Inspiring Woman: Tessa Hartmann on her New Swimwear Collection
Tessa Hartmann CBE with one of her HartiSWIM designs
Launching a swimwear brand that seamlessly blends luxury, art, and sustainability is no easy feat, but for Tessa Hartmann CBE, it was a natural evolution of her passion for fashion and creativity. With nearly three decades of experience in fashion PR and branding, Tessa's entrepreneurial spirit found a fresh spark when she envisioned turning her husband’s bold pop art into wearable pieces. The result is HartiSWIM—a collection inspired by Jersey’s coastal beauty and designed for confident women who embrace elegance, sustainability, and individuality. As Tessa shares the story behind her creative journey, we explore the inspiration, challenges, and unique vision that make HartiSWIM a brand like no other.
What inspired you to create HartiSWIM and what type of women did you have in mind when you started the creative process?
I have worked in the fashion PR and branding for almost 30 years. I love everything about this world and have always dreamed of setting up my own label but if I’m honest, I never had the courage. Then one day I had a lightbulb moment with my husband’s art, when I realised, we owned all the IP (intellectual property). His large acrylic on canvas paintings with statement pop art figures were dynamic and powerful and I just thought they would look amazing on fabric. I also was a huge fan of Moschino circa 1990’s with their character prints on swimwear & ready to wear, I just thought – wow - we could do an incredible collection with our own artwork that is totally unique and ownable by our brand.
We have lived in Jersey in the Channel Islands for almost 10 years now – we left Scotland in 2015, so doing swimwear seemed like the natural choice, especially with our incredible beaches and sand dunes here. So, I guess you could say that this is an ocean focused story for a brand that is based in The British Isles. I set out to redefine the concept of pool side elegance!
Our next challenge was to create a totally sustainable label – living on an island surrounded by the sea, I’m a big advocate for environmental issues – we only have one planet. We sourced an incredible new generation sustainable fabric. So, our 28-piece capsule collection is made from recycled plastic bottles from our oceans. All the artwork is hand painted by Harti and reproduced across our collections, using a sustainable digital print process. I think that by using a sustainable fibre for our swimwear, allows all our customers to play a role in solving the ever-growing problem of ocean plastic. As a business we believe in a salutary re-birth of our broken planet we're dedicated to creating an innovative brand that uses our collections and art to bring awareness to climate-change. One of the most amazing facts from our collections is that we can tell our customers that 1 SWIMSUIT = 13.1 PLASTIC BOTTLE, this is a certified bottle count. There is lots of greenwashing out there and one must be aware of that. We take our sustainable ethos very seriously.
Tessa with her artist husband Harti whose art is reproduced in the HartiSWIM collection
The name 'HartiSWIM' pays homage to your husband’s art, which is featured in the collection. How does his artwork influence the design process, and what role does art play in shaping the identity of HartiSWIM?
We are first and foremast a ‘wearable art’ brand. Our identity is shaped by his bold, statement pop art prints and his commentary which he writes for each painting. His commentary refers to our ‘collective subconsciouses and each painting has a thought-provoking narrative. So, we kept the name of the painting across the swimwear too, so our customers can discover the deeper meaning of each piece of art. The design process involves taking his original paintings and reproducing them in their entirety onto the product – like our satin kaftans or using his beautiful pop art faces across the fabric, as placement prints.
As a sustainable brand we won’t have seasonal collections – we will literally create a collection and will add to it each year, introducing new pieces year on year. To continue putting out twice or sometimes three times a year collection is madness in today’s world. It’s insane that the fashion world is still producing seasonal collections when we have such a problem with landfills and too many clothes. Did you know that 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year and let’s not talk about the amount of microplastics filtering into our oceans. I believe that people need to buy better, but buy less. If you are investing £225 on a swimsuit you want it to a) last for ever and b) stay on trend. The global business model of over production needs to change so as a brand HartiSWIM are standing firm on that level.
HartiSWIM co-founders Valentina, Tessa and Tallia Storm
Your daughters Tallia Storm and Valentina are co-founders of HartiSWIM, how has their creative input and perspective influenced the brand, and what is it like working together on such a personal project?
