Speedo couture gown

Swimwear specialists Speedo have teamed up with sustainable designer brand From Somewhere to create the Unity dress; a one-off couture ball gown produced using surplus fabric from Speedo’s Fastskin Super Elite Swimsuit.

Designed by From Somewhere’s Orsola de Castro in partnership with Rebecca Jayne Taylor, a graduate from Falmouth University, the innovative concept gown was made using off-cuts from special edition versions of suit in colours of Speedo sponsored swimming teams from the USA, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Spain, Japan, Canada, Netherlands and Israel.

Orsola de Castro said: “I think our dress speaks about water, and water is life. It’s about the environment, and preserving water which should be a priority for all humankind.”

On creating the unique fusion of formalwear and swimwear, de Castro added: “We wanted to really concentrate on the idea of having a traditional evening gown that totally mimics sportswear design techniques. The sewing, finishes and details were constructed as if the dress would also have to withstand swimming, which presented an exciting challenge.”

The dress is the latest collaboration between Speedo and >From Somewhere, and follows the inaugural collection of dresses made from the Speedo LZR Racer Elite that showcased at the Esthetica exhibition of sustainable fashion at London Fashion Week in 2011.