Our founder Elsie in neon #1, a decade ago
our story
Neon was born in 2006 out of a love of surfing, an independent spirit and a simple philosophy – to create wetsuits for women that are beautifully designed and beautifully made, because we shouldn’t have to choose between the two.
It started with just one suit, handmade in our workshop in Cornwall and grew organically through word of mouth and custom orders into a brand lighting up hidden corners around the world.
Today we produce limited runs of suits and separates, signature pieces we’re proud to put our name on. Lives spent in the ocean define us and everything we do - our range is designed for warmth, style and freedom of movement, to feel as good as you look.
Our collection is purposefully small, simple and classic – you won’t find us reinventing it every season. It’s built around our firm favourites, classic cuts and iconic styles, those essential pieces we find ourselves reaching for time and again, whether sharing warm waves with friends on long summer evenings, or reveling in the short, sharp thrill of a deep midwinter dip.
All of our suits are made from Yulex, the natural plant-based rubber alternative to the petrochemical created Neoprene. There’s no compromise on quality, it is just as warm, comfy, stretchy and hard wearing, but it’s better for the environment, better for everybody.
Neon. Iconic designs made to surf in, made to swim in, made to last.
Elsie, morning ritual
‘I learned the art of wetsuit making – the stitch, the seams, the craft with the sole aim of creating a suit that I felt good in.’
our founder
Every day starts with the sea - walking my dog along the cliffs at home in Cornwall, catching waves with friends or jumping into the Atlantic for an early morning dip. It has always set my rhythm.
That first suit I made in 2006, I made just for me. I was surfing, swimming, lifeguarding, wearing a wetsuit all day, but the traditional surf brands just didn’t seem to understand what women needed or wanted in terms of cut, styling, design. That’s where the seeds for Neon were sewn.
I grew up making my own clothes. My mum was a tailor so design is part of the fabric of who I am. I learned the art of wetsuit making – the stitch, the seams, the craft with the sole aim of creating a suit that I felt good in. That first one I made was almost identical to the suits we make today – classic cut, clean lines, long arms, short leg – giving that feeling of freedom you get from salt water against your skin while keeping your core warm, letting you stay in the sea for longer.
People always asked where my suit was from, how they could get one – there was nothing else like it out there – so I started making suits for friends who asked, then friends of friends. When I woke one morning to an inbox full of requests from people I hadn’t met, I realized that Neon had taken on a life of its own. It had grown through word of mouth with glimpses in Sennen, Noosa, Biarritz, Rincon, Java, into a community of like-minded women and suddenly I was sending out regular orders across the world.
I spent nearly a decade making custom suits by hand; a grounding that gave me time and scope to really refine my designs, understand what works and concentrate the collection before getting small batches of stock made.
I’ve always been my own customer, right from the start. That’s why I only make those pieces that I love to wear, pieces that I’m proud of. I feel it’s important to keep evolving, keep learning and to make the best choices possible. That’s why we use Yulex, and only produce limited runs of classic designs, minimising waste. I hold tight to the things I love so our suits are made to last in terms of design and construction; you can keep wearing your Neon, surf after surf, swim after swim, season after season.
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