This is very much a family venture, and we spent over 18 months developing the label with my two daughters. Demographically I wanted to make sure I was designing for all women. We segmented the looks into three sectors really – me for the age 45+ woman, Valentina for the 35+ sporty & athletic collections and Tallia Storm for the younger and more daring on trend high cut shapes for the 18 – 25 demographics. We are three very different people and we each bring our own take to the demographics of the brand and what works within that. I love working with my girls. With them being involved from the start, they appreciate how hard and challenging the fashion world can be and the obstacles one must overcome when setting up a new business venture. It’s always been ‘all hands-on deck’ from every aspect of the business. It’s also lovely therefore to be able to celebrate the small wins when they come with my girls.
As a successful female entrepreneur, you’ve achieved so much in your career. What challenges did you face when launching HartiSWIM, and how did you overcome them?
I think every day is a school day in life. There are always new things to learn and by goodness I have learnt so much already on this venture. I call HartiSWIM our side hustle as I still have my branding agency and that still pays the bills. Whilst I would love to focus 100% on HartiSWIM I wear two hats. The plus side of that means that I have all the creative expertise and marketing in-house so save the brand a small fortune on costs as we do it all ourselves. I was also very fortunate to have an old friend David Finlayson, a maverick in the swimwear world who has been an incredible mentor to me. He has worked in the swimwear game for 30 years and was invaluable to me with the development. The set-up costs for any fashion business tend to be prohibitive for most young designers and that’s why we are lucky. Our main business has given us the tools and expertise to deliver first class campaigns and expertise, for minimal investment about from our time and ‘grafting’.
I will say that you must be dedicated and committed. Any new business venture is exhausting, involves late nights, sacrifice and determination – I have that in bucket loads and will just keep hustling for as long as it takes. A big mistake people make is putting a timeline on it – I am in no rush. Building a solid brand can take ten years – I am here for that, and my objective is to roll Harti out as a lifestyle brand too. We have already done a collection of pillows and designer furniture so there is huge scope for continued expansion – but all in good time.
HartiSWIM headlined at the Ibiza Fashion Festival
HartiSWIM recently headlined the Ibiza Fashion Festival, a show dedicated to sustainable fashion. What was that experience like, and how important is it for you to be part of the global conversation on sustainable fashion?
We were delighted to be part of the show and what’s not to love about doing a show in beautiful island of Ibiza? However, I discovered in my research before I went there that there is 30 times more floating microplastics per km2 than the rest of the Mediterranean sea. 72% of rubbish collected on the Spanish Mediterranean beaches is plastic waste – we should be doing better. People love to party in Ibiza, but they need to be conscious about their lifestyle and plastic waste. The amazing thing is that there are some great organisations out there doing their bit to make a difference and clean up the beaches. Going to events like this is important, not only to share our collections and build awareness to our brand, but to help share stories about lifestyle choices, help educate and inform tourists about best practices so we can continue to enjoy such beautiful places like Ibiza in years to come.
The swimwear industry can be incredibly competitive. What sets HartiSWIM apart from other brands, and how do you envision it evolving in the future?
I think every sector in the fashion business is competitive. There are so many amazing and successful brands and incredible creative talent out there, but I don’t think there is anyone like Harti. Taking original wearable art and putting it across swimwear and resort is unique right now. My vision is to develop a lifestyle brand. We have done a collaboration with Andrew Martin Interiors with Harti cushions, and we are launching our own cushion range next year. We also produce designer furniture and sofas, placing the art on to sustainable luxe velvet fabrics. Why should art be confined to walls? There is no eye so discerning as the eye of an artist. The objects that they choose to live with, be it furniture, ceramics, rugs or art, are meticulously considered and chosen to reflect their character and personal tastes. This is what Harti is all about. My dream is to have a standalone concept store with all the swimwear, huge paintings on the walls, a store scattered with luxe furniture for your home and of course rails of swimwear. That’s the vision. I will just keep hustling until I manage it.
HartiSWIM is designed for women from size 0 to 18.
HartiSWIM is designed for women of all sizes and ages who value glamour with a conscience. Why was it important to you to create a brand that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, and how have customers responded to this approach?
