Evie Keevil has launched her sustainable swimwear brand eviekini at 22 years of age, after almost two years of designing, redesigning and working with manufacturers to find the perfect fit.

With an eye for design and a passion for nature, the young Sunshine Coast designer stepped fresh out of a dual degree and straight into the business world.

She designed the brand’s first collection – Hidden Paradise – while staying at her family’s holiday home in Kingfisher Bay on the island.

“I sat by the pool for hours and hours sketching every idea that popped into my head. Fraser Island is my inspiration – it’s unique, undesirable and completely isolated from the outside world – I just love it.”

Of the designs, Evie says that “it all started with a love for the ocean. When I was about 11 years old my mum and my dad took me to my first ever surfing lesson.”

“I was terrified of the ocean. Mum and Dad immediately signed me up for the Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club, 11 years later and I am still obsessed. I wanted [my love of the ocean] to reflect in my kinis, so my prints are all watercolours mixed with salt water.”

The production of eviekini supports the Save the Fraser Island Dingoes foundation, with five per cent of all sales going towards the cause. The company aims to ensure the survival of the Fraser Island dingo and support the species to thrive on their island home. Fundraising efforts are going towards establishing a much needed Wildlife Care Centre on the island.

Evie reports that over her years of visiting the island, she has watched the dingo’s health get worse and worse.

“It wasn’t until my ten-year-old brother, Noah, got really upset by seeing a dingo puppy really malnourished, he was almost in tears. Seeing him so upset was what gave me the drive to try and do something.”

But it has been a tough journey for Evie – funding the business herself, she has stated that this was the biggest difficulty she had to overcome.

“When I started this journey I joined a program for young entrepreneurs – basically you had to pitch your idea to a group of investors and they would tell you if it [was] viable or not.

“The investors basically told me that I had no chance. I was heartbroken, I broke down into tears in the middle of the presentation. I had just quit my job, deposited all of my savings into eviekini and was relocating to the Gold Coast to chase this dream.

“But after that very eventful presentation, I decided to back myself … It taught me to just keep going and to keep telling people my idea.”

eviekini is available to purchase online.

Readers also enjoyed this story about Abby Rose Bikinis.