After winning several high-profile contracts and sustainability awards, a young graduate designer from Swansea is making waves with her fashion collection.
With the support of Big Ideas Wales, Ffion McCormick Edwards founded Barefoot.Tech three years ago during lockdown, in a bid to tackle the volume of old, unused wetsuits being sent to landfill.
Ffion comes from a family of lifelong water-skiers, meaning there have always been a selection of wetsuits on hand. As she and family members outgrew various wetsuits, Ffion’s thinking turned to a sustainable solution to reusing and repurposing the fabric.
She reworked wetsuits and life jackets into her final year collection of bags, backpacks and purses during her time at Arts University Bournemouth before returning to Wales and turning her passion into an enterprise after graduating.
Ffion’s innovative enterprise, launched during lockdown, has garnered the interest of clients including Lumi Therapy luxury ice baths and recovery pods, and Cardiff’s Wetsuit Centre. She is also in talks with the National Trust to stock her range of repurposed bags.
After a chance meeting at her first product fair in Mumbles, Ffion was commissioned to create an adaptable bag for BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Sue Kent, to accommodate her upper limb disability.
Ffion said: “This isn’t an avenue I had considered before, but I really enjoyed adapting my designs to create such a worthwhile product, which I hope to add permanently to my range.”
Barefoot.Tech accessories are made from 80% or more reclaimed neoprene wetsuit materials and are stocked by Ecoast in Saundersfoot as well as being available on Barefoot.Tech’s website.
Last summer, Ffion was named Sustainable Business of the Year at Nation Radio’s Pride of Wales Awards, where unsung individuals who have contributed significantly to their communities are honoured.
Ffion said: “It meant everything to be recognised for our contribution to sustainability but also to be representing small, local businesses. I was so surprised to win as my business is only a drop in the ocean of the business world. To be selected from hundreds of other nominees meant a lot.”
Ffion has since created customised bucket hats for Glynneath Rugby Club, Neath Netball team, and a leading rugby brand has also agreed to partner with Barefoot.Tech, supplying fabric from used balls for Ffion to repurpose into accessories.
Giving back as a Big Ideas Wales Role Model, Ffion also presents inspirational talks on sustainability to budding entrepreneurs at schools and colleges including Merthyr College, Pontardulais Comprehensive School and Newport Youth Academy.
Ffion is now focusing on designing Barefoot.Tech’s winter range of eco-conscious and fashion-friendly bags, including a range for Lumi Therapy, re-fashioned from materials from their disused ice baths.
Her partnership with The Wetsuit Centre in Cardiff is similar to Lumi Therapy, and Ffion also repurposes the Centre’s old lines of wetsuits. Ffion said: “I’m really surprised by how much my brand has taken off. I haven’t had to chase projects and I really enjoy the work.
“For me, lockdown was a blessing in disguise. I had all that time to put my head into developing my own range. It’s nice working for myself as I’m able to try different things and I can say ‘no’ if I have too much work on, which is a great situation to be in.”
Ffion was able to launch thanks to help from Big Ideas Wales, which is funded by Welsh Government to support entrepreneurship in Wales. The service is aimed at anyone under 25 who wants to develop a business idea, including students and graduates, as part of its commitment to the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Ffion’s partner first mentioned Big Ideas Wales to her after coming across the service online in spring 2022. She then accessed a fully funded online workshop with Welsh business, Overseas Apparel, which also launched with support from Big Ideas Wales and has a store in Cardiff centre.
Ffion said: “I had already graduated and was surprised this scheme was available. I instantly thought it was such a great opportunity to kick start anybody’s business idea. I really valued the advice on trademarking, insurance tax, registering as a sole trader and building a social brand.
“I would encourage any young person in Wales with a business idea – big or small – to contact Big Ideas Wales. I would not be where I am today, working full time as a self-employed entrepreneur, without their support.”
The Big Ideas Wales team said: “When Ffion came to us, she already had a successful business idea that had featured in industry-defining events like London Fashion Week and that she knew could disrupt the circular fashion industry here in Wales.
“What she didn’t have was someone to offer her support in the fundamental elements of running a business. That’s our sole purpose at Big Ideas Wales, and we look forward to continuing to support Ffion as she takes on the adventure of entrepreneurship.”
