The Ephemera Universe
Ephemera is a premium Australian lifestyle brand built on the love of colour, the thoughtfulness of timeless design and the sentiment that fashion is something that should forever bring joy, fun and adventure to our lives.
Founder Story
Welcome to Ephemera
After working as a Designer for luxury fashion brands in Sydney and Paris, Founder and Designer Nicole Banning saw a stylistic gap in the swimwear market and felt called to conceive Ephemera.
Founded in 2012, Nicole set out on a mission to create a thoughtfully designed swimwear collection that supported and enhanced the female form with an enduringly refined sensibility. Discreet structure, double bound straps and considered design lines are foundational elements of the collection. Ephemera was conceived to enhance the female silhouette with a light-handed approach, and to ensure women look great and always feel their best.
After 12 years, key pieces from the very first Ephemera collection continue as best-selling swimwear styles and have served as the building blocks for the swim and resortwear collection as it stands today.
Ephemera has truly been a labour of love and has been celebrated worldwide. The collection has been sold in many top tier retailers around the world including Matches Fashion, Net-A-Porter, Moda Operandi, Neiman Marcus, Le Bon Marché Paris, Harvey Nichols London and Goop.com
Ephemera has equally been celebrated in the world of film and by the fashion media. Jennifer Lawrence famously wore the Noir Split One Piece in key scenes in her role as Dominika Egorova in the 2018 film Red Sparrow. Ephemera was awarded the Prix De Marie Claire for Best Swimwear Brand in 2015, just as the brand was emerging in the marketplace. Ephemera has also been celebrated by the international press and has been featured in publications including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s BAZAAR, The Times Sunday Style, The Wall Street Journal and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Beyond the accolades, what drives the brand forward is the pursuit of creativity and adventure. It is an honour and a privilege to find a sentimental place in the holiday wardrobe of our customers and to be woven into the sacred memories created whilst on vacation with loved ones.
Sustainability
Taking care to select quality materials and engaging with manufacturing processes that respect our planet has always been a part of our core values. We believe in producing clothing that is built to last. When you purchase a piece from Ephemera, we expect that it has a long lifetime in your closet and possibly other closets if it is passed on as a second-hand piece later in its lifespan. Ephemera is committed to sourcing and producing sustainably, this is a continuous process of education as new eco sustainable materials and practices become available and are integrated into our processes.
DISCOVER OUR MOOD BOOSTING SWIMWEAR
- Signature Fits
- Timeless Design
- Built To Last
- European Fabrics
- Silhouette Enhancing support
The Wall Street Journal
*****
'The suit I fell hardest for, though, is a one-piece from the Australian label Ephemera, founded by Saint Laurent alum Nicole Banning.'
GOOP
*****
'The Australian label reimagines silhouettes of decades past with elegantly modern touches, resulting in timeless-feeling designs you’ll keep forever. '
Mode Sportif
*****
‘These are pieces designed to be cherished forever.’
Georgina Safe - The Sydney Morning Herald
*****
‘Banning's new Ephemera brand of high-waisted bikinis and minimal one pieces is at the forefront of a fresh wave of swimwear labels applying a high fashion sensibility to beach basics.’
Ninemsn
*****
Ephemera turns ‘the notion of a 'boring' one piece on its head, with chic cut-outs and intricate design details that flatter in all the right places.’
Vogue Australia
*****
'After three years in Paris, Banning has a distinctly European design ethos that is mirrored in the finished product.'
Broadsheet.com.au
*****
'The Ephemera collections are focused on beautifully and precisely cut bikinis and one pieces, in either single, bold colours – or interesting colourways.'
Fashionista.com
*****
'Banning approaches swimwear with a ready-to-wear point of view and executes her minimalist designs to the same standards as high-end clothing. The resulting suits feel like the sorts of items one can wear — and look fresh and stylish in — for years.'
Afterpay Access
*****
'Nicole Banning was walking the cobbled streets of Paris and longing for the beaches of her hometown of Sydney when she first dreamt up the idea for Ephemera: a minimalist swimwear brand with a focus on great fit and quality material.'
