Primal Instinct: Our 2025 Pride Swimsuit

This year we wanted to make something bold. Something brave. Something that felt like armour—but didn’t look like anyone else’s.

Introducing Primal Instinct—our new limited-edition Pride swimsuit. A fierce, colourful take on zebra camouflage, designed to express queer resilience, movement, and survival in a world that still tries to tame us and silence us. It’s graphic. It’s unapologetic. And it’s deeply rooted in instinct.

Why This Matters

Pride has always been a stand—for joy, for justice, for community. And in 2025, as World Pride heads to Washington D.C., that stand feels more important than ever. Washington is [in]famous for being a political battleground; we hope that the community can gather in a peaceful environment and raise the volume of our collective LGBTQ+ voice in times of uncertainty.

Primal Instinct is our way of showing up for that moment: proud, alert, embodied, and ready. Not for war—but for peace, protest, and presence. For dancing in the streets. For marching. For making out in the sun. For being seen.

A Note on Camouflage

Originally, we explored a military camouflage print—a visual metaphor for protection, for standing our ground. But the more we sat with it, the more we realised it wasn’t right. The language of war—bloodshed, violence, combat—didn’t reflect the message we wanted to send.

Camouflage, at its core, is about survival. But we realised there’s a world of difference between surviving through conflict, and surviving through instinct. The former evokes violence and bloodshed. The latter? Nature. Fluidity. Evolution.

So we pivoted—away from combat and into the wild.

Zebra camouflage became our answer. Animalistic. Tribal. Primal. It’s still about power, but now it’s rooted in movement, protection, and presence—not destruction.

From Sydney, With Pride

At Smithers, Pride has always been within us—woven into our DNA since our very first Pride release in 2019. But in 2023, something shifted. Designing for Sydney World Pride on home soil was a deeply personal moment for me—as a founder, a creative, and a queer Australian. The atmosphere was electric, we were united, and it was an unforgettable time for everyone involved. It reaffirmed why we do this. Since then, we’ve continued to show up—loudly, proudly—with fresh expressions of who we are. 2025 in Washington D.C. isn’t a new chapter, but a continuation of the legacy we carry. And this year, we’re showing up with instinct.

We Are Everywhere

We’re your baristas, your brothers, your daughters, your nurses, your neighbours. We walk among society every single day—not to steal the spotlight, not to take over, but to exist. To belong. That’s what this design honours: the beautiful contradiction of being part of the fabric, while boldly refusing to be erased. Let us live. Even if it is a little different.

The Details

Crafted with eco-conscious fabric and tailored for both comfort and performance, Primal Instinct features:

• A 5cm side profile

• Internal drawstring for a secure fit

• Full front lining

• Quick-drying, sustainable fabric

This men’s swimwear piece is limited edition—once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Wear It With Pride

Whether you're marching in D.C., dancing in the Mediterranean, or sunning on the beaches of Sydney, wear this swim brief like a second skin. Primal Instinct isn’t just a rainbow swimsuit—it’s a statement. Of presence. Of power. Of pride.

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