Imagine launching a little swimwear label and then hold up wait a minute Kim K, Em Ratajkowski and Chanel Iman are sharing ‘grams in your designs. It would be mental, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Aussie designer Renée Kirby, founder of Ark Swimwear.
With a posse of celebs repping her gear, Renée has proven she knows more than a thing or two about influencer marketing and business in general. We had a chat with her about starting from scratch, finding inspiration down at Manly Beach, mindful shopping and the elusive work/life balance:
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I decided to start a swimwear company because… it was an experiment. An accidental start for which I will be forever grateful for. I was working as a business analyst valuing multi-million-dollar companies for investments; strategies built around my forecasts. A couple of mates approached me for financial forecasts for their start-up, which I struggled with because they had no historical data for me to project off. I didn’t feel experienced enough to define assumptions for their financial modelling, so I didn’t have the confidence in the strategy that I was proposing.
And so the experiment was born – to self-educate through real-life experience (and real-life start-up capital) I broke even within 3 months, which once my boss found out, urged me to go for it and that he would have a job waiting for me if it failed. He stressed to me, “if you’re going to fail, fail fast”… I still apply this advice often! There’s no point in failing slow – have a crack and figure out if it works as soon as possible so you don’t waste your own time.
Before I launched Ark Swimwear, I was… An Analyst for a Business Advisory on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It was a small agency, so I was fortunate to be involved across many aspects of the projects we managed – I was client facing, at the table for negotiations, part of M&A and investor meetings as well as having my head deep in spreadsheets for the analyses. I was not someone who was looking for an ‘out’ from my current life. I had a fantastic boss (who is still my mentor!), and I loved my lifestyle, living on Manly Beach and working at Collaroy Beach.
Before then, I had loads of jobs! I didn’t come from a wealthy family, so I worked my butt off from the age of 14, starting at my local pie shop in Manly. I was then an architect’s receptionist, a sports club administrator, a PA, a gym receptionist, a rowing coach, an extra for Home and Away, an administrator for an Investigations company and eventually my Business Analyst gig. I continually draw on skills and experience from all these jobs. Never think a job is pointless! There’s always opportunities to learn.
My biggest pinch me career moment was when… Ahhh it’s so cliché but it’s seeing customers wearing them in person – I used to hate hearing this in interviews! But, it’s true. I always assumed it would be celebrities wearing them that would be the ‘pinch-me’ moment, but to my genuine surprise, it’s the strangers.
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Ark’s most popular design would definitely be… The Bralette. We have had this cut from Day 1 and has been popular in all of our colours. I never expected it to be because I designed it for myself; I didn’t assume that others would also want what I wanted. What makes our Bralette so popular is the support and lift it gives without underwire, padding or dart stitching (that super awkward stitch that goes halfway up the cup to the nipple). We get so many reactions from A-Cups who love how their busts look in them, even though I designed them for myself – a D-Cup, so that I could get lift and support without using underwire and padding.
The reason people love Ark so much is… Our pieces are so easy to wear. The one constant feedback I get is that their Ark Swimwear bikini is their most worn one – it’s the easy go-to in their bikini drawer. It’s the quality, comfort and simple silhouettes that likely attribute to this most. We have so many loyal customers that keep coming back – it’ the nicest feeling!
I find inspiration by… Initially, it was the bikinis that I wanted to own but couldn’t find anywhere. Now it’s spending time at the beach, and noticing everyone around me. Inspiration comes from seeing other women at the beach wearing swimwear that does nothing to flatter their body, and I visually redesign their swimwear in my mind to something that would enhance their shape a little better. So many people don’t understand how to show off their features.
The most exciting celebrity I’ve seen sporting Ark is… Oh, Kim Kardashian, without a doubt. Love her or hate her, you have to respect what a powerhouse she is. She is the original modern-day influencer, and achieved respect from the elite of the fashion industry – she’s been on covers of Vogue magazines around the world. But, the most exciting part of it was that she purchased these via our website – it wasn’t gifting, PR or through a stylist. It’s such a breathe-out moment and confirmation that we’re on the right track!
The process for getting your designs in the hands of celebrities involves… This can be done via PR agencies, stylists and specialist celebrity seeders. Or, there’s the paid route via their agents, which we haven’t done but understand this is an option. We’ve had celebrities reach out to us directly for gifting requests and others, like Kim K, purchase via our website, which is the most rewarding way! We don’t know how these incredible women found us, but we can only assume branding had a lot to do with it.
I usually find out about big names sporting my designs through… My mates! I have a few amazing friends who will spot them before I do, and they’re pretty quick with it! When it was Kim K wearing them, it was our grad, Sophie, who saw it first and she was messaging our group WhatsApp but we were all still asleep. It was a whole lot of “BEST DAY EVER!” messages – she was having a one-sided conversation with herself early on a Saturday morning going through all the emotions. Love her.
After someone famous sports Ark, what happens is… Nothing much! I’ve read the stories of brands selling out their line and turning them into an ‘overnight success’, however, for us, the impact that I’ve identified is that it gives us authority, not immediate conversions. We won’t have a surge of online traffic but we will have more sales.
