Shapes In The Sand

Founded by Alexandra Dash, Shapes In The Sand is an Australia-based independent sustainable swimwear label creating playful, bold, eco-friendly swimmers that celebrate the natural world.

Shapes In The Sand is also committed to diversity—so much so that their name is a direct reflection of this. Shapes In The Sand is a representation of women in all their glorious shapes and sizes, and it “symbolises how nature is imperfectly, perfect”.

Ethics

“Shapes in the Sand swimwear is made in Sydney by a small family run business who specialise in stretch wear,” Alex says of the talented people who bring her creations to life. “They’ve been in the industry for over 30 years. I have built a very honest relationship with Raymond who is the owner. He is from a Vietnamese background and with his wife he has 2-3 other employees depending on the season. Raymond has taught me many important aspects of the industry and without him the label wouldn’t be where it is today! I’m always willing and happy to talk about my manufacturer as I’m very proud to have them part of my brand.”

Materials

“New technology eco fabrications have been part of Shapes in the Sand from the very beginning. It was in my final year of studying Fashion Design that I wanted to draw attention to these incredible fabrications. I chose to implement these kinds of fabrics into the label because I wanted to create designs that were not only innovative but also had a low impact on the environment, supporting a circular economy and/or a solution to the damage the clothing industry has on the planet.”

The materials used to craft the Shapes In The Sand swimwear are chosen not only for their durability, practicality and suitability for the intended purpose of the individual garments, but also because of the environmental impact of each. 

With this, Shapes In The Sand utilises quick-drying, breathable and durable fabrics that are primarily part of a closed-loop system, including ECONYL – a regenerated fibre made from pre and post consumer materials like discarded ghost fishing nets – and EVO – a 100% bio-based fibre made from castor bean seeds. 

What’s more is all of Shapes In The Sand’s fabrics of choice meet OEKO-TEX standards, and are printed in Australia using environmentally-friendly, water-based, non-fading digital inks.

Minimal Waste

Shapes In The Sand also values minimal packaging, using only recycled and sustainably-sourced packaging for their swimwear. Their swing tags are made from 100% recycled card and printed with non-toxic inks; and their logo and care labels are made from regenerated fibres; their bottoms and one pieces are lined with compostable hygiene liners. 

Oh, and they’re also a Global Commitment signatory, which essentially means that they “take action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging”, ensure “100% of plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable” and they have a “100% post-consumer recycled content target across all plastic packaging.”

Giving Back

Shapes In The Sand also understand the meaning of impactful business. The team “is on a mission to create positive change for our planet”, and partners with organisations doing incredible good for the environment, including Koala Ark and BirdLife Australia. 

Shapes In The Sand is an incredible Australian company generating immense positive change. They’re committed to ethical production, environmental responsibility and minimal waste, are using regenerated materials for their (totally exquisite) sustainable swimmers, and are supporting organisations that are helping the environment and its wildlife.