A Brand Born at Bondi, Built for the World
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There are swimwear brands that describe the beach, and there are swimwear brands that feel like the beach. Bond-Eye Australia is the latter. Founded in Sydney, Australia in 2011 by Steve Philpott — a former creative director who spent thirteen years at leading Australian activewear brand Running Bare before betting everything on a new vision — Bond-Eye was conceived on a ferry crossing the Adriatic between Dubrovnik and the island of Mljet.
Philpott had just sold his shares in his previous venture. He was in Europe, letting his mind run free, and on that ferry ride the concept crystallized: a brand named after Bondi Beach, shaped by the Australian way of living, designed to take a piece of Sydney's golden summer to the rest of the world. "I had always wanted to create a brand that represented Australia and the incredible lifestyle we have," Philpott has said. "From there, the seed of the idea of taking a piece of Australia to the world in bikini was planted."
The road wasn't without turbulence. Building Bond-Eye required everything Philpott had — he worked for years on zero salary, poured his resources into the product, navigated a legal dispute that nearly ended the company, and rebuilt. The brand that emerged from that crucible is more resilient, more refined, and more globally connected than anything that came before it. Today, Bond-Eye is stocked in the world's best retailers across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and continental Europe, and recently opened its first retail flagship in Bondi. It has grown more than 300 percent over three years.
The Authentic Crinkle™: A Fabric Unlike Any Other
If you've ever held a piece of Bond-Eye swimwear, you understand immediately why the brand has a cult following. The signature material — a proprietary construction the brand calls The Authentic Crinkle™ — is unlike anything else in swimwear. It is a tubular knit, handmade in Sydney from European yarns, constructed to allow four-way stretch and instant recovery along the body. It molds to your shape, hugs every curve, and rebounds perfectly. It stays where you put it. It doesn't shift. It doesn't sag.
The Authentic Crinkle™ is also, by design, unsized. Bond-Eye's entire swim collection is built to fit a size XS through L — all shapes and sizes in between — without traditional sizing. The brand's philosophy here is intentional: by creating one universally fitting garment, Bond-Eye eliminates the anxiety of sizing, reduces excess inventory waste, and makes every piece more accessible to more bodies. Bikini tops in The Authentic Crinkle™ fit A through DD/E cups. Bottoms can be worn low, mid, or high-rise depending on your preference and body, and the twin-needle finish ensures they stay exactly where you place them.
This is also a fabric that functions beautifully beyond the beach. Several Bond-Eye one-pieces have been worn as bodysuits. The Blake, for instance, transitions seamlessly from swimwear to streetwear. The structural integrity of the crinkle fabric means these pieces hold up not just in water, but in life.
Sustainability at the Core
Bond-Eye's sustainability commitments are among the most concrete in premium swimwear — not marketing language, but measurable actions backed by certifications and partnerships.
In 2018, the brand began what it describes as an honest sustainability journey. Today, the results are significant:
- 92% of the range is shaped from recycled fibres — specifically, GRS-certified 100% recycled nylon yarns with a soft, luxurious hand feel.
- The brand's innovative 'Bare' fabrication is handcrafted exclusively for Bond-Eye using regenerated nylon derived from pre-consumer raw materials that would otherwise go to waste. The yarn is manufactured by a premium Italian mill using 100% renewable energy, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and lower water consumption.
- All tags, labels, and trims are made from recycled materials. Garment bags are made from plant-based, home-compostable materials.
- Bond-Eye has partnered with UPPAREL, a textile up-cycling company, to recycle fabric off-cuts. Since 2021, this partnership has diverted 6,787 kg of textiles from landfill and prevented 23,752 kg of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
- In 2022, the brand introduced a take-back program allowing customers to send their worn-out swimsuits to be recycled with UPPAREL at the end of their lifespan.
- Through a partnership with i=Change, Bond-Eye donates $1 from every sale to three charities focused on environmental issues, women's well-being, and child welfare — contributing over $49,826 to date.
The unsized model itself is a sustainability choice. By offering single sizing rather than multiple size runs, the brand dramatically reduces excess stock and the associated resource waste of overproduction.
Every piece is handmade in Sydney, Australia, in partnership with female-led communities in the factory and fabric mill. Bond-Eye maps its supply chain to ensure compliance with the Modern Slavery Act and maintains a commitment to ethical practices throughout.
The Aesthetic: Bold Silhouettes, Nostalgic DNA, Modern Edge
Bond-Eye occupies a precise aesthetic space: the intersection of nostalgia and innovation. Each collection draws on classic shapes — '90s Baywatch cuts, high-leg silhouettes, sports-influenced crops — and reinvents them in The Authentic Crinkle™, with modern hardware details, bold colorways, and a pervasive sense that the wearer knows exactly who she is.
