We could've stopped at pt.1 but, yeah...we kinda didn't.
Jordan Schembri yaps with SAUCEswim about Total Girl, her impending visit to Aotearoa (NZ), and why swimwear should mean something.
[SS] What’s a funny story that says a bit about you?
[JS] I won a Total Girl comp when I was in grade 4. It was a ‘100 words or less’ type of one asking what your favourite day involves. I (very succinctly) raved on about how good going to the beach is.
I had no idea I had won until two garbage bags full of Roxy, Piping Hot and other surf-core clothes rocked up on my doorstep. That probably didn’t help my obsession with bikinis.
Oh and my favourite line is ‘As above, so below’.
Okay low-key jealous, Swimwear’s clearly in your DNA– Why did you want to collaborate with SAUCE?
Even before we even spoke on the phone, I had a feeling it would click. Then once we chatted, I was sure. It just felt right—like we were speaking the same creative language. SAUCE has this mix of fun, feeling, and intention that really resonated with me. There’s this sense of mutual respect and empowerment that made the collaboration feel more like a shared mission than just a project.
<3 <3 <3! And what do you think about the point of difference in our swimwear—the artist collaboration concept?
So much swimwear feels surface-level, but SS is making it sincere. When you wear something made by an artist, there’s an energy exchange—it carries story and intention.
You’ve given me, a smaller designer, a voice and platform to create and share. It’s so special and so exciting to see how each year’s artist undertakes the assignment.
Has designing a bikini been different from past projects?
Yes, I think more so lying in the end result. I keep imagining these made-up little scenes of people living their lives in these bikinis, right in the thick of summer and beyond.
I still have bikinis from over a decade ago, and I hope these become that kind of piece for someone too—something they keep, that reminds them of a special time where they felt really good and had lots of fun.
How does it feel knowing people will be wearing your art on their bodies?
So sick. It’s a feeling that never gets old! I get so happy knowing it tickled someone else’s brain as much as it did mine.
What’s been your creative journey thus far? Any memorable moments?
It’s been a joyfully chaotic journey. Freelance work is constantly shifting, and I’m just rolling with it. Sometimes it's quiet and that’s when I play around with self-led projects and then it gets busy… when it rains, it pours.
Honestly, this collaboration is already such a memorable moment! It came at the perfect time—it’s felt like a creative reset, tying everything I’ve worked on over the past year together.
Usually I work solo, so having someone on my (virtual) side of the desk to bounce ideas off and cheer me on has been really refreshing and uplifting!
What keeps you motivated to continue making art?
Making helps me make sense of things. When people connect with the work it reinforces that it’s all a shared language. It’s not just mine anymore.
Also the suspense of seeing where it all keeps going—each month, each year—whether it’s opportunities or new fixations and themes.
Have you worked with many brands before?
Yes, majority of my work is helping create for other brands. Mostly within the creative spaces—jewellery, fashion, music, so on.
I’ve worked with Aotearoa-based businesses a couple of times now, so I'm overdue to come and see how special the place is with my own eyes. It seems like such a hub of creativity over there.
We can’t wait to have you!
Do you have a favourite book of all time?
That’s so hard… I’ll instead answer with one that signified a turning point—Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
Agreed. It’s an important book. And finally, What’s the last song you played on Spotify/Apple Music?
Shiver (on ice dub) by Trickpony.
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Stay cozy m'loves,
SAUCEswim x