The聽Design Museum, London,听will open聽Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style聽on聽28聽March.聽This playful yet profound聽exhibition explores聽humankind鈥檚聽deep-rooted relationship with water through design.聽There are over聽200 objects聽on display 鈥撀爏panning a century of swimwear, architecture聽and aquatic culture.聽From Pamela Anderson鈥檚 iconic聽Baywatch swimsuit to the revolutionary (and banned) LZR Racer,听Splash!聽promises to聽take a聽deep dive into the evolution of swimming聽and聽society.
Since its founding in 1989, the Design Museum has established itself as a world-leading institution dedicated to showcasing the past, present聽and future of innovation. From architecture and fashion to technology and product development, the museum has consistently delivered groundbreaking exhibitions that explore design鈥檚 role in shaping the world. Recent exhibitions, such as聽Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion,听Ai Weiwei: Making Sense, and聽Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers, have demonstrated its ability to blend historical narratives with contemporary cultural relevance.聽Splash!聽follows suit聽through聽its bold and聽impressive聽programming. The museum continues its tradition of insightful and thought-provoking exhibitions, bringing together historical artefacts, fashion statements聽and architectural innovations to explore the intersection of swimming聽and design. However, bigger still,听the curators聽ask聽us to pause and reflect on what these objects say about our聽life and聽times.
Swimming has long been more than just a sport or pastime 鈥 it鈥檚 a cultural phenomenon. The exhibition, guest-curated by dress and design historian Amber Butchart alongside the Design Museum鈥檚 Tiya Dahyabhai, traces the evolution of swimming from the lido boom of the early 20th century to the viral Mermaidcore trend of the 2020s. Butchart says: 鈥淲e wanted to show how swimming is so much more than just a sport. The history of swimwear and swimming mirrors wider changes in society over the past century, from issues of bodily autonomy and agency to how we spend our leisure time.鈥
Pamela Anderson鈥檚 instantly recognisable red聽Baywatch swimsuit is also included. It鈥檚 an object laden with meaning. Harking back 30 years, now we can see it for what it really was: part of a TV show that reinforced gender stereotypes, objectified women under the pretence of empowerment, rejected the diversity of real coastal communities, pushed a hyper-masculine ideal and absolute lack of acknowledgment about wider societal issues. However, Baywatch aside, what makes this swimming costume so intriguing is its historical significance and meaning 鈥 effectively what it says about life and society in the 1990s. It takes something like Pamela Anderson鈥檚 bathing suit, from a fictional character in a hit TV show, and turns it on its head. This is why聽厂辫濒补蝉丑!听is so significant.
厂辫濒补蝉丑!听also includes one of the earliest surviving bikinis, dating back to 1951. It was designed by French engineer Louis R茅ard in 1946 and named after the nuclear testing site Bikini Atoll. Its daring two-piece design initially sparked controversy, but, over time, became an emblem of liberation and body confidence. Men鈥檚 swimwear also takes centre stage, with a special display of 10 Speedo briefs from the 1980s to the present-day. Originally designed in the 1960s by Peter Travis, Speedos became synonymous with men鈥檚 swimwear, pushing boundaries in both design and cultural perception. A woollen swimsuit (1933) from the Westminster Menswear Archive is also included and showcases how swim fashion has evolved.
Beyond aesthetics,听Splash!聽surveys聽the technological advancements that have revolutionised competitive swimming. One of the most controversial pieces on display will be the LZR Racer swimsuit, a game-changing high-performance suit developed by Speedo in collaboration with NASA. When introduced in 2008, the suit dramatically reduced drag and improved buoyancy, leading to 79 world records being broken in a single year.聽Its overwhelming success led to its ban by FINA in 2010, marking it as an instance of聽鈥渢echnical doping.鈥 Moreover, there’s a focus on the architectural side of the sport. A detailed model of the Zaha Hadid-designed London 2012 Aquatics Centre聽demonstrates聽how contemporary design has transformed public swimming spaces. Visitors will also learn about historic lidos, including the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, which has been revitalised to include the UK鈥檚 first geothermal seawater pool.聽
Crucially, Splash!聽highlights the role swimming plays in broader societal conversations. It聽highlights how swimwear has historically determined which bodies are welcome in public spaces, as well as how contemporary designers are challenging these norms. Through the inclusion of adaptive swimwear and modest swimwear innovations, the exhibition sheds light on the push for inclusivity in aquatic spaces. Tim Marlow, Director and CEO of the Design Museum, emphasises the聽Splash!鈥檚聽broader聽impact: 鈥淭he story of swimming is more than just a story of sport. By examining swimming through the lens of design, we explore evolving ideas about how we live聽鈥撀爁rom materials and making to leisure, travel, performance, wellbeing聽and the environment.鈥
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style rich mix of fashion, technology, architecture and cultural commentary make this one of this spring鈥檚 must-see exhibitions. This show typifies the curation at the museum 鈥 bold, daring and ambitious. Visitors will leave with a deeper appreciation for the profound impact swimming has had on our cultural landscape by examining the evolution of the bikini, marvelling at groundbreaking swimsuits or reflecting on how water shapes our identities. 10 out of 10.聽
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style |聽28聽March聽– 17聽August | Design Museum, London聽
Shirley Stevenson
Image credits:
1. Subversive Sirens. Photo by Ackerman + Gruber
2. Photo #7 Willie & Toukie Smith designer & model. NYC 1978. Courtesy of Anthony Barboza