The brand's identity is summed up in its own language: "Made to be seen, bond-eye swim is infused with the spirit of summer, salt-mist days + electric nights of its home in Sydney." That energy is legible in every piece. These are not quiet swimsuits. They are confident ones.
The textural quality of the crinkle fabric means that even the simplest Bond-Eye shape — a solid-color triangle top paired with a mid-cut brief — feels elevated and distinctive. The crinkle catches light differently from smooth fabrics. It has weight and presence. When worn, it communicates something about the person in it: that she cares about what she wears, that she knows quality, and that she doesn't need a logo to signal it.
Signature Styles
Bond-Eye's collection revolves around a core of shapes that have become synonymous with the brand, returning season after season in new colors and variations:
- The Malibu Set — The original Bond-Eye silhouette. A sporty square neckline crop top with supportive straps, paired with the Scene Brief. Classic, versatile, and one of the most recognizable swim sets in Australian fashion. The name has become shorthand for the brand's aesthetic.
- The Scene Brief — The brand's best-selling bottom. A mid-cut brief with thin sides and a curved waist that delivers a universally flattering look. Wear it cheeky to mid; the twin-needle finish keeps it wherever you place it. Perpetually sold out in key colorways.
- The Mara One-Piece — The brand's all-time best-selling one-piece. A plunge neckline with a low, scoop back and wide shoulder straps. Adjustable coverage from cheeky to mid. Timeless and eye-catching in equal measure.
- The Scout Crop — A plunge-neckline crop with a low scooped back and wide, supportive straps. The go-to for A through DD cup with genuine support.
- The Maxam — The original Bond-Eye one-piece cut, inspired by classic Baywatch silhouettes. Low armholes, extra low scooped back, and an apron-style neckline. A must-have for the woman who wants to make a statement without overthinking it.
- The Palmer Brief — A chic, vintage-inspired high-waisted brief with adjustable coverage. One of the most photographed pieces on the brand's feed and in editorial.
- The Sasha Crop — A sporty variation on the Malibu crop with an underbust cut-out. Appeared on Bond-Eye's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue appearances.
The Bound by Bond-Eye Line
Alongside the main collection, Bond-Eye has produced Bound by Bond-Eye — a capsule line featuring hand-dyed and limited-edition iterations of the brand's core shapes. The Bound line introduces double dip-dye techniques and specialty colorways that are not available in the standard collection. If the main Bond-Eye line is the brand at its most refined, Bound is the brand at its most expressive. Pieces from this line have a particularly strong following in the secondary market due to the uniqueness of each dye lot.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: Recurring Presence
Bond-Eye has been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue on multiple occasions. In 2022, model Kate Love wore pieces from her collaborative collection with Bond-Eye during her 10th SI Swimsuit feature, shot in Belize. Bond-Eye model and collaborator Katie Austin wore the Sasha Crop and Scene Brief for her 2022 rookie SI Swimsuit shoot in Montenegro. Most recently, Ilona Maher — Olympic rugby star and one of the most talked-about figures in the 2024 Paris Games — wore a Bond-Eye Sofie Triangle Bikini for her SI Swimsuit digital cover shoot in New York. SI Swimsuit's endorsement reflects the brand's position at the intersection of fashion credibility and athletic functionality.
Celebrity and Editorial Recognition
Bond-Eye's global profile has been built through consistent editorial placement and an organic celebrity following. Hailey Bieber, Lady Gaga, Chrissy Teigen, Rita Ora, and the Kardashians have all been photographed in Bond-Eye pieces. The brand has also launched collaborations with Georgia Fowler, the New Zealand-born model, Victoria's Secret veteran, and Harper's Bazaar Australia cover star, who designed a capsule collection for Bond-Eye that Harper's Bazaar Australia described as "avant-garde shapes" and "tactile soft shimmer crinkles." The Georgia Fowler collaboration sold out rapidly and reinforced Bond-Eye's position as a brand that transcends seasonal trends.
In 2025, Bond-Eye opened its first U.S. retail outpost in New York, marking a significant step in the brand's American expansion.
Shop Bond-Eye Australia at PerfectKini
Every Bond-Eye Australia piece in our collection is 100% authentic, new with original tags. Bond-Eye produces in limited runs — many styles we carry are sold-out seasons or discontinued colorways. We price fairly and in line with market value. Same-business-day shipping on most orders placed by 2 PM PST. We're not a warehouse. We know what we have and why it matters. Browse all Bond-Eye Australia at PerfectKini →
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