Two sisters from Donegal have launched a sustainable swimwear brand, with all pieces made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon.
Áine Boyle, who is originally from Gartan, and her sister Sally Anne are about to make waves with their new launch – Kahm. A new exclusive collection has been added to the Kahm.ie webstore this evening.
The women’s and girls’ swimwear and men’s swim shorts, designed in Donegal, are made from infinitely recyclable nylon that originated as old carpets, fishing nets and nylon scraps. The pieces are made for the wearers to feel good while protecting the planet.
Áine in the Éire suit (Emerald Green colour, RRP €60). Available now at www.kahm.ie
Áine, a swim teacher and beach lifeguard, explains: “Swimming has always been a big part of our lives. We both swam competitively as children and still do a lot of sea and pool swimming. We noticed that there were no dedicated Sustainable Swimwear brands in Ireland and we decided to create a new Irish brand.
“We wanted to use sustainable materials while ensuring that our Swimwear is bright and durable and does not fall apart or fade after a few swims. We researched the options globally and entered a licence arrangement earlier this year with an Italian firm called Aquafil which owns the ECONYL® brand.
“Our Swimwear is designed in Donegal using ECONYL® yarn. The yarn is infinitely recyclable and feels so smooth and strong – it is hard to believe that it is made from old carpets, fishing nets and nylon scraps!”
Sarah in the Grace suit (Blue colour, RRP €60) and Niall in the Tidal Shorts (Blue colour, RRP €45). Available now on Kahm.ie
Kahm is very much a family brand, Áine says, from the name right down to the teamwork.
“The name KAHM comes from the first initials of my sister’s four children. The water has always brought me great calmness so we thought the name was very fitting and unique for us. I look after the day-to-day operations of the venture and my sister manages the strategy, legal and supplier arrangements. I love the creative side whereas she is the organised one, so we make a good team. We have another sister Gráinne who lives in Dubai and who is enthusiastic about bringing the brand to Dubai, so we might look to that in the future. For now, we are concentrating on the Irish market,” Áine said.
Sarah in the Jane suit (Black colour, RRP €50). Available now on Kahm.ie
Donegal is at the heart of everything about Kahm, Áine adds.
“We love Donegal and are committed to using Donegal companies and people to grow our business. We have used Donegal suppliers as much as possible and our suits are pictured on Donegal models on Donegal beaches. We want to showcase our Swimwear collection and our county at the same time. I work as a swim teacher and beach lifeguard so I spend every day on the beach anyway.
“Our venture is brand new and our 2021 range is a small, exclusive selection of colours and styles. For ladies, we have Swimwear ranging from UK sizes 4 – 18, we have Sustainable Swim Shorts for men sizes 30” – 36” and we also cater for little girls ages 2 – 9 years.”
Check out the new collection today on – kahm.ie
Follow Kahm on Instagram – @Kahm_Sustainable_Swimwear
Twitter – @KahmSwimwear
Áine in the Grace suit (Ivory colour, RRP €60) and Sarah in the Éire suit (Emerald Green colour, RRP €60). Kahm.ie
