a close fit silhouette to prevent it riding up, a draining front pocket with Velcro closure and safety whistle, a high strength shoulder webbing network and a superior triple lock harness system.
Speaking of his innovative design, Owen said: "My main inspiration for this product revolved around the re-use of the swimsuit to create a stylish and practical product with minimal waste. The Speedo LZR Racer material has a smooth skin that creates less drag and repels water."
The collection was showcased for the first time in Dubai on 16th December against the backdrop of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.
President of Speedo, David Robinson, said: "This project has captured the technology and originality of the Speedo LZR Racer and combined it with unique cutting edge fashion. It is inspiring to see the creative and innovative approach the students have taken to produce their products. Creativity and innovation is valued highly at Speedo and we are pleased to see this quality of talent emerging from the universities that have taken part. Speedo is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and as such it is good to see the Speedo LZR Racer live on in these innovative designs."
The collaboration with students is part of a wider project to explore new ways of utilising excess stock and a more responsible solution than sending the obsolete product to landfill.
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