Jemma Jube swimwear is about to launch its first ever collab with Topshop, and it's something of a coup for the start-up swimwear label.

After rejecting the High Street behemoth because their offer was too low, designer Mel Kier struck the right deal for her Australian-made bathers. Her cozzies will be in store in the UK just before Easter this year.

"I said no to their first offer when I met them in September 2009 at a French trade show, but by Christmas we were in production on an order that will be on there shelves soon," said Kier.

The Jemma Jude signature style is late fifties, early sixties. Keir loves to work with cuts that are sexy but flattering, so the pants are fuller, and even the skimpy ones have some structure.

Kier has a strong sense of national pride about Australian swimwear, and so she should. The country consistently produces the most wearable swimwear in the world. "I think it's because we know what it's like to live in swimwear. We know it has to be functional in the surf. We don't just lounge around like it's St Tropez," she adds.

Working with a major retail order was an interesting lesson for the young designer, who had stocked in boutiques here and in London. "I had to simplify some of my designs, because previously I had been selling them for between $200 to $300 a piece. Some tweeking and simplification meant I could get it down to between 49 and 59 pounds retail, without having to move the production off shore."

Kier is passionate about making her swimwear in Australia, but knows that to advance her label she will need to tap into the bra-engineering skills found only in France. Once a little money from the Topshop deal trickles in, it shouldn't be too long before she can get back to Europe's to take part in more trade shows and meet the right craftsmen.

Jemma Jube for Topshop, 49 to 59 pounds, in store late March 2010. Stay tuned for Jemma Jube's online store mid-year.