In Conversation: Jena Goldsack on Freediving, Ocean Conservation, and Sustainable Wetsuits
On a clear Sydney morning, we meet British freediver and ocean advocate Jena Goldsack at Little Bay Beach, a quiet cove framed by sandstone cliffs and calm water.
Raised by the sea in Cornwall, Jena has always felt a deep connection to the ocean. From early memories of spotting dolphins on the horizon to becoming an ambassador for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, her life has long been shaped by the water.
Today, she channels that passion through freediving, ocean advocacy, and Fulmar, her sustainably led wetsuit brand. In conversation, Jena reflects on the meditative pull of life beneath the surface, the moments that have left her in awe, and why protecting our oceans has never been more important.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your connection to the ocean? What fuelled your journey into ocean conservation?
I was born and raised at the back of a beach in Cornwall, UK. One of my first memories of living there was looking out of the living room and seeing dolphins on the horizon. We took school trips and weekend trips to the local Seal sanctuary which rescues & rehabilitates injured seals, then if they can, release them back to the wild. Sometimes a seal will have such a bad injury they will end up being a resident here - there was one seal called Ray that had brain damage from a boat accident who happily lived there for 20+ years until he passed away! When I wanted to get more into charity work, I knew the Cornish Seal Sanctuary would be a great fit for me and I’m still an ambassador for them now.
What do you love most about freediving?
I had been a scuba diver for years before I started freediving and I didn’t get the appeal, but once I tried, as every Freediver will tell you, you genuinely just feel more free and natural with the water, like you’re meant to be there. Animals aren’t afraid to come near you because you’re not breathing any scary bubbles, and I think it’s amazing what our bodies are capable of, even when we think they aren’t.
“YOU GENUINELY JUST FEEL MORE FREE AND NATURAL WITH THE WATER, LIKE YOU’RE MEANT TO BE THERE.”
What’s your favourite place in the world to go diving?
I think so far it’s been the Maldives as the water is just so so pristine. My dive friends call me a fair weathered diver and I’m not ashamed of it! I struggle holding my breath in cold water as I can’t relax. I originally learnt in the Cayman Islands and unfortunately I think that has tainted me to warm clear waters forever!
What does being underwater teach you that you can’t learn on land?
Something you don’t really get on land as much is that you can completely switch off, absolutely nothing is going on in my brain apart from being in the moment, it’s like a fine tuned meditation only a few people can seem to achieve on land. The only thing you are thinking about / appreciating is the water, your surroundings and feeling at complete peace.
“THE ONLY THING YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT IS THE WATER, YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND FEELING AT COMPLETE PEACE.”
What inspired you to create Fulmar, and how does the brand reflect your values and connection to the ocean?
I’m not going to pretend it has been a life long dream to have a wetsuit line! But it’s been a very natural progression. I suffer from eczema and every dive rental shop wetsuit would make my skin irritated. So I started looking for hypoallergenic wetsuit brands and there are a few great brands that already exist that use limestone neoprene, which is designed to be skin friendly, but I couldn’t find the perfect fit for myself as well as the right thickness (I get cold very easily!). There seemed to be a gap in the UK market for female specific wetsuit brands as the majority are made for men’s bodies, so I ended up creating some samples and it went from there.
I wanted to create in small batches as to not waste any more product than I need - I wanted to keep the colours as earthy or oceany as possible and I aimed for only a few sizes at first to see what would sell best - and we are adding another couple of sizes in the next couple of months after some interest and feedback. We also had some leftover fabric from our blue steamer suit so we turned that into headbands so nothing would go to waste.
Has there been a moment in the ocean that truly left you in awe?
Two moments! One was after we had been diving with tiger sharks in the Maldives, we went out into deeper water and ended up around a pop of 1-2 thousand Mellon headed whales and dolphins - they were quite timid at first but we ended up spending hours swimming with them and the way they look you in the eye as if to say ‘wha are you doing here human?’.