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Having an influencer strategy is important because… It’s how a lot of people shop at the moment. Not everyone has the ability to picture what a garment looks like on from seeing it on a rack. Not everyone knows how to style pieces together. Not everyone knows whether it will fit their body type. Thankfully, there are influencers of all shapes, sizes and styles, so people get to choose who they want to influence them.
I realise this next bit is going to sound so cliché, but our customers are the ultimate influencers. You can never beat word of mouth. It’s genuine and there are no ulterior motives. It’s essential to us to look after our customers and ensure they have a great experience, right from browsing our website to wearing them for the 100 th time.
When I work with influencers and celebrities, it’s important to me that… They love our swimwear! It’s not only important, it’s a requirement. I see so many people on Instagram wearing or using items that they clearly don’t love and right away you know they’ve been paid for it. We’re fortunate to see so many on Instagram wearing our swim, and whether they tag us in their photos or not, I’m stoked to see that they love them and choosing to wear them.
The most exciting project I’ve worked on recently was… Our trip to Turks and Caicos! We have been so lucky to be able to organise a couple of trips with groups of models, actors, creatives and producers. We had the super talented photographer Megan Batson and videographer Hamish Cross with us – you can see the video of our trip on our website or IGTV.
They all love to create, so it’s amazing to be able to give them an environment where they bounce ideas off each other and produce whatever they come up with! There were 18 of us who travelled from around the world to Turks and Caicos, staying at Beach Enclave in the most luxurious villas. The best part, always, were the people and staff – it’s always the people that make it worthy to be called an experience of a lifetime!
The biggest swimwear trend this season is… A lot of designers are now pushing against the static structure of seasonal trends, which I absolutely love! This shift has been predominantly due to COVID and the social push for the fashion industry to be more proactive in environmental sustainability. This means more timeless dressing and wearing colours and cuts that make you feel good. This is precisely what our brand and design ethos is.
Colour trends for this season in swim that will be here to stay, are browns in all hues and earthy, rust colours that have a slight pink tint to them. Our Rust colour has recently seen a massive surge in sales in all of our styles and we are tipping it to be a big one for this coming Australian season. Our Leopard Print is a great way to wear this season’s Brown – I love how rich and warm this brown is and how it looks against the skin. It’s been a staple in fashion throughout the decades. Each time we design around a trend, we do what we can to ensure that it will still be timeless. Our prints are designed inhouse and therefore unique to us. Our Snake Print has had a timeless twist – the repeat pattern isn’t as harsh as others and the tones work so beautifully against the skin.
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A motto I live by is… I’m not really a motto person! Everything is essentially saying the same thing, just in a different way; be logical and strategic, take calculated risks as long as it doesn’t undo you or others. Always be kind to yourself and those around you, and help out when you can.
I wouldn’t have been able to make it this far without… I have been so fortunate to have incredible people around me – from the early days to current. It was friends, family, housemates, old sports mates, old bosses who supported me across all aspects of the business! My retired mum and step-dad who took over all the stock and did order dispatch for me so that I could work on the business (rather than ‘in’ the business!). Parents are so self-sacrificing.
As Ark Swimwear has grown, I’ve been so fortunate to meet some amazing people within the fashion world. It’s an industry that has surprised me with its warmth – on the surface it’s about aesthetics, but within it there is so much kindness and support. One of the women I’m most grateful for in this industry is our Aussie sweetheart Natalie Roser. She started her label Rose & Bare last year (best quality lingerie!) and couldn’t be more stoked for her – she is intelligent and has an amazing work ethic, which is reflected in her success both in front and behind the camera. I cannot express enough how beautiful all of these people have been and how blessed I feel to have met them and kept them in my life. I’ll be forever grateful.
The most important part of having a successful business is… This changes depending on what kind of day I’m having! Essentially you need to know your numbers, love your product and nurture your people. Coming from a Business Analyst background, what was drilled into me by my mentors was to know the difference between cash flow and profit and loss – you need both of them to work. Marketing can be one of the most expensive line items, so make sure you measure your ROI (return on investment), especially in those first few years when you have to stretch every dollar.
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I maintain work / life balance by… Being in Manly helps a lot! My home is a block away from the office, right by Manly Beach – my daily commute is a walk along the beach and at lunch can head out for a swim/sunbake (in summer only – I don’t deal well with the cold!!). I work long hours and am incredibly determined, but I’m also very good at mentally separating work from my down-time. I think my ability to turn-off is what allows me to keep my sanity!
The next thing you can expect to see from me/Ark is… 2021 is a big year for us; my whole team is so excited! We will be moving into a larger space which comes with it new opportunities, including being able to offer more designs and sizes! This year we did a lot of groundwork, including launching our new website! With so many websites looking the same these days, it was so important to me that we designed this one ourselves without templates.
I love our site so much as it makes the campaign images the hero and is a true reflection of our high-quality swimwear. A favourite feature is the unique menu of filters to make it quick and easy to get what you want. If you haven’t already, go check it out!
