When we first dreamt up HartiSWIM, I knew we weren’t just creating another swimwear brand. This was personal. This was art, activism, and family, woven together with every stitch. So to make our U.S. debut at Miami Swim Week The Shows, in front of the world’s fashion elite, felt like a surreal, full-circle moment. But more than that - it was a statement.
The night itself? Electric. South Beach was humming with energy, the air thick with anticipation and heat (as only Miami can deliver). But from the moment our first model hit the runway, I felt something shift. The audience didn’t just watch - they felt.
Our collection is bold - let’s not pretend otherwise. Pop-art prints, sculptural silhouettes, colour that doesn't whisper but sings. Every piece is created using my husband Sascha’s original artwork, he’s the Harti in HartiSWIM - and we literally take his brushstrokes from canvas to cloth. It’s fashion as walking art. Joyful. Unapologetic. Made for sirens, not sidekicks.
But beneath all that beauty is a message. And we made sure no one missed it. The show opened not with music or lights, but with truth. Stark, confronting visuals about plastic pollution in our oceans. For 30 seconds, the place was silent. That was deliberate. Before the glamour, we had to ground people in reality. Because yes, HartiSWIM is fabulous, but it’s also fierce in its commitment to change.
When we launched HartiSWIM, we didn’t just want to make beautiful swimwear—we wanted to start a conversation. A movement. One that fused art, fashion, family and environmental activism into something powerful, something unapologetically bold.
So making our American debut at Miami Swim Week The Shows was never going to be a quiet entrance. This was our moment.
Set against the pulsing backdrop of South Beach, our show wasn’t just a display of resortwear - it was an experience. From the very first second, we wanted to bring people into our world. And not just visually. Before a single model walked, before a single flashbulb went off, we opened the show with a cinematic storytelling sequence projected across a massive screen - hard-hitting, emotional, and rooted in truth. It told the story of ocean plastic: what we’re doing to our seas, and why it has to change.
What many people don’t know is that the haunting, beautiful soundtrack to that entire sequence - and the full 12-minute runway experience - was composed by Harti himself, my husband and co-founder. Yes, he paints the art you see in our collections, but he’s also a gifted composer. The original score, titled MIAMI Runway, was written specifically for this show, to emotionally complement the narrative of ocean pollution and rebirth. It builds from a sombre warning to a powerful, almost euphoric crescendo - echoing the hope that lies in action.
You can listen to it now on Spotify, and I urge you to. It’s a visceral piece of music that brings the heart of our brand to life.
And then came the fashion. Oh, the fashion! A riot of hand-painted pop prints, sculpted silhouettes, vibrant rash guards and cover-ups that feel like wearable murals. Each piece was made from certified sustainable fabric - specifically crafted from 13.1 recycled ocean plastic bottles per swimsuit. That number is important to us. It’s not a gimmick. It’s who we are.
And yes, if you’ve noticed the bob, you’re not alone. The Harti bob has become something of a signature for us, sharp, sleek, and unapologetically uniform. For three years now, we’ve worn our matching black bobs like a badge of honour, and this season, it felt like the world finally took note. Call it a uniform, call it a look, but for us, it’s part of our identity. Clean, confident, and deliberate. We’ve cemented it. It’s not just a hairstyle - it’s a statement.
At HartiSWIM, we believe sustainability can be fabulous. That glamour and ethics don’t have to be at odds. We’re not about beige eco minimalism. We’re about joy, provocation, and standing for something - while looking sensational.
The show closed with a jaw-dropping finale of couture gowns from Harti Atelier, each one a statement in itself. Sequins. Feathers. Pure drama. My daughter, the R&B diva Tallia Storm, brought the house down in the final look - ten metres of hand-dyed ostrich feathers and a performance that stopped everyone in their tracks. It was a proud mum moment I’ll never forget.
But above all, what we created in Miami was a message. A declaration that fashion can do more. That swimwear can spark change. That storytelling, whether on a canvas, a catwalk, or a Spotify playlist, can shift hearts.
We’re not here just to make swimwear. We’re here to make waves.
And we’re only just getting started.
Tessa x
Image - Diana Valiguras
