Brand to watch: BATOKO

Founded in 2013, Batoko is a women’s swimwear retailer with a difference.

Batoko uses its Instgram feed as a “community hub” to showcase its fashion

Surprisingly Batoko – which uses much-loved millennial motifs such as cacti, palm prints and flamingos – is not based in a hip enclave of LA or Brooklyn but in Lytham, St Annes, Lancashire.

A key strand of the business is its ethical and environmental credentials. In a backlash against fast fashion culture, Batoko prefers to keep its “collections small, introducing new designs at a slower and much more sustainable pace”.

Its reusable packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and the swimwear itself is made from vegan fabric.

Those credentials don’t come cheap, with swimsuits around £40 a pop. But Batoko isn’t about capturing the masses, it’s about building loyal clients from the few.

Now offering wholesale, Batoko ensures its Instagram page is a “community hub”. “Our feed is essentially a showcase of you guys, our customers and friends.”

“There are no models or faux set-ups, just real life people doing awesome real life things all connected by a fun little swimsuit and a huge lust for life outdoors”.