Celebrity tots snapped in Kiwi swimwear range

A New Zealand company, whose premium UV 50+ children’s swimwear has been snapped on some of the world’s celebrity kids, is helping educate the U.S and European parents on kiwi attitudes to sun safety.
Snapper Rock makes fun and stylish UV 50+ swimwear, blocking 98% of the sun’s harmful rays. The swimwear has been snapped on Elton John’s baby Zachary, Gwen Stefani’s son Zuma and Jessica Alba’s daughter Honor to name a few.

Snapper Rock swimwear now a leader in children’s sun protection swimwear in the USA and is available in 25 countries and 650 stores around the world but until now hasn’t been available here. The line will be available to New Zealanders for this first time at sale prices on www.mummii.co.nz for a five day sale at the end of November.

New Zealander Liz Eglinton started the business in 2003 when she moved from New Zealand to Annapolis which is a major sailing area in the United States.

“I was shocked to see that the U.S were ten years behind New Zealand in terms of sun awareness. These kids would be in the water all day with little or no sun protection.

“When we first started out we had to really educate the American market about sun damage and sun protection swimwear. They’d hold up a rash shirt and ask if we had sprayed the sun protection on” she says.

For clothing to be able to block the sun’s harmful rays it needs to have a UPF or Ultra Violet Protection Factor (SPF or Sun Protection factor relates to sunscreen not clothing)

The UPF rating system was developed by the Australian Government, to indicate the level of protection the garment provides from the sun's UV rays on a scale of 15 to 50+. The higher the UPF the more the fabric absorbs UV rays and prevents them from hitting the skin. All Snapper Rock swimwear has a 50+ rating.

Eglinton, who is now based in Auckland, says she wants parents to be able to let their kids relax and have fun in the summer without having to anxiously reapply sunscreen.

“This is a kiwi company and we design the range with kiwi kids in mind. We want them to be free but also sun safe, We know that even one blistering sunburn in childhood, more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life” she says.

“New Zealanders have been asking me for a long time when we’re going to sell our product here because parents and kids love the gorgeous designs as much as the sun safety. They’ll finally be able to buy it on sale at mummii.co.nz or following that on our website” says Eglinton.

The range caters from babies with their range of one piece sun suits, to teens with board shorts, rash tops, hats and accessories. They’ve just launched a beachwear range of kaftans, sundresses and swim bags.

The sale starts on November 30 and runs for five days.