Over 20 years ago, Little Red Fish was born from a simple but important problem - finding beautiful, high-quality, sun-safe children’s swimwear that truly stood up to New Zealand’s harsh summer sun.

Founded in 2004, Little Red Fish began with a clear purpose: to design children’s swimwear that offered excellent coverage, lasting quality, and timeless style, so kids could spend long, happy days at the beach or in the pool safely under the New Zealand sun.

For many years, our swimwear was proudly designed and manufactured right here in New Zealand, allowing us to develop much-loved details such as our signature yarn-dyed stripes. As the brand has grown and evolved, so too has our approach. Today, we continue to design all Little Red Fish swimwear in New Zealand, while working with carefully selected offshore partners to expand our range of fabrics, colours, and styles. This allows us to bring you affordable swimwear, while still maintaining the quality and fit our customers know and trust.

Sun safety has always been and always will be at the heart of Little Red Fish. That’s why our collections focus on classic, modest styles, generous coverage, and practical designs that work for real children. We offer a wide range of one-piece swimsuits, rash shirts, and swim separates for children from 6 months to 14 years, all made using UPF50+ fabric, the highest available sun protection rating, tested to block 98% of harmful UV rays.

We believe in buying items that are made well, last longer, and can be passed on to younger siblings, cousins, or friends when your child outgrows it. Little Red Fish pieces are designed to be worn again and again, loved for more than one summer, and shared beyond one family. It’s a quieter, more thoughtful way of doing things - and one that feels right to us.

Today, I’m proud to be the current owner and custodian of this much-loved Kiwi brand.

I’m a mum to a sassy, energetic, homeschooled, neurodivergent daughter who truly lives for the water and the outdoors. She was my inspiration for purchasing Little Red Fish. I wanted to build a life with more flexibility and presence, to be able to enjoy her childhood and provide her with a truly special start to life

Our days are shaped around our life on our lifestyle block in Rural Tauranga with our horses, chickens, dog and cat. Valuing slow mornings, muddy boots, outdoor play and child-led learning carved into everyday life, and a kind of calm chaos I’ve come to love.

Becoming a mum changed what I value and I am truly grateful for the opportunities Little red Fish has offered me.

We always love hearing from our community, so please feel free to get in touch anytime.

April Harland

Owner | Director | Designer

Little Red Fish Children’s Swimwear