Kia ora, hello!
I'm Sara
I'm Sara, founder and creator of Hākinakina.I live in Nelson, New Zealand with my husband Tomas. I have spent my life in close proximity to the water. It's my happy place. Before launching Hākinakina I had a womenswear label in the UK which was borne out of my love of prints and photography, using my experience from my 15 years working in advertising. Having received a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis in 2021, my focus is to fill my life with love and adventures and to create Hākinakina as an awesome legacy.
How it started
Hākinakina was born after years looking for the perfect swimsuit to cover up my radiation burns, following my first brush with cancer.So when we moved to New Zealand and my time spent outdoors and in the water increased, so did my need for sun protection. I was looking for the perfect swimwear that suited my love for paddling and swimming and would protect my skin from UV rays and cover my bum so I could focus on what I was doing. I was coming up short. So I decided I would make them myself. I started small with the Long Sleeved Rash Top, Sun shorts and Sunsuit and these remain at the core of what we do. Road testing the samples here in Nelson
Designed with intent
Designed with considered attention, the pieces we make today are made to be worn in and out of the water from luxe high grade Spanish fabric with UPF 50+ sun protection.All of our swimwear is made out of EcoWave, a recycled fabric made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles and waste from the Mediterranean sea
