Ever since falling in love with Oceanus’s extravagant pieces during summer 2019 in the now not-so-well-kept-fashion-secret that is Annie’s Ibiza, I know the brand’s excess-embracing, more is more ethos will resonate with many who love the fun, decadent side of fashion. Fast forward to summer 2021, Oceanus, the independent luxury brand known for merging innovative fabric in unique pastel shades with intricate embroidery designs, is here to bring full Hollywood glamor back. The newest “Casa Del Duckie” collection, launched in London and fronted by campaign girl Duckie Thot, also marks Oceanus’ expansion into a much broader product range, including Ready To Wear and costume jewelry in collaboration with Celeste Starre. What stays, however, is the brand’s distinctive, creative vision and unapologetic, stylish-yet-fun aesthetics.

Founder and designer Hannah Attalah, at the tender young age of 26, has been working behind the scenes of Oceanus for the past three years since its birth in 2018. “I started Oceanus when I was 23 years old after finishing my studies in fashion and business.” Attalah speaks of the moment she had an epiphany to start Oceanus: “I traveled across Asia and was in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia, on a beach when I discovered water resistant velvets. At that moment I knew that I could create a new take on swimwear if I fused the fabric with my knowledge on embroidery techniques.”

“After working for Jenny Packham I realized how fascinated I was with the different embroidery techniques past down through generations with their culture, and I started to meet artisans and discover more.” Attalah speaks of her love affair with India, the country which inspired her designs on many different levels, and where all her fabrics are hand-embroidered. “When I came back to London [from the trip to Indonesia] I started working on Oceanus and launched it in June the following year, with a debut article on American Vogue.” This is where we would usually say “the rest is then history.” But with Attalah and her brand, this seemed only the beginning, as the proud founder tells me business has scaled 800% in 2020.

This is a tremendous success for the brand and shows huge level of recognition from fans of the label, especially considering many independent brands, as well as big-name fashion houses’ financial struggles during the pandemic. “I don’t know how it happened but I am grateful.” Says Attalah in a tone that’s girlish, endearing, and almost shy.

It’s not hard to understand how the brand grew so rapidly. Inspired by glamor and fun, the theme of opulent evening wear can be seen weaving through each of the brand’s seasons. “I thought by incorporating Swarovski crystals into my designs I could bring back ’80s glamorous pool side — this is how it all began. The Duckie collection is inspired by the mystique of the late 1980’s and early 1990.” With celebrity fans including Poppy Delevingne, Rita Ora, Daisy Lowe, Attalah says of the brand’s fanbase: “They are eclectic, fun and daring, but can often have a feminine edge. The Oceanus women love to be glamorous, over the top with a vintage fun edge.”

Attalah also has an impeccable eye for the exact type of contents and visuals that can bring her designs to life — the campaign for the Casa Del Duckie collection is an imaginative illustration of pastel heaven and a heightened version of reality — an irreverently glamorous look into the dream world of the Oceanus Mob boss as she lives out in isolation with nothing but her menagerie of pets and a suitcase full of Oceanus goodies. The designer continues on the Mob wives inspiration of the collection: “Fun fact: after getting to know the owners of the location house for the Casa Del Duckie campaign shoot, I discovered they bought the house off a famous south London gangster. From the outside of the house you would never have know the decadence of what lays within!”

Having always loved vintage and grown up pining after one-off pieces, Attalah’s personal style is “definitely out there” as described by the designer herself. “But I always dress something glam down with a cool, laid back edge — like adding a cowboy boot to an Oceanus dress, or pairing an eclectic co-ord set with a trainer — that’s my vibe!” Attalah’s favorite pieces from the current collection is the Melodie co-ord set in peach (“[the set] sees us take our first leap into RTW and I love it!”) and the Mary Francis in mint with the matching gloves and the Mary Francis tights in nude ( “I think these pieces stand out as Oceanus but in a 2021 fresh way!”)

Despite being a young brand with limited resources, Oceanus is doing its part in terms of sustainability. “Our products are mostly made to order and we try to be as mindful as possible in our design process to avoid any waste.” The designer says, also noting that she always wanted for each collection to remain “limited, and exclusive” in terms of the number of pieces produced. “Our swimwear is made from Econyl, a regenerated nylon that was introduced in 2011 by Aquafil. It is made entirely from ocean and landfill waste, such as industrial plastic, fabric scraps from clothing manufacturing companies, old carpets and ‘ghost nets’ (lost or abandoned fishing nets).”

With many friends in the jewelry business who share her love for vintage ’80s pieces (think chunky, gold Chanel and YSL), Attalah is planning to launch vintage jewelries on Oceanus’ website in the coming months. She’s also been working on expanding her team — “having the right people and team has been the biggest challenge to me as a founder”, and setting up new factories so she can speed up the lead time for orders. Attalah also speaks of her network of support that consists of many likeminded, young and talented designer/entrepreneurs, including Amy Sturgis (founder of Cinta the Label and PR company ASC Global), Annie Doble (founder of Annie’s Ibiza), and Andraya Kenton (founder and designer of jewelry brand Celeste Starre).

Speaking of the outlook for Oceanus, Attalah tells me that more RTW pieces can be expected, and the brand is expanding its retail presence with several pop-up locations in the pipeline for 2022. “I’ll continue to collaborate with people who inspire me, continue the story of mob wives, and continue to evolve the story of the brand.”

The Casa Del Duckie collection by Oceanus as well as the brand’s staple designs can now be purchased from www.oceanusswimwear.com as well as a limited range of retailers including Annie’s Ibiza and Flannels.