l stage, McDonald shares insights on the inspiration behind her designs, the brand’s mission and what drives her passion Inside Retail: How was your first Miami Swim Week? Ashya McDonald: It was an amazing experience getting to meet so many other designers, media people and connections in Miami. For us it was a great experience to hit the international stage, in some ways [I was] completely out of my comfort zone, but even there I realised that what we offer is what women want all over the world. IR: What was the interest like after the runway show? AM: The feedback from our Aussie community has been amazing. There is a lot of love for the brand and to hear from lots of different people within our community has been overwhelming. IR: Can you reveal any announcements off the back of Miami Swim Week? AM: No major announcements yet, but we’ve got a few things in the pipeline. IR: Can you share the story behind the founding of Full Bums? What inspired you to start this brand? AM: We moved to the Gold Coast in 2018 and were spending a lot more time at the beach and I noticed a trend of less coverage in swimwear at the beach, which also overflowed to the shops – as in, I couldn’t find swimwear with full bottom coverage anywhere that was still affordable. The idea started as a joke, ‘One day I’m going to start a swimwear brand and I’m going to call it Full Bums Swimwear’. The joke became serious and in September 2021 I launched the brand.  In October 2020, I decided to go ahead with starting the business. I started an Instagram and started posting holiday destinations around Australia on it. It took me nearly 12 months to find manufacturers that understood what I was looking for. IR: What is the core mission and vision of Full Bums, and how do you ensure it is reflected in your products and business practices? AM: Our mission is to provide affordable, gorgeous swimwear with full bum coverage.  ‘Make it easier for women to buy swimwear online’, is written on our office wall – this drives what we do, how we add things to our website and how we implement feedback from customers, etc.  We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service – not everyone will love our product but we want everyone to walk away with a great customer experience. IR: How would you describe Full Bums’ brand identity and what sets it apart from other brands in the market? AM: We are the only Australian brand that provides full bottom coverage exclusively. A lot of other brands have it in their collections, but it is our whole brand.  The Full Bums brand is fun, we have worked hard to build a great community of women who have become friends. IR: Can you walk us through the design and development process? Where do you draw your inspiration from? AM: I find myself stalking women at the beach, looking at the styles, patterns and colours they’ve chosen and wondering why they picked that. Was it the cut, the colour or the way it made them feel?  A lot of the design process is talking about popular styles and designs and adding back in the bottom coverage.  There are only so many different styles of bottoms you can do so we add variety with colours, materials and patterns. IR: What are some of the unique features or innovations in Full Bums products that address common issues or needs in your market? AM: Each year, we’ve collaborated with Australian artists and put their artwork on our swimwear. It adds a completely different look to our swimwear. It’s also completely original. The major differentiating feature we address is swimwear coverage – not everyone wants to wear a cheeky or g-string. Some women haven’t even worn swimwear since having children, so we want them to feel supported, comfortable and gorgeous in their swimwear. For a lot of women, feeling all of those things means having that extra bit of coverage. IR: Sustainability is crucial in today’s market. How does Full Bums approach sustainable practices in product development and production? AM: We always endeavour to be more sustainable in our practices. Our packaging is recycled and biodegradable. We are moving to paper hygiene strips instead of plastic.