Budgy Smuggler

Budgy Smuggler, the Australian Made swimwear company on a mission to free the thighs of the world, is a Northern Beaches global sensation. Tawny caught up with Budgy to get the inside scoop on the international smuggling trade.

What inspired you to begin designing swimmers?

In all honesty, it started as a joke back in 2003 with a couple mates writing ‘budgy smuggler’ on the back of a pair of speedo-style swimwear in a backyard in Manly. Now, over 20 years later, we’re still cracking jokes but have graduated from selling out of the boot of my car.

Had you worked in fashion or the clothing industry before?

Nope. After graduating from University I worked for ANZ in business banking, but after witnessing 5,000 people get made redundant in a day during the GFC I thought it might be wise to make a career shift. For 8 years I had another full-time job working to grow AIME, a mentoring program helping Indigenous high school students, before joining Budgy Smuggler full time.

What convinced you to turn your idea into a business?

I was rowing surf boats and noticed that blokes would much prefer smugglers to curtains of shame (aka board shorts). The feeling of freedom deserves to be experienced more in the world.

Who are your customers?

People who enjoy freedom! Budgy Smuggler is a feeling. We want people to literally feel good in the product, but also about what the brand stands for more broadly.

What problem are you solving?

Freedom. Comfort. Security. Ironically, a lot of people who wear Budgy Smuggler are doing so for non-water sports. About half of the NRL and a third of all AFL players wear Budgy Smugglers while playing. They make for an easy transition to the ice bath after games as well. 

Where are Budgy Smugglers manufactured?

We make all of our Swimwear right here in Sydney, Australia. This is something we’re incredibly proud of. We are one of the few Australian brands to keep manufacturing here and we’re proud of this contribution not only to Australian craftsmanship but the quality product we can provide our customers.

What have been the biggest challenges?

Seasonality, as well as keeping manufacturing in Australia when there are cheaper options available. We love that people can put on one of the last Aussie-made brands there is.

And your biggest triumphs?

We love being a part of people’s lives. We’ve been involved in weddings, gender reveals and there’s about 50 people wandering around with Budgy Smuggler tattoos.

Were you ever close to calling it quits?

My mates joked that it was ‘an expensive hobby’ and I worked full time in another job for nearly a decade. But I’ve always known, once you experience the Budgy Smuggler freedom, you’ll be hooked.

What advice would you tell yourself back before getting started?

Focus on quality. People buy because of brand once, but they come back because of quality. If you do something you’re proud of then it’s easier to commit.

How does the Budgy’s Northern Beaches HQ play a role in the business?

It’s our home, so the Beaches is Budgy. We even say ‘Designed in Manly’ on a lot of our clothing and the majority of our staff are from the Beaches. We’re
definitely a Northern Beaches brand.