Collection Survey: Karla Špetić, KS Swim

It’s a crying shame that we’ve just entered winter and now summer is about a billion days away, because Karla Špetić has released her KS Swim lookbook and it is everything we’d like to be wearing/doing (including rolling around in bubblewrap, tbh).

A couple of weeks ago, Karla sent a beaut Resort show down the runway at MBFWA. It gave at a glimpse at the swim line, in particular a look at the prints that’d be involved. The collection pulls from a doco Karla saw, which looks at the horror of plastics in the ocean — hence informing blues and whites, recycling logos, transparent cover-ups, even the way the pieces crinkle and wrap and knot.

We handed collection survey over to Karla, and here’s what we got back.

Name: Karla Špetić

Starsign: Gemini

Where are you from and where do you live now?
Dubrovnik. Currently living in Sydney.

Any personal beliefs or values that are meaningful to you?
Recycle or die.

And what were you doing, learning or practicing before you started working on your clothing line?
I was in High School dreaming of being able to make clothes.

Can you tell me a little bit of background on the collection — any inspirations, references, important collaborations?
Earlier this year I went to a screening of a documentary called A Plastic Ocean. It really struck a chord with me and reinforced my way of thinking and the way I live and consume on a daily basis. I wanted this collection to bring attention to the devastating effects we are having on our environment and our oceans. I created a repeat print of a recycle logo, which from afar looks like a floral print. Sustainability and protecting our environment is a topic that is so relevant to us right now.

If you could describe the collection in five words?
Conscious. Thought Provoking. Alluring. Confident. Fun

If the collection was a colour: Blue

If it was a mood: Sexy

If it was an animal: Sea Anemone

If it was a language: Latin

If it was a place: Tenerife

If it was a time: 1985

If it was a song: Madam Butterfly (Malcolm McLaren)

If it was a season: Summer

If it was a food: Watermelon

If it was a famous person: Paulina Porzikova

If it was a YouTube video: Madame Butterfly (Malcolm McLaren)

If it was a smell: Santal 33 (Le Labo)

If it was a texture: Smooth

If it was a quote: “Never give up on your dreams, keep sleeping.”

If it was a film: Swimming Pool