INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN - NAOMI SCOTT

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN - NAOMI SCOTT

“IT’S BEEN MY PASSION SINCE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN BUT IT MAKES ME HAPPY DOING IT. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO THE SURF, EVERY RACE IS DIFFERENT AND I GET TO SPEND MY DAYS AT THE BEACH.” – NAOMI SCOTT
 
WE SAT DOWN WITH IRONWOMAN AND FORCE OF NATURE NAOMI SCOTT TO CHAT ABOUT TRAINING, MOVING TO QUEENSLAND AND COLLABORATING WITH KOZII ….

 

Take us back to the start … how did your surf lifesaving career begin?

I actually have my brother to thank for that one. His mates needed a 4th person for a swim team at Queensie surf club and so Mum and Dad signed me up too as a little U7 nipper. I’ve been in love with it ever since! My professional racing career began the day I turned 17 when I qualified for the Nutri grain series through the summer of surf in 2017. I actually won the final round of that series which was just absolutely insane.

Can you describe a typical training day?

It depends on the day and it’s changed a bit since moving to Northcliffe but I will do 2-3 sessions a day that consists of a combination of swimming, board, ski, running and gym. If I’m working that day too I’ll leave the house at 4:50am and not get home until 6pm so I have to be super prepared the night before. 

What motivates you to get out of bed when you your alarm goes off at 4.30am? 

Some days getting out of bed is hard and other days I’m ready to get stuck into the day. The thing that motivates me on those harder days is remembering the bigger picture and how much better I feel after a session. I’m a sucker for endorphins. I think it’s also important to note that some days I do sleep in and that is normal and ok! Since having glandular fever in 2019 I’ve learnt how to listen to my body and know when it needs some extra rest and a session off to recover. Again, I look at the bigger picture when making that decision too.

Tell us about your favourite training session and discipline?

My favourite session is swimming. I fell back in love with swimming in 2021 and I have my swim coaches, Cam and Lach, and my old squad at Warringah Aquatic Centre to thank for that. Now I swim at Bond University and I’m really enjoying those sessions with a great crew and awesome coaches Mooney and Kyle. 

My favourite discipline to race is the ski. There’s so much chaos - especially when there’s surf - and you have to be able to stay focused and use your skills and speed to get back to the beach first. It’s also something I’ve worked really hard on over the years to improve so I enjoy seeing how far I’ve come. 
 

 

What achievement are you most proud of?

My World Youth Ironwoman title was pretty special. 

Why brought you to sunny Qld?

Moving to the Gold Coast was a lifestyle decision and something I wanted to do to improve my mental health, spend more time with my grandparents and also have a new experience of living out of home in a new city! I’m definitely loving the warmer weather and more relaxed lifestyle but the thing that’s captured my heart the most is the sunsets and sunrises - they’re incredible every single day! 

What Kozii do you like to wear?

My go to one piece is the Elite Bind and for bikinis I love the Active and KT tops and the Brea bottoms. 

How do you feel when you wear Kozii swimwear?

My Kozii’s make me feel confident and comfortable. Also the colours and prints are all so bright and happy it makes me excited to train because I get to wear such beautiful swimmers!!

What inspired your Posy Blue collaboration?

During lockdown last year I went out and bought some water colours in an attempt to find a hobby to keep me entertained. I played around with blues and oranges because I really loved how the two contrasted each other. I also wanted to keep with the floral theme like the other prints I’ve designed and tulips were easiest for me to paint so that’s how I landed on that. I sent over some drafts to Rachel and she managed to turn it into the beautiful design that is Posy Blue! I think it’s my favourite print I’ve designed yet. I love the creative process of designing swimwear as it helps me tap more into my right brain. I’m a left brain dominant person usually so it’s a nice change. 

Any words of wisdom for aspiring Ironwomen?

I love seeing all the young guns coming up through the ranks! It’s so exciting to see the direction our sport is headed in and the courageous and bold young girls that are the future of our sport. My advice would be to become a really good listener. Most people in the surf life saving community love to have a good chat so listen and absorb all the information and stories you are given. Then you can use your judgement to figure out what is useful to you and your journey :)
 

What does the second half of 2022 hold for you?

I’m not entirely sure which is actually super exciting! Moving to a new place gives me the opportunity to do lots of new and different things which is something to look forward to. I’ll be back at uni next semester and obviously I’ll get back into racing with the Trials and Summer of Surf rounds towards the end of the year but other than that, there’s so much to discover!

