Coco & Shy: Wear and care on the coast

Above right: Susi Benger’s summer cherry coloured handmade bathers made from recycled marine debris. Photo by Haley Renee. Left: Image courtesy of photographer Belinda Monck.

Wear and care on the coast

Story by Hayley Taylor.

When a child is about to enter your life, all expecting mothers know that things will never be the same again. Parenthood is, among many things, a lens through which the world can be viewed.

Nothing escapes this new lens, including fashion design which, like any other artistic pursuit, is an expression of perspective. So when Susi Benger, creator and designer of South Australian sustainable swimwear label Coco and Shy, became a mother, her approach to designing changed completely. ‘I definitely noticed with the birth of Lilou that I just had this amazing creative energy that I’d never had before and it was really motivating,’ says Susi.

‘My perspective shift from becoming a parent made me see everything differently,’ says Susi, ‘things like wearability, fit, and ease became more of a priority, and the look became more about incorporating functionality as well.’ Before her post-bub rebrand, Coco and Shy’s style opted for the structured, vintage styles of the ‘50s, but an effortless, soft and simple style emerged after Lilou’s birth.

Susi speaks with a sweet-toned voice, and soft giggles intersperse her speech. It becomes clear as we talk, that the wholesome nature of her brand isn’t just an image, it’s an ethos. Raised in New Zealand, and now based on the south coast in Port Elliot with her family, Susi’s increasing environmental consciousness, and the environment’s place in the future of her children, has had a huge impact on her label. It then takes these recovered nylon fishing nets and plastic bottles and turns them into fast-drying, hard-wearing textiles.

‘It can be so overwhelming when you think about it, just the scale of the issue, sometimes it feels like you wouldn’t be making a difference,’ says Susi. ‘I guess it’s similar to parenting and how it can be super overwhelming, but the small things you do each day can really make a difference.’

The styles in her line are sleek and monotone, the fabric is soft, and the supply chain is transparent. It maintains a minimalist aesthetic which permeates into Susi’s family life.

‘Being a parent, it’s really hard to be a minimalist. As much as you try, there’s so much that you sort of need,’ says Susi, ‘but I find it calming and it’s definitely a focus to be more purposeful with the things that we bring into our lives, and for the girls to appreciate the things we have.’

With daycare closures earlier in the year, Lilou and little sister Fio have been home more to help Mum with colour selections for the new summer line. While the latest range will echo Coco and Shy’s elegant simplicity, you can be sure it’s had the tick of approval from Lilou, who currently dresses to match her favourite pair of navy blue ‘cow-cow’ cowboy boots, gifted from Grandma.

Susi hand-cuts every swimsuit, piecing them together with the help of three industrial sewing machines. Each run sees just enough to keep Port Elliot boutiques Mist and Rollo fully stocked. Snapping them up is the perfect reason to explore this gorgeous south coast community, but if you’re shopping in the city, Naomi Murrell on Ebenezer Place also holds some of Susi’s finest swimmers.