GUD Swim, an independent Australian swimwear brand, is currently riding the wave of success after being unexpectedly worn on Love Island All Stars by Samie Elishi.
An overnight success more than a year after trying
GUD Swim has seen its popularity soar after appearing on the colossal reality TV show but the news follows years of near-misses in trying to get their bikinis seen.
In fact, the bikinis worn by Samie were originally gifted over a year ago ahead of her first appearance on the standard series. However, the star was eliminated after one day, meaning GUD Swim bikinis never appeared.
The bikinis finally appearing in the All Stars villa was completely out the blue with GUD Swim co-owners Harriet and Jaz said: “This year, we had no idea she was returning to the show and genuinely didn’t expect our bikinis to appear at all – proven by the fact the bikini she wore was a discontinued print!”
On the January 23rd episode, a scene aired showing the 25-year-old trying on bikinis and asking if she should “go cool” in reference to the GUD Swim design or “pretty”. After fellow islander Millie Court advised her to “go cool”, Samie opted for the GUD Swim product.
Shortly after the episode aired, GUD Swim was tagged in a post by Fashion Finder – an account that identifies and tags the brands worn by the islanders – that would change the brand overnight, leading to its first ever six-figure month and a rapid rise in awareness across Australia and beyond.
The co-owners explained: “We posted a TikTok reacting to the moment, which reached over 120,000 views overnight. Thousands of people flooded our website, with comments begging us to bring back the discontinued bikini Samie was wearing.”
In response, we brought the style back for a limited time only, available exclusively while Love Island All Stars is on air. The impact was immediate: traffic surged, we sold out of almost everything, and the brand recorded its first-ever six-figure month.
“After four to five near-misses over the years, from stylist conversations to gifting that never quite landed, this moment felt especially meaningful because it happened completely organically, without paid placement or PR.”
In addition to the bikini design that aired, new fans have shown love to the entire GUD Swim range.
About GUD Swim
GUD Swim is an independent swimwear brand founded in 2023 by two girls from the UK who moved to Australia in 2019. While the brand, known for its ethical and sustainable products, has been gaining strong traction in Australia, this moment put us in front of a whole new UK audience and marked a major turning point for the business, which now offers worldwide shipping.
For more information, please visit www.gudswim.com.au/.