Independent lifestyle brand Zulu & Zephyr launched in the summer of 2012 offering swim and resortwear for the modern woman.
Last month, Zulu & Zephyr opened the doors to its new flagship store on the coveted Gould Street shopping strip in Bondi Beach, which was previously tenanted by Australian fashion brand Silk Laundry.
This follows the opening of its first brick-and-mortar store in 2020 when it “effortlessly” came upon an opportunity to open its Byron Bay concept flagship.
Zulu & Zephyr started as a side hustle and has now grown into an international brand with a cult following, hosting a pop-up store in Los Angeles in 2019, which saw the brand gain global traction.
Despite the cost-of-living crisis and people globally cutting back on discretionary spending, Candice Rose-O’Rourke, co-founder and head of marketing of Zulu & Zephyr, told Inside Retail that the foundation of the brand “is the strongest it has ever been and we feel confident in our business skin and energised to take Zulu & Zephyr to the next era”.
Coming in hot to 2026
According to Rose-O’Rourke, the opportunity to open the Bondi store fell into the brand’s lap a mere six weeks before opening the doors.
“We had little time to invite a builder to bring our hand-drawn scribbles on paper to life, hire a team for Bondi and prepare to open to the Bondi community,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
“We are so pleased to be in Gould Street, amongst incredible brands like Lucy Folk, Sir, Jac + Jack, Dissh and Venroy, who also launched in the same era,” she continued.
Rose-O’Rourke lived in Bondi with her sister, Karla Rose in the early 2000s, and they started retailing Zulu & Zephyr at the infamous Bondi Beach Markets in 2013.
“With not much cash and our boyfriends cheering us on. It was a pipe dream to finally have a store here [Bondi Beach] – so it feels like a full circle moment,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
Meet Zulu & Zephyr
The sisters co-founded the brand as an ode to the fashion that was popular during their mother’s era of the 1970s, evoking nostalgia through texture and prints.
Zulu & Zephyr’s mission is to foster a culture of creativity, producing purposeful and intentional pieces, with sustainability at the forefront of all business operations.
“As a brand – we are balanced, yet spontaneous; strong yet relaxed; dynamic but signature. This play on duality links back to our brand name. ‘Zulu’, referencing leadership and strength – yet ‘Zephyr’, relaxed and floating,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
In 2017, the brand entered the childrenswear market with its mini category as a natural extension of the Zulu & Zephyr co-founders, who were young mothers themselves.
Building an international omnichannel experience
Eleven years after launching, Zulu & Zephyr now has an omnichannel presence in over 100 retailers worldwide across the US, Central America, Canada, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Its global following numbers are almost 500,000 on Instagram alone.
In Australia, in addition to its two concept stores in Byron Bay and Bondi, the brand retails through The Iconic, Stylerunner and numerous other local boutiques. It is looking to expand its brick-and-mortar presence for 2025. This includes plans for a Manly store and an international pop-up experience.
“These initiatives solidify our commitment to growth and innovation within the industry,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
Weaving sustainability innovation into fashion
As a conscious brand, Zulu & Zephyr has adopted an all-around approach to sustainability and it has environmental, social, governance (ESG) commitments in place regarding the entirety of its supply chain.
“Sustainability is at the forefront of everything that we do at Zulu & Zephyr,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
“Since 2018 we have been on a professional and personal journey to learn more about our production, materials, manufacturing and the people that bring Zulu & Zephyr to life,” she continued.
“We understand that as a consumer, it’s no longer just about the end product, but instead the life cycle of a design and how it is brought to life. Knowing and having faith in the entire process, where and what the product is made from and how it was made, becomes just as important and sacred to us and our community.”
Maintaining a point of difference
Worldwide, the swimwear market share is estimated to have a value of US$13.25 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to US$15.35 billion by 2029. Research from Mordor Intelligence identifies that key factors including comfort, fabric and design will determine which brands continue to drive the market and set the fashion trends.
“When we launched the business 12 years ago, there were almost no other independent swim brands,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
“It was our commitment to swim and resort wear that flipped this personal, unique and important category on its head to make way for Zulu & Zephyr. Our community became familiar with our fabric, fits and prints – they understood our brand was passionate about artistry and storytelling through design.
“Zulu & Zephyr has since modernised its design and its approach to fashion – sustainability and durability are at the forefront of our mind whilst bringing new moments into play for Australian fashion.”
This is largely informed by customer feedback, which the brand’s customer experience team seeks, collates and communicates to the respective departments, and which Rose-O’Rourke says plays a “pivotal role in the evolution and development of our products. Keep it coming”.
Shifting from growth mindsets
Rose-O’Rourke said the brand has faced many challenges over the years, namely in 2018 when Zulu & Zephyr experienced “huge growth”, which forced the co-founders to evolve out of a small business mindset to a medium-sized business mindset.
“With this has come many ups and downs, most for which we are grateful for, and has shaped us into the business we are today,” she continued.
Unexpectedly, Covid-19 was an incredibly busy time for the brand. Just weeks after it opened its first store in Byron Bay, the team was subject to the ever-evolving pandemic lockdowns and retail restrictions.
“I believe our customers came to Zulu & Zephyr for hope – hope for holidays, vacations, time with family, times to dress up and feel great. Whilst retail store doors were closed, staff were working from home and shipping was disrupted – we felt a demand for customer experience, excellence and escapism,” Rose-O’Rourke said.
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