Karen Neilsen Collection

Karen Neilsen Collection A Bikini Curator with a passion for vintage swimwear. Collecting forgotten moments to treasure x

Curating the History of the Bikini continues…1977 Heron Island I’ve often said and believe to this day white is in the D...
12/06/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini continues…
1977 Heron Island

I’ve often said and believe to this day white is in the DNA of the bikini! A big claim I know, but a good ceramic coated white yarn makes a great white bikini. Catalina Swimwear did just that with this hipster tie front bikini in 1977 with fabric from Toray Industries in Japan.

Flown by helicopter from the mainland to Heron Island for this shoot with a Film Crew, makeup artist and hair dresser from Japan was a treat.

Later that year I returned to Tokyo to see posters from the shoot in several department stores around Tokyo and joined 20 other International models in a choreographed event releasing the Catalina Swimwear summer collection.
A great honour to be chosen as Catalina’s Poster Girl of the Year 1977.

Karen Neilsen Collection
Model Karen James
On Location Heron Island, Qld Australia
Catalina Swimwear

Curating the History of the Bikini … 1966With the introduction of a new fabric called Bri nylon swimwear took on a new r...
05/06/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini … 1966
With the introduction of a new fabric called Bri nylon swimwear took on a new revolution in design with the introduction of this new swimwear fabric.

Fit, form and function with Bri nylon allowed designers to experiment with new forms and shapes. The new yarn enabled fabric makers to introduce new colours and prints to the fabric
A great shift in the swimsuit timeline from the fifties of cotton and wool.

Photographed on Coolangatta Beach, 1966.
The stripe Bri nylon hipster two piece was typical of the introduction of Bri nylon. Worn with your favourite headband!

In Coolangatta in the sixties it was known as a great holiday town with lots of souvenir shops, shell shops, swimsuit and resort stores and early surf culture.

Bamboo beach mats were also popular at the time, holiday beach towels with your favourite beach names are collectors items today.

The next great shift would be Lycra!
Karen Neilsen Collection

Curating the History of the bikini continues…Wild Designs of the mid 70's and 80's captured a whole new market of Gold C...
29/05/2026

Curating the History of the bikini continues…

Wild Designs of the mid 70's and 80's captured a whole new market of Gold Coast bikini girls.

The brainchild of David Cross, Wild Designs had a strong following and were made locally in Burleigh Heads. This locally designed hand made crayon print an exclusive for Wild Designs in the eighties.

Popular designs like this crayon tropical print were printed on cotton Lycra in popular eighties style singlet shape onepieces and high cut bandeau style bikinis with matching scrunchies and oh don’t forget your matching favourite Oakleys!

Wild Designs Swimwear
Models Melinda and Tina
Brothers Neilsen

Karen Neilsen Collection Gold Coast Fashions & Parades 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s

Curating the History of the Bikini continues …The fabulous fifties on the Gold Coast saw Helene’s of Surfers Paradise op...
22/05/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini continues …
The fabulous fifties on the Gold Coast saw Helene’s of Surfers Paradise open on the Gold Coast Hwy under the TAA sign.

Helene Walder designed her model, play and cruise wear from her workroom behind her store. Helene was well known for supporting many single young mums as machinists.
Known for her resortwear and the first woman to export her designs to Canada, Helene also created beautiful hand painted prints.

Helene’s Fashion parades around the Chevron Hotel pool were popular for holiday makers in the sixties. You could custom order your summer wardrobe from your sun lounge while sipping a cocktail
This poolside hipster cotton two piece with matching hat was designed by Helene and photographed by the Chevron palm trees.

Photo Bob Donaldson
Model Wendy
Location Chevron Hotel, Surfers Paradise
1967
Karen Neilsen Collection
Gold Coast Fashions & Parades 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s

Australian Fashion Week 2010/11 has always has been a fond memory. The energy, excitement, adrenaline and fear all in ...
14/05/2026

Australian Fashion Week 2010/11 has always has been a fond memory. The energy, excitement, adrenaline and fear all in one moment.

Designing Australian made swimwear made locally on the Gold Coast was challenging. Most swimwear brands were doing their production offshore but I was determined to keep our swimwear industry alive. With the help of Gillian Marriage doing my samples for my Jungle Lullaby range it soon came to life. I used a well known artist Wade Lewis to design air brush prints which he did magnificently.

