“We are really proud to feature an Australian supermodel,” Santamaria says. “For a time we lost a bit of our iconic Bondi Beach reputation. We will never lose it as our foundation.”

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While Seafolly has been regrouping, other brands have emerged to capitalise on Australia’s association with beach culture. Since launching in 2015, Sydney swimwear brand Bondi Born has made inroads internationally and is now stocked in Harrods, Saks Fifth Avenue and Net-a-Porter.

Australian resort brand Matteau – sounds French – has its block colour swimsuit styles from former Vogue stylist Ilona Hamer, which have gained popularity with front-row regulars and models off-duty, and is stocked internationally by Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman and Moda Operandi.

In October ready-to-wear designer Rebecca Vallance launched her first swimsuit collection with unexpected results.

“Neiman Marcus didn’t stock our clothing but took one look at our swim pieces and loved them,” Vallance says, following meetings with the US department store chain. “Now they’re expanding their orders into clothing.”

“I wish I’d launched swim years ago. It’s our fastest growing category and US customers love it.”

The US is also of importance for Seafolly, which is why their customers, along with UK shoppers will have access to fit adviser technology, which uses a body dataset to recommend size. Australian online shoppers will have to wait.

Santamaria says: “In the US we don’t have bricks and mortar stores so we need to build the trust in our fit online. We know that 70 per cent of Australian customers start their journey online but still like to make their purchases in one of our stores. For them, it’s about the look, touch and feel. They trust us.”

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