Victoria’s elite divers have a new uniform that carries a story. The Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) has launched new bathers for its divers, designed in collaboration with the VIS diving program and built around First Nations artwork by Katie Bugden.
More than competition swimwear, the bathers connect performance with culture and place, carrying meaning every time they are worn on the pool deck. For the diving program who helped shape it, the design is personal.
“For a long time now, athletes have just competed in bathers of their own choosing. While our divers have always worn the VIS uniform with pride, that same pride and connection wasn’t really reflected once they stepped onto the diving boards, said Rebecca Stafford, VIS/Diving Australia National Generation 2032 Coach.
“That’s why it was important to create bathers that the athletes genuinely feel proud wearing. Designs that not only represent the VIS, but also reflect its values, culture and community.”
At the centre of the design sits a meeting place representing the VIS on Boon Wurrung land. The people surrounding and inside the circle represent the connection the VIS has to its athletes and staff, past and present.
From that centre, the white ‘song lines’ trace the paths the VIS is taking to create a culturally safe and respectful environment through its First Nations Strategy. Golden dotted paths represent the flow of information and education along that journey, and the background reflects the interconnected relationships across the Institute.
“The VIS has such a strong sense of belonging and family, and that really flows through our program,” said Stafford.
“The artwork Katie designed is beautiful and tells the stories of both the First Nations people of Bunurong Country and the long-standing history of the VIS itself, so it was a no-brainer to incorporate it into the design.
“I’m really excited to see the divers debut the new bathers alongside the swimmers at the Australian Open Championships next week.”
The launch adds further momentum to the VIS commitment to embedding First Nations culture across the organisation, aligned with the Win Well 2032+ Connection to Country initiative. It also honours the VIS First Nations alumni who paved the way, including Olympic champion Cathy Freeman AC and dual Olympian Kyle Vander-Kuyp.
VIS divers will wear the new bathers through the current season and on the pathway to Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
