RUTT Australia have launched its latest swimwear collection, inspired by 1970s aesthetics and lovingly crafted by hand. The eponymous label of Australian model and creative Rachel Rutt, it is known for playful silhouettes and colour schemes, as evident in its latest drop featuring the vibrant Piko bikini.

Rutt explains the Piko bikini is an ode to her eclectic childhood, combined with her sustainable principles for creating, culminating in the swimsuit blending unabashed, bold colour with technical innovation.

“I spent a year of my childhood on the island of Okinawa, just south of mainland Japan and most days outside of the rainy season were filled with snorkelling and spearfishing,” says Rutt. “It was the early noughties and what I remember most about the fashion of the time was its heavy influences of spray tanned bleached beach freaks, US military occupation counterculture, and the mourning of Tupac.”

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“Reducing and repurposing waste is a priority and I wanted to create a piece that had all my ideal 70s aesthetics, but none of the discomfort that usually comes with crochet swimwear.”

The fresh drop, styled by Charlotte Agnew, comes in both pink and blue colours, in addition to the already existing versions in orange and green. All iterations feature a contrast zig-zag stitch across the front of the top and across both the front and back of the brief. In search of a comfortable crochet bikini, Rutt knew perfecting her product would come down to one key production component: the choice of fibres.

“For years, I searched for the perfect yarn with which to create this piece, and then last year I met waste-led initiative the Endery, who work exclusively with landfill-destined fibres and offered a beautiful solution; Piko is hand crafted from a unique yarn that is the perfect blend of recycled polyester and elastane, which also makes her gentle on the planet.”

Unlike typical crochet blends, the Piko bikini is elasticated meaning once wet, it won’t stretch out or shrink. It is designed to be quick-drying and performs as a regular lycra swimsuit, with adjustable ties for optimal comfort.

Each swimwear piece carried by RUTT Australia takes more than 21 hours for artists to produce –  a true labour of love, inherent to her philosophy. Every piece is a celebration of the art of the handcrafted, resulting in unique, statement swimwear to be worn in for summers to come.

Shop the range here.