April Hewat has always had a creative mind. Even as a “typical lipstick tomboy” growing up on a farm in Carrum Downs, she “thought constantly about new ideas for this or that”.
After travelling around Australia, Europe and the US, April returned home with a desire to design swimwear, knowing she needed for find her own niche in this extremely competitive market. The “eureka” moment came at 3 o’clock one cold morning: “I jumped out of bed and ran into my little farm office and scanned in a postcard of a beach on my little outdated bubble jet printer, then ironed it on to a white bikini pant - and I knew that was it.”
She found a company in Denmark that had the machine she needed to professionally print photographic images on to fabric, and the world was now her canvas.
In 2007 April launched her label – April Marie Swimwear - at the inaugural Australian Swim Fashion Week on the Gold Coast. It was a “mindblowing experience” and was followed by a show at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney in 2009. Now employing the extraordinary talents of Melbourne photographer Rebecca Le Souef and Frankston model Monique Wardley, April gained valuable exposure in Vogue Australia and Cleo magazines, her leopard print featuring on Vogue’s cover.
In 2011 she slowed down her production and concentrated selling online while she had her three children in the space of four years, but next season she is producing some amazing structured bikini tops and one-pieces as well as skirts and dresses.
“Celebrities, parties, catwalk shows and trade shows can entice you to become completely wrapped up in this world of glamour and fashion, but I soon discovered that it’s just not me. I keep my socialising in this world to a minimum and I look to our beautiful Mornington Peninsula for all public events and location shoots and really try to convey that you don’t have to live in Milan, Sydney or Paris to produce a stunning international label when the talent is right here under your nose.”
You can check out April’s stunning range at aprilmarieswimwear.com.au