If I were to tell you that two Newcastle tweens, Myla Tucker and Liv Lorenz were the brains behind the sustainable swimwear brand, Cinnamon Cove, would you believe me?

Well, you better, because these two girls have been successfully producing their own swimwear brand since its inception in November 2021.

“During lockdown, we had a lot of spare time on our hands, so we decided to take up running each lunch break between online classes.

“We would always end up at the beach and we soon noticed there just weren’t that many swimwear options out there for us. They were either too babyish or way too skimpy. So, we decided to make our own.”

Only just over a year old and this not only local business, but local TWEEN business has had nothing but success. What started as a want to create swimwear that suited their own individual tastes, has grown into a demand that has exceeded all expectations.

“We never dreamed we would get this kind of response. The lovely emails from happy customers, or all the media attention that has helped grow our business. We are so grateful for every opportunity and supporter.”

Each of the Cinnamon Cove designs have come to life by starting from a simple drawing on paper. With each piece finessed, the girls visit their local pattern maker who gives the girls the green, or sometimes red light.

“She then creates a pattern, and after many (many) prototypes, we can release a design. At the moment, we have six different designs in a variety of colours.”

Be Bonnie comes in three signature Cinnamon Cove designs including Lime Cordial, Octopus-in-Pink, Clementine, and Three-from-the-Sea. The striking and sleek design gives wearers the confidence to be comfortable whether you’re, ‘cartwheeling along the sand, balancing on a board, or gliding on wheels.’

“Myla’s favourite is the Be Bonnie, our original two-piece design. It is named after her younger sister, Bonnie, who has a learning disability. The Be Bonnie is all about being bold, brave, and simply being Bonnie.”

The Cropped Rash Shirt comes in both Three-from-the-Sea and Clementine and is the perfect rashie to pair with their Be Bonnie design.

The Gemini one-piece is reversible giving the wearer the option of two looks in one. Adding a little bit of style, each piece also comes with a detachable belt.

“Liv’s favourite swimsuit is our Gemini reversible one-piece. She loves it because it’s like having two swimsuits in one!”

Launching their newest design just prior to Christmas, Cinnamon Cove’s Summer Sunflower pieces are a nod to the recent Van Gogh Alive exhibition that graced our Newcastle shores.

Up first is the Summer Sunflower Bikini which matches perfectly with their Summer Sunflower Wrap Skirt made with recycled terry towelling. Included in this product drop was also the sophisticated and stylish Summer Sunflower One-Piece, and their product first; the Summer Sunflower Dress.

“Being sustainable is really important to us. All of our swimsuits are made from Econyl; a fabric weaved in Italy from upcycled fishing nets. Our manufacturing is done a quick 20-minute drive from our house to prevent waste from shipping, and so we know that the working conditions in the workshop are ethical and sustainable.”

The pair may only be young, but their enthusiasm and passion for Cinnamon Cove is worthy of not just being role models for other teens and tweens, but a great learning opportunity for us adults in building a business too.

The signature Cinnamon Cove products are available online through their website here, with the girls occasionally popping up at markets across the year. Whether you’ve got a teen or tween at home that might be looking for age-appropriate swimwear, or are one yourself, we’re excited to see where the future of Cinnamon Cove is headed and what designs we can expect to see on their website next.