As a brand we embrace an audacious and vivid colour palette. HartiSWIM is about storytelling, innovation and expression. Each piece serves as an extension of the artist Harti’s canvas. For us the pleasure is about dressing up for the beach. Our satin kaftans embody a sophisticated but fun seaside grace, blending our bold pop art graphics with functional elegance, perfect for that seamless transition from beach to bar. Our satin sarongs are so very versatile with their size and can be worn as a sarong or halter neck wrap. This resort collection features an array of our original pop art canvases, presenting stunning silhouettes that work with slides or heels, embracing the expansive possibilities of swimwear. This is glamour with a conscience, for those who carry of love of confidence with their poolside style.
My size over the years has always fluctuated so it was important to do a wide range of sizing – we cater from size 0 – 18. We always endeavour to redefine the concept of beachside elegance for ALL women, regardless of age, shape or skin colour. Our sustainable swimwear and resort collections aren’t conventional, we tell stories through our art and allow women to feel comfortable and incredibly glamourous. HartiSWIM is what you might call playful, innovative and very feminine.
You’ve mentioned that each HartiSWIM swimsuit is made from 13.1 recycled plastic bottles. Can you tell us more about the technology and processes involved in transforming ocean plastic into luxurious swimwear?
By using a new sustainable fibre for HartiSWIM, allows our customers to play a role in solving the ever-growing problem of ocean plastic. I think it’s even more important to a younger demographic than my age group. I have many friends in their 50’s + who seem to ignore the problem and don’t really engage. Our job as a brand is therefore to share stories, educate our followers and clients to how severe this climate pollution is, and the dangers that lie ahead.
The fibre we use is made from bottles collected within 50 kilometres of coastlines in countries or areas that lack formal waste or recycling systems. The manufacturer basically collects yesterday’s waste and gives it a second life as sustainable fibre. They transform plastic bottles into certifiable, traceable, high- performance yarn. The fabric has a proprietary tracer technology. This means, like human DNA, they know a product’s origins and can verify it with their U- TRUST® certification.
This premium HartiSWIM fabric also features built in sun and chlorine protection to +50, which also makes HartiSWIM unique. Our swimwear is also luxuriously lined and washes like a dream – that was a huge prerequisite for me during development. So many cheap swimsuits just don’t wash well, with the colours fading after a few washes. I am delighted to say Harti swimwear is great – always wash at a low delicate temperature, hang it to dry in the shade (no sunlight) and it will last for ever, with care.
You’re a proud member of 1% for the Planet, donating a portion of your sales to environmental causes. How does this commitment to giving back reflect your broader mission with HartiSWIM, and what impact do you hope to make through this initiative?
Look I believe every little bit helps. We are still a very small brand, so our contribution is minimal in the bigger picture of things, however, it’s a start. It aligns with our brand values and highlights our own commitment to sustainability. People need to remember that fashion is responsible for 10 percent of human- caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of global wastewater . I believe it’s our job as businesspeople within the fashion community to move towards a circular economy, to tackle the impact on our environment.
Tessa believes the world needs strong women: "Being a wife, juggling motherhood and school runs is a struggle, running a business on top is even more challenging but if it’s something you love, that you are passionate about, you will find the time."
As a mother, entrepreneur, and wife, how do you balance your various roles while growing a new brand? What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own businesses?
Look if everything in life was easy, we’d all be doing it. It’s not. Being a wife, juggling motherhood and school runs is a struggle, running a business on top is even more challenging but if it’s something you love, that you are passionate about, you will find the time. You need to sacrifice a lot – there’s no denying that. You might not make the school sports day, or swimming gala, but one day your kid may be prouder of your personal success and being their mum uses more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined. Learn to cope with the guilt – it comes with the package, but it does get easier as the kids get older. I encourage women to celebrate failure – don’t be embarrassed – wear it like your best shirt because it’s only through trying things again and again do we succeed. Have no expectations – especially not from friends and family. I have found over the years that my pockets of luck and deals have come from strangers, new acquaintances – never people I have known for a long time. Finally – do it for yourself, and never apologise for being a strong and powerful woman. The world needs strong women – never forget that.
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