Weeks of prep, samples, fittings, getting heels made for the show in custom satin colours. Accessorising jewellery from Dinosaur Designs,studio shoots, show bags, invitations, lookbooks, models, hair, makeup, music, lighting rehearsals so much goes into a runway moment
Waiting for acceptance, applause, appreciation is daunting at the time. All that work, was it worth it?
Absolutely! Our small team made it happen Jen, Maya and Danny always thankful for the fun times in Sydney 💋
Karen Neilsen Collection Karen Neilsen Gold Coast Fashions & Parades 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s

Curating the History of the Bikini … for many years a bikini was just a uniform working at Marineland in 1975. As a Seag...
25/04/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini … for many years a bikini was just a uniform working at Marineland in 1975.

As a Seagirl in the Dolphin and Sealion shows between shows it was feeding fairy penguins, our resident pelican, our elephant seal and dolphins.

Our uniform was a navy and white marine stripe hipster knitted bikini, very nautical and a navy spray jacket for when it was cooler. The original knitted woollen bikinis were made locally and sold in the gift shop.

Over time my uniform evolved and was custom made by Anmas for interstate promotions. Made from French silk cotton and knitted on a machine. Worn with a blue and gold Marineland sash.

As Lycra gained popularity around 1976/7 a sunshine yellow tie side bikini was my new uniform.
Karen James
Miss Marineland 75
Miss Surf Girl 75
Miss Young International 76
Marineland Poster John Reynolds Photographer
Photos Kaye Evans

Karen Neilsen Collection

Curating the History of the Bikini… Kirra Bikinis made locally at Kirra Beach. Flashback to 1973 when a young Gold Coast...
18/04/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini… Kirra Bikinis made locally at Kirra Beach.

Flashback to 1973 when a young Gold Coast girl from Kirra starts making bikinis in her kitchen!

Lisa Hage started making hand painted calico bikinis under the label Kirra Bikinis. They were sold locally at Kirra Surf Shop and Babbalouis. Customised designs for customers were created with Hobbie tex pens drawn by hand and hand dyed.

They were so popular in 1975 Lisa took her designs to the UK and set up shop in Cornwall at the popular surf town Newquay Beach. Her designs also included skirts, b**b tubes
Karen Neilsen Collection

Curating the History of Swimwear …Getting a long distance phone call from Japan and booked for a swimwear shoot at Heron...
10/04/2026

Curating the History of Swimwear …

Getting a long distance phone call from Japan and booked for a swimwear shoot at Heron Island sounded very glam as a 20 year old. The five day photo shoot meant early starts and many hours in the hot Qld sun.

Catalina Swimwear chose Heron Island in 1977 to create their new campaign with a film crew along with hair and makeup artists from Japan.

Innovative printing techniques for the 70's. Lycra from Toray Industries. The Japanese swim market was conservative compared to what we were wearing on the beaches on the Gold Coast.

With the release of this range in Tokyo, I was flown to Japan and met with Interpreter and Chaperone for instore appearances, poster signings and choreographed parades with other International models.

Chosen as Poster Girl of the Year for Catalina Swimwear Campaign. Wish I still had the poster!
This shot from the 5 day campaign

Model Karen James
Catalina Swimwear
Miss Young International 1976

Karen Neilsen Collection

03/04/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini ..
The late 60’s and early 70’s in Surfers Paradise was a Bikini town.
A town where bikini designer Hilma Weller, known for designing Australia’s first backless bikini, made these bikinis from her workroom in Cavill Ave in the Sundial Arcade.
Made to measure, from beautiful cotton prints or terry towelling where you could choose your fabric from bolts of fabrics on the walls.
Reversible bikini styles with matching mini skirts and turbans were also her specialty.
Pictured here are Sylvie and Carol cleaning their windows in the Cavill Ave unit, above the Shell Bar in Surfers You can see the old Beachcomber across the road.
Karen Neilsen Collection Gold Coast Fashions & Parades 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s

Curating the History of the Bikini .. 90’sMix n match seperates hit the swimwear market in the 90’s. Girls had the choic...
26/03/2026

Curating the History of the Bikini .. 90’s
Mix n match seperates hit the swimwear market in the 90’s. Girls had the choice to design their own suit to their shape, mix sizes and experiment with mixing prints and plains.
Khaki was a new colour way I first introduced in 1996/7 it had an urban feel about it but worked well in our exclusive prints and new shapes a tie front halter top and boyleg hipster briefs. It was a fresh take alongside our earth colour range.
Proudly made in Australia.

Model Amy
Brothers Neilsen Bikinis
Designer Karen Neilsen
Karen Neilsen Collection

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