London-Based Oceanus Brings Back Bold Glamour for the Beach

“Unapologetic, maximalist and playful. We’re not aiming to go just sexy. We’re cooler than that.”

With loud spirit and audacious, over-the-top personality, this era in the fashion world is resurrecting supermodels and ‘material girls’, now called ‘it girls’, with a roar of colour, texture and unabashed excess. Fashion, it seems, is rediscovering the power of audacious self-expression, a rebellion against the mundane, and swimwear and RTW Oceanus is one of these brands paving the way. 

No one does elevated swimwear like Oceanus. Or actually, no one is truly doing elevated swimwear - period. Swimwear you can wear day and night, at swimming and at parties, out and about; there’s never been such versatility. Half-Lebanese founder and creative director Hannah Atallah saw a gap in the market, and walked - no, ran - towards it. “We created a new category of swimwear - evening swimwear. And that’s the one advice I’d give to young designers, if you’re going to do something, have a point of difference,” Atallah tells SceneStyled. 

She had a hazy dream of 80s glamour, piecing and tying it in together with Swarovski jewels and intricate hand embroidery. She said ‘glamorous swimwear’, and glamorous swimwear she delivered. “People were scared of doing glamorous swimwear before, with excuses like ‘you can’t do it, it’s not practical’,” she explains. “Sure, you have your beaded and boho bikinis, but it has never been done in the high fashion way that girls so desperately want.” 

Dripping in Donatella-Versace-inspired glamour, this label channels the power and sass of 1980s mob wives, blurring the lines between poolside chic and evening grandeur. Luxury evening wear and swimwear is hard to combine, but through rich base fabrics, gold bullions, bold prints, shimmering metallics, hand-made embroidery and Swarovski crystals, Atallah cracked the code to this tricky equation. With the 80s making a comeback on runways, on the streets, in the magazines, Atallah felt like this comeback hadn’t quite come back to swimwear. Gone are the days of monochromatic colours, timid styling and playing it safe. Now, it’s all about big, big, big, and Oceanus is all about a ‘more’, obnoxious attitude. Previously looked at with a grunt of disapproval and questionable side eyes, this sartorial attitude now reigns again like the early 2000s. 

“We’re not afraid to make a statement, or be bold.” The brand is inspired from the opulent details of 1980s evening wear. They also thrive on the yearning to experiment, much like that time period with its dramatics, excessive self-expression and dynamics. It’s not afraid to have a bit of fun, either. “My taste was engraved in me from a young age, from seeing what my parents wore and just having a deep appreciation for vintage glamour, embroideries and textiles,” she says. “I definitely think culture defines your sense of style.” 

For bookworms it was libraries, but for fashionistas like Atallah, it was thrift shops. Spending her childhood in London, the half-Irish, half-Lebanese founder grew up in a household that pushed her to take risks and be daring. Her aunt, Auntie Shirley, introduced her to the vast world of fashion when she was just a pre-teen, taking her on strolls to grandiose vintage stores that sparked the fashionable side of her and brought her to life. “I was always - like always - obsessed with finding hidden treasures from the past, like textiles and vintage finds,” she explains. “I used to tell my parents; shopping is research.” 

At the tender age of 20, Attalah started her entrepreneurial journey, establishing her very first embroidery business. Soon after, she captured the attention of the top lions of the industry, leading to collaborations with the esteemed fashion houses of Jean-Paul Gaultier, Donna Karen and Christian Dior. Mere years later, in 2018, her own brand made a debut, instantly making waves within the fashion world. “It was in my strong history of archival techniques and red carpet experience that I was able to mix vintage artwork elements. I hand embroider these elements onto fabric panels, which are then stitched together,” she explains. 

Worn by the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Anya Taylor Joy, Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Rita Ora, Winnie Harlow and Elsa Hosk, this brand has crossed international borders. “I believe the reason we achieved global success was because we’re so different compared to the market,” she says. “We got that mix of artisan hand embroidery and competitive price just right. I would even label us ‘acceptable luxury’. I know we can charge more, but we want it to be fun and produce lots of collections. At the end of the day, we aim for lots of people to buy it. A brand means to be seen and worn.”

“I basically just love playing with textiles and gems, in whatever form that is.” Their RTW line expanded from their swimwear bestsellers. “Our designs are almost like artwork. For example, the Vegas Co-ord Set was inspired from casinos, with playing cards stitched on it. Even our crystals and beading have references!” For Atallah, it’s all about mixing fashion and art - all while having some playful fun. “I love co-ord sets, because you’ve got your outfit then and there,” Atallah adds. 

One of their first collections was modelled by supermodel Duckie Thot, and their latest collection was a collaboration with American actress and singer Christina Milian (who - fun fact - co-wrote Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ and Kim Possible’s theme song). The collection, named ‘Tropez Havana’, is a manifestation of the threads of Milian’s life. The inspiration for this stunning line finds its roots in the sun-drenched summers spent with family in Saint-Tropez, a luxurious haven of yachts and Aperol spritzes. But this glamorous influence is infused with the fiery spirit of Milian's Cuban heritage and the pulsating energy of a Cuban woman. The collection celebrates curves and confidence. 

“Everything we do is by hand, not machines. We’re a small team and we’re trying to increase production,  but we always prioritise quality. We’re more about nurturing our community, rather than quick rapid growth or mass production, which is why we have selective designs per season,” Atallah shares exclusively. “And I still design myself.” Oceanus also offers a bespoke service allowing customers to embroider artwork of their choosing onto their swimwear or clothing. For her ‘Mafia Chic’-themed wedding in Sicily, Oceanus partnered with English actress Jaime Winstone to create a custom swimsuit under this service. The bespoke swimsuit included a ‘J’ emblem for her name, sketched by Tim Rockins. 

The essence of female empowerment lies in enabling women to embrace their femininity without apology. And Oceanus is on a steadfast mission to redefine the very notion of swimwear, empowering women to feel bold, confident, and unadulteratedly themselves. “We aim to really nurture people’s creativity and get them to feel confident in being bold and maximalist and statement pieces,” Atallah says. “We want to empower all body shapes, from women who are curvy to women who are skinny.” 

“We came to the market at the same time as recycled lycra, and we did it way before it was mainstream to do sustainability,” Atallah outlines. “We source recycled fishing nets, which are then transformed into lycra. We also try to recycle excess beads and scraps of fabric from previous collections.”

“When I moved to Bali, I noticed that crochet is very famous here and it inspired me to incorporate it,” the founder tells us. “I like to see what someone is good at and work with that.”  Atallah, who now resides in Bali, has opened a store there as well. “Bali is a magical, healing island - that's what I love about it. It’s mother nature; it nurtures you and it gives you everything you need.” The island has also inspired some of Atallah’s designs, stemming from Balinese local creativity and art. “One of our bestsellers, the Arizona swimsuit, was inspired when I saw these incredible hand-painted fish. I then made it into a print on it and turned it into embroidery.”

“We have some very exciting collabs with big, big people,” Atallah teases. “And - drumroll please - a store opening in London!”