Some collections begin with a sketchbook. Maréa began with a conversation.
For years, customers had been asking the same question: "When are you going to make swimwear?" My prints had always been inspired by coastlines, tropical colour and memories of the sea, so perhaps it was inevitable that one day they would find their way onto pieces designed to be worn in the water itself.
The name Maréa comes from the Italian and Spanish word for tide, the force that pulls the sea away before always, without fail, bringing it home again. That felt like the perfect metaphor for this collection. Every print was born somewhere near water, shaped by coastlines that have inspired me throughout my life, and every piece was designed to return there.
There is another meaning woven quietly into the name.
Maréa sits close in sound to Maria, the traditional form of Mary. It is my grandmother's name, and it is also my own middle name. Without intending to, this collection became a tribute not only to the sea, but to the women who shaped me. Like the tide itself, it became a story about return to place, to family and to memory.
A Celebration of Colour
Like every collection I create, Maréa is rooted in colour.
The palette draws from the vivid blues and greens of Caribbean waters, sun-faded coral, tropical flowers and the intricate forms of shells collected along the shoreline. These are colours that have become part of my visual language - joyful, nostalgic and impossible to separate from my heritage.
The Prints
Shell Print
The Shell Print is exactly what it sounds like: an archive of shoreline discoveries.
Every shell was drawn by hand from collections gathered during walks along Caribbean beaches before being reinterpreted in my own illustrative style. Together they become a record of place, memory and moments spent searching the shoreline.
Neon Palm
Neon Palm is the return of one of my favourite prints.
Originally created for my debut Windrush collection, the design began using a traditional batik wax and ink technique that I learnt at a batik house in St. Kitts, the island my family's heritage is rooted in. For Maréa, it has been reimagined in bold, electric colour. It still carries the same island spirit, but now feels ready for sun-soaked afternoons, beach clubs and long summer evenings.
Pink Palm
Pink Palm began long before Maréa existed.
It was originally painted as a gift for my mum, a personal piece that later found its place within the collection. The print takes inspiration from flamingos, whose feathers lose their vibrant colour as they nourish their young before gradually returning to their brilliant pink once the nurturing is done.
It became a quiet celebration of motherhood, resilience and the idea that giving everything to others does not mean losing yourself forever.
Craft, Considered Down to the Thread
Behind every piece is a supply chain I know personally.
The swimwear and cover-ups are made using fabric created from recycled plastic bottles, woven in Italy before being sublimation printed in Altrincham using a process that avoids water consumption. From there, each garment is made by a family-owned atelier in Warrington.
Nothing about Maréa was rushed. Nothing was produced anonymously or disconnected from its story. Every stage reflects the same values that have always defined my work: thoughtful design, British craftsmanship and responsible production.
Returning to the Water
Maréa may be my first swimwear collection, but it doesn't feel like a new direction.
It feels like coming home.
The same stories, colours and hand-painted prints that have shaped my work from the beginning have simply found the place they were always meant to be, carried by the tide, and finally returning to the water.