Swimming, sustainability and Donegal are the three loves of sisters Sally Anne Sherry and Áine Boyle, founders of Kahm swimwear. Set up in 2021 to create jobs in Donegal while also reducing textile waste and marine litter, the company is using regenerated nylon made from old fishing nets, nylon scraps and carpets to make their swimwear.
On the face of it these raw materials don’t sound promising. However, skilful industrial alchemists in Italy have worked out how to turn them into the high-tech luxury yarn Kahm is using in its products. The interesting twist from an Irish perspective is that unwanted nets from Irish fishermen are already making their way into the company’s range with the volume expected to increase through Kahm’s partnership with the Healthy Seas not-for-profit organisation which collects the nets that go into the yarn.
“Right now, our swimwear is made mainly from waste taken from the seas around Europe, but very soon we hope to be able to say that even more waste from the Irish coast will be included. We have already been contacted by fishermen in Donegal who are keen to donate their end-of-life nets,” says Sally Anne Sherry who adds that the company donates 1 per cent of each purchase to the Healthy Seas initiative.