- Photography and editing by Leisa Hale

August 04, 2022 — Kay Shallcross
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - PEARL CAMPBELL

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - PEARL CAMPBELL

­GET READY TO EXPLORE KOZII’S INDIGENOUS PRINT COLLECTION WITH OUR IN-HOUSE DESIGNER AND FIRST NATION ARTIST PEARL CAMPBELL. PEARL’S STUNNING PRINTS WILL BE RELEASED IN THE COMING WEEKS AS PART OF KOZII’S SPRING RANGE.

 

WE CHATTED WITH TO PEARL TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HER ARTWORK, INSPIRATION AND HER PRINT-MAKING PROCESS. 

Can you share how you began your artistic journey?

I have always been drawn to creativity and art and have been creating things since anyone in my life can remember and have always been supported and encouraged. I have memories of drawing on my childhood home walls and my mum not wanting to cover them up because she loved anything I made (although maybe I was discouraged not to do that). While growing up I have not shied away from any mediums which I think has helped me develop a love and curiosity for making art and finding new ways to express myself.

How did you find your painting style?

Although I am always growing and exploring my style, I believe my artwork revolves around my daily influences and what is affecting me at the time. My granddad is a very well accomplished Indigenous artist, so growing up I looked up to him and the art he would create. He has never seemed to lose his motivation and interest in creating art, which I think has been passed down to me. I enjoy using complimentary colours and using elements in new and unique ways and experimenting with both traditional and more contemporary art techniques. I always want my artwork to catch people’s eye.

 

Does living in the Northern Rivers influence your approach to your artwork?

Yes. I am surrounded my so many artists of every kind where I live, and the natural environment is rich in many ways which inspires me. The artwork used in the garments were inspired by the elements of the land on which we live and also symbolise many natural aspects. Living in the northern rivers I have access to the sun and rain, mountains and sand and most things in-between so I wanted to show some of that through the pieces and invite others to as well by wearing them.

 

Can you share the story behind the art and print work created for Kozii’s spring collection?

The artwork I have created for Kozii swimwear is some of my first Indigenous pieces I have created. I mainly wanted to design something that many people can enjoy and appreciate, and to bring recognition and acknowledgment to the Indigenous people and culture that still exists today and to further the reach of contemporary Aboriginal art and design into today’s society. The pieces have symbolism and represent the natural elements of the earth, with a focus on water, hence the name Jabil Collection, meaning “water” in Bundjalung language. I’ve also named some of the prints using Gamilaraay language, which is my personal Indigenous heritage because I wanted to have a connection to the artwork and stories being told throughout them.

 

What materials did you use to create this collection?

I started by sketching many ideas onto paper then deciding which ones had the best potential to become artwork. I mainly worked digitally as that’s what is needed for the swimwear prints to be created, but using my iPad I am able to create detailed and realistic painting techniques like seen in the soon to be released Gali Mirii print. By working digitally, I am able to use parts of artwork and change them very easily, like colour and size or add or takeaway parts which helps to design more choices for the swimwear. I like to work digitally because of the ease of use and also the many choices and ways I can adjust the designs into exactly what I envision in my mind and convey the story I would like.

Can you tell us a bit about the printing process?

Printing artwork the right colour, contrast, size, enough detail etc is always very tricky and usually takes a lot of attempts! Also working at Kozii we use high quality and recycled swimwear fabrics that all react differently to the sublimation process. (This is the process of transferring the ink into the fabrics.)  To produce the same artwork that I am seeing on screen or on paper onto the swimwear we have to use spot colours and precise measurements. This involves me setting up many various samples of the prints each with slight tweaks so the team can decide on the most accurate or best one! Sometimes this process takes a few weeks as the printing process can be a bit unpredictable, and we strive for the best artwork.

What is a usual day in the studio like for you?

I usually grab a coffee with the other girls in the office then go over some notes on what we will be doing today and things to catch up on. At Kozii we also work with many surf clubs around Australia and other parts of the world. This ­­involves testing colours, prints and various garments while working alongside the clubs to achieve their unique and high-quality designs! Then I may start sketching new ideas for upcoming retail prints, while choosing colour palattes and the themes behind the design, while also finalising more refined prints and getting feedback from the creative team.

How does it feel to see you work translated onto swimwear?

Quite surreal. Like I said I’ve always had a passion for art and design and some fashion creation too, so to have the opportunity to create and see my artwork being used for garments and swimwear is awesome. It feels great to know people are enjoying my artwork enough to wear it!

 

What’s next for Pearl Campbell?

I would love to elevate my art and really find my style and keep working on surface design. Having achieved my diploma of graphic design in 2021 I would also love to expand my portfolio to more typography and print works, and possibly creating designs for the music industry and continuously incorporate my Indigenous artwork into more fashion and digital designs that can be used for future projects.

Photography and editing by Leisa Hale