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[title]Now that Paraiso Miami Beach and Miami Swim Week have wrapped, we’re taking a look back at what excited us most. It wasn’t the barely-there bikinis or the brief, hopeful flashes of body inclusivity on the runways.
The most forward-looking fashion statement we came across was Natasha Tonić’s Coral City collection. Created in collaboration with the innovative Miami lab and studio Coral Morphologic, the sustainable swim line highlights the beauty of the natural environment hidden just below the surface off Miami’s coast while also directly contributing to rebuilding the world’s endangered reefs.
“When it comes to corals, it makes sense to swim in plant-based swimwear rather than polyester,” says the Los Angeles-based designer, whose minimalistic approach and hemp fabrics aim to protect our oceans from microfiber pollution. “I honestly think there is no space anymore for synthetic activewear and swimwear.”
Large-scale coral die-off is an alarming indicator of the effects of warming oceans and increased pollution around the world. Tonić’s use of industrial hemp helps reduce CO2 and enriches the soil. Unlike most plants, fast-growing hemp doesn’t need pesticides and uses far less water than traditional crops. By embracing a more sustainable material, “I hope to inspire not only the swimwear industry to convert to plant-based, but the farming industry as well,” Tonić says.
The collaboration with Coral Morphologic came about as the two entities share a similar vision when it comes to protecting our environment from climate change and pollution. “Ultimately, people protect what they love,” says Coral Morphologic’s J.D. McKay. “Showing the beauty of corals in a relatable way may be the most impactful action we can take for the coral reefs.”
Over the course of two months, Tonić handmade each pattern and combed through original photography taken by Coral Morphologic in their Miami lab. “Together, we decided to go for wild, unconventional prints,” says Tonić. They landed on three archetypal coral forms: brain, interlocking and flower-like patterns that represent what coral visually means to humankind.
If you have a message you want to relate, go for it. Challenge yourself and your audience.
If you’ve had the pleasure of encountering Coral Morphologic’s trippy coral projections around Miami, you’ll already be familiar with the bold colors and mesmerizing organic shapes that make up the Coral City collection. Though it was a challenge, Tonić managed to devise an eco-friendly method of faithfully reproducing the live coral imagery onto the natural fabric, a priority for both parties. “It was important to raise awareness that coral reefs can actually be protected and healthy,” she says.
Aside from being vegan-friendly, anti-microbial, UV resistant, durable and a healthier choice for your skin and our oceans, each swimsuit sold from Natasha Tonić’s Coral City line will plant one coral on the reefs in Bali in partnership with the Indonesian NGO Ocean Gardener. Since 2016, the organization has planted over 50,000 coral fragments to restore vital coastal reefs.
So far, the response to the collection has been amazing, says the designer. Though Natasha Tonić is a boutique brand producing in limited quantities, her goal is to make the partnership with Coral Morphologic a continuous collaboration and plant “millions and billions of corals” around the world.
“If you have a message you want to relate with the collection, you need to go for it. You need to challenge yourself and your audience,” Tonic says of Coral City. “For me, the message was clear and positive: There is hope when it comes to saving coral reefs.”