Stitching the Diaspora: The World of TT Swim

Across the room at the UAL Speaking from Margins exhibition, the space was alive with the quiet hum of emerging ideas, installations, garments, fragments of stories stitched into fabric and form. But among them, something held the eye a little longer. Vibrant wax prints, sun-washed hues, silhouettes that hinted at summer but carried something deeper beneath the surface. Before you read the name, before you knew the story, the visuals had already begun speaking.

That moment was an introduction to TT Swim, a brand that doesn’t simply design swimwear, but tells a story about movement, memory, and belonging.

Founded by a creative navigating life between the diaspora and the motherland, TT Swim exists in that in-between space where identity is layered and heritage travels across oceans. What began as a moment of frustration in a university lecture became a question: what would it look like to build a fashion brand that didn’t borrow culture, but listened to it? One that allowed the people and places it draws from to shape the narrative from within.

The answer emerged not just through design, but through collaboration, from sourcing fabrics in the bustling markets of Lomé to working with local seamstresses who bring each piece to life by hand. The result is swimwear that feels less like a trend and more like a thread in a wider story: one about craft, community, and the quiet power of connection.

In this conversation, the founder of TT Swim Phanie Malm reflects on building a brand rooted in heritage, bridging creative worlds between the diaspora and the African continent, and why every piece is intended to carry something more than colour, a feeling of home.

I first encountered TT Swim at the UAL Speaking from Margins exhibition, where the visuals immediately stood out. How important is visual storytelling in communicating the essence of the brand before people hear the full story?

At TT Swim, visual storytelling functions  as a bridge. It’s how we bridge the gap between the diaspora and the motherland. making use of things that are shared and resonate with our two core audiences. I believe that it’s our forté; our most powerful tool, because sometimes words alone can’t translate what is felt when you see the essence of our brand

TT Swim feels rooted in culture, purpose, and identity. Can you take us back to the moment you knew this brand needed to exist?

TT Swim really began in a moment of frustration during a lecture at Goldsmiths. I was sitting there, studying how the fashion industry often treats culture like a trend to be 'borrowed' rather than a story to be told and that’s when it hit me - we need to do  better. I didn't want to start just another swimwear label but rather I wanted to build a community. Being part of the diaspora, I’ve always felt that pull toward home and I was determined not to be another brand trying to be culturally performative but ultimately perpetuating the same ‘Western dynamic with the motherland.  I wanted to  sit down, I wanted to listen, and let the incredible creatives back home lead the way. For me, TT Swim is about celebrating and learning from the interconnections and the hybridity of things. 

Your designs use vibrant wax print and your bikinis handmade in Togo,

How does heritage influence your creative process, and what does it mean to translate that culture into swimwear?

Heritage isn’t  just a strategy for us but it’s something that is at the core of  our storytelling. It comes alive in the way we represent the bodies, the hair, the location that are part of the visual storytelling of TT Swim While our vibrant prints are the first thing you see, the heart of the brand is in the hands that make it. Moving our production to Togo was a conscious choice to keep the craft where it belongs. Translating culture into swimwear means more than just using a pattern but it’s all about honouring the history and 'motherland' through every stitch.

While not everyone is immersed in that culture day-to-day, TT Swim offers a way to carry it with you. How do you design for a global audience while staying true to your roots?

For me, staying true to my roots while reaching a global audience is all about the small details. I don't need to be too loud and shout to be heard. By weaving small, vibrant pieces of African wax print into modern designs, I’m creating a conversation. It’s a fusion that feels wearable for everyone, yet remains anchored in my identity.

Sustainability and slow fashion are central to TT Swim, from small-batch production to fair wages. What does conscious production look like in practice for you?

Conscious production in practice consists of firstly, minimising waste and using recyclable fabrics. 

So, when sourcing our fabrics we go to the second-hand market stalls in Lomé. For the African wax prints we use the ones that are currently in season and not the ones that are mass-produced. Therefore, when you get one of our pieces and that batch is sold out we won’t be able to reproduce that same exact piece as it’s limited. On the other, down to the supply chain it looks having fair labour practices. In. Togo it’s currently not really regulated but I’ve been very clear on how I want the team to work which includes taking breaks, not overworking the team, making sure that the studio is well ventilated considering the heat(things that should be the bare minimum really).

6. Community is clearly at the heart of the brand. Can you share more about your relationship with the seamstresses in Togo and how collaboration shapes the final pieces?

So, I have met Charly and his team of seamstresses through relatives. He’s a quite quirky character and though bikini manufacturing is not that common in Togo, he was quite keen to got for the challenge and truly understood my vision. I usually sketch the designs and choose the colouring of the pieces and at times join in with the fabric shopping (that is when I’m in Togo) before Charly and his team sew the bikini pieces.

TT Swim also focuses on building creative bridges between Black designers in the diaspora and creatives on the African continent. Why is this connection so vital to the brand’s mission?

For me, the connection between the diaspora and the motherland is about maintaining integrity. I’ve seen so many brands championing 'African-inspired' prints while outsourcing their production to factories in China, and honestly I found it disturbing me. If we are going to celebrate Blackness, that commitment needs to exist throughout the entire supply chain, not just when it comes to marketing. I was very shocked once I reached adulthood and found out  that even a staple like Vlisco which holds such deep cultural meaning in African societies is actually Dutch-owned. This highlights a systemic issue of ownership. TT Swim is my way of reclaiming that funnel, ensuring that when we say ‘for the culture’ that it reflects such throughout the whole funnel.

Ultimately, TT Swim is about more than swimwear. When someone wears your pieces, what do you hope they feel or take away from the experience?

When someone wears TT, I want them to feel good because they’ve made a conscious choice to support a brand that deeply cares about the planet and the motherland. I want them to feel like no matter where they are in the world, that they carry a little piece of Home with them. That can be everything - a little bit of laughter, a bit of joy, a bit of resilience, a bit of courage, a bit of community - all these tiny things contribute to the many threads that make TT TT . I want them to feel like they’re one of the many threads forming our global Tribe.

Perhaps that is the quiet power of the brand: the understanding that identity can travel. That even in distant places, small details, a print, a stitch, a colour, can hold memory. And in wearing them, we carry fragments of home, wherever we find ourselves in the world