"IT'S always summer somewhere".
You might not be thinking of swimming and sunbaking just yet, but this is the mantra that Sutherland Shire swimwear label Neontide goes by — whatever the season.
Neontide launched its first online collection — Saltwater, Sand, Summer — this month.
As one of the three ladies behind the design wheel, Jennifer Parkes, 30, of Cronulla brings to the label more than seven years' experience developing swimwear ranges for Cheetah and most recently, as a senior fashion designer for Roxy.
She was made redundant last year, when she was five months pregnant. after five years with the company.
"I wasn't sure what to do," she said.
"With the encouragement of my manager at the time, Sophie, who was so passionate about what I was doing, we became partners, along with Angela.
"We now have plans to expand internationally and we will be launching a boys' range to join our collections."
The designs for women, teens and little ones are stocked at Cronulla Beach & Street, and will be in other retail shops, including Myer and Surf Dive N Ski, from this month.
Neontide is a finalist in the 2014 Australian Startup Awards for product business of the year.
Details: neontide.com
Fashion career
The Country Girl Australia national tour begins next week to give young women the chance to build a career behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry.
Details: misscountrygirlaustralia.com.au