Folk x Speedo | The Cold Water Swimming collaboration

Outer Cold – Inner Peace.

The act of immersing ourselves in cold water is an act of saying yes to life - the beauty of the environment, the elemental thrill, the spontaneous joy. Harnessing our inimitable design & spirit, with the heritage and know-how of performance pioneers Speedo, a partnership is created around the communal faith in this exhilarating journey.

Folk founder and Creative Director, Cathal McAteer, notes -
“Losing yourself in nature has always appealed to me – hiking up mountains, dancing in a field, floating in the sea – all big positive moments. So naturally we have admired and been part of the love for cold water swimming, these small groups & communities of people taking to the rivers, ponds, lakes & coast to get the elemental rush of being outdoors in the water...

...Wanting to introduce a lived-in sense of ease to the kit that people use, the aim was to make an excellent range of swim and warm-up gear. So we designed robes, fleeces, base layers, hoodies, hats etc plus partnered with swimming icon, Speedo, for performance quality swimwear. We have tackled the outer cold to help deliver the inner peace.”

We also teamed up with cold water swimmer and surfer Sophie Hellyer; we created our shoot with her and other coastal Cornish disciples in a 48hr adventure through Bude and its beautiful surroundings - tidal pools, big seas & dramatic waterfalls.

The collaboration is represented in a brand marque featured through the whole collection - mixing our half moon icon with Speedo's dynamic boom. Usually as a subtle sign off on different styles, or writ large on cotton tees.

An unmistakable thread running through the range is the abstract geometric print in signature earthy Folk tones. From fleeces to swimsuits, blankets to hats this unique print carves a joyful distinction from the usual heavy outdoor & performance wear.