The maker and story behind tamara™
Hey, I’m Flo, the founder of tamara™, a swimwear brand built from love, resilience, and a deep connection with the sea. This is how it all began, what drives me, and the values that guide every stitch.
Healing in the sea and finding Tamara
Tamara™’s origins trace back to early 2024, but the roots run a little deeper. After a challenging couple of years, I discovered that the ocean was where I found solace. Growing up, I spent many years far from the coastline, and when I finally came to live closer to the water, it took time (and help) to learn how to trust the sea: how to read its moods, ride its waves, dive into its depths.
One of the most important people in this journey was my friend Tamara, who had already been surfing for a few years. She took me under her wing, teaching me how to surf, sharing stories, surf books and films, and opening up a whole world I didn’t even know I wanted to be a part of. Her example, strength, and love of the ocean shaped the brand’s name and spirit. Tamara™ is for her, and for every woman who has ever helped a friend answer the call of water, cheered them on, or simply waited for them at the shoreline.
From passion to purpose: adventures that shaped me
Since then, I’ve chased the coast of New Zealand, road-tripping its spectacular shoreline, doing a full year of daily ocean swims, exploring free diving and spearfishing, and introducing other women to these adventures. These experiences taught me more than just surf technique or breath-holding: they revealed what it means to feel strong, alive, and part of something much larger than myself.
The idea of tamara™ was always obvious. I wanted to weave together my creative roots (as a dressmaker and graphic designer) with my love for the ocean and a longing to enable other women to feel free and confident in the water. I needed swimwear that didn't hold me back, but moved with me, so I got to work and designed it.
The leap: first collection and what it meant
Launching the first tamara™ collection felt like stepping into the surf for the first time: exciting, nerve-wracking, deeply personal. It meant choosing fabrics, patterns, fits with intention. Every suit is designed for those waves, that dive, that moment you look in the lineup and realise you belong there.
The goal is simple: inspire more women to take the leap. To dive in. To trust their strength, their body, and their connection with water. Because for me, and for all of us, the ocean isn’t just a place. It’s a home, a teacher, a healer.
What’s next
Tamara™’s journey is just getting started. I see new collections that push boundaries in design and sustainability, collaborations with other spirited women in surf, dive, adventure, and growing the community around tamara™, from the lineup to wherever water-adventures take us. Every new piece, every story shared, every wave ridden is part of this unfolding story.
Thank you for being part of this with me. To everyone who has believed, surfed, swum, cheered, or simply seen what I’m doing. Here's to more salty sessions, adventurous spirits, and women stepping into the water with confidence.
With aroha,
Flo