The second time was recently in French Polynesia, it was a tough day on the water as it was so rough and I haven’t had sea sickness since I was a child but I quickly lifted my head out of the water to try and throw up, and when I put my head back under, a humpback whale was about a meter away from me! I watched this thing come at me like a giant submarine and then turn away last minute, and again, when it’s eye catches yours you are truly in awe of the sheer size and elegance of this being.
If you could leave people with one powerful message to inspire greater care and protection for our oceans, what would it be?
I take a lot of inspiration from Sylvia Earle, one of my favourite ocean women - the world’s first female aquanaut! And who Fulmar’s steamer suit is named after - and something powerful she has said before is ‘No water, no life. No blue, no green’ - I think we can all appreciate that these are very calming colours and take you to a place of ease even when just thinking about them, so why wouldn’t you want these to exist?
“NO WATER, NO LIFE. NO BLUE, NO GREEN.”
What’s on the horizon for you? Are there any projects or collaborations you’re especially excited about?
Something I’m excited about for fulmar is that we have a new surf vest coming out in the next two months! This will be made from Yulex, a natural rubber, so it’s the most sustainable form of wetsuit we can offer. We are adding this in more sizes, and it’s a beautiful orange colour so I have named the colour Bondi Sunset, as I showed it first at our Sydney launch during the most beautiful of end summer sunset.
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There is a certain gravity to Amrita Hepi. A choreographer and dancer of Bundjalung (Australia) and Ngāpuhi (New Zealand) heritage, she is an artist whose practice stretches across dance, performance, video, and installation. Her work, often shifting between intimacy and spectacle, investigates the body’s role as a vessel for memory, identity, and cultural narratives. It is this blend of intellectual rigor and instinctual grace that made Amrita the perfect muse for our ONDINE collection campaign. Against the raw beauty of Aotearoa’s west coast, Amrita translates ONDINE’s sculptural forms into a living movement and grounds the campaign with a meditative body-scan, an invitation to catch our breath. ONDINE explores themes of ritual and rhythm, our relationship to the natural world, and the transcendent. It was with these ideas in mind that we sat down with Amrita, in the midst of a schedule that spans continents, collaborations, and constant creation, to talk about her creative practice, relationship to ritual, and the elemental pull of nature. Hi Amrita, can you start by telling us about your creative practice and your history with movement and choreography. I’m an artist who works with choreography and performance, mostly with liveness. My history with this is long and constantly changing and evolving. One of the things we’ve thought a lot about as part of ONDINE is the idea of ritual. What practices in your life feel ritualistic, whether through the body, breath, or the way you prepare to move or create? My rituals tend to be quite mundane, like finding where the water is in a new place, resetting my wardrobe or chucking things out if I’m feeling stressed, eating the same thing every morning in a new place when I’m in a kind of mini routine. And then in regards to preparing to move or make something, I don’t know if it’s a ritual but I have to get myself into a zone whereby I am kind of tricking myself into thinking: “I am just taking notes, I am just moving to sense things out, this is just a few small words, moves, a sketch,” in order to get myself to begin with lots of options and an intimacy without creating a pressure cooker of an environment. It’s simultaneously focused and also can look like dithering or distraction in the beginning. And miraculously I repeat this focused/distracted dance a lot, hence maybe it’s now a ritual. “I AM JUST TAKING NOTES, I AM JUST MOVING TO SENSE THINGS OUT” How do you create moments of stillness or presence in your daily life? With great effort, with repetition, without trying to do too much. How does nature influence your creativity or sense of self? By giving it the attention and the respect it deserves. By trying not to project myself into every part of it. By knowing that there is Vā [the sacred, relational space that binds people, nature, and spirit] between myself and it. [featured_images1] What aspects of filming the campaign and wearing the collection resonated with you, and how did they connect to your sense of movement and style? Being in Aotearoa, one of my homes, and taking part in a Karakia [a traditional Māori prayer to invoke spiritual guidance and protection] at the start of shooting, and of course, I loved the earrings I got to wear. They felt like they would stay put even if I was moving a lot. I always think dancers have great style, and I have always said my own style is lazy with elegant aspirations (or fast and relaxed), so I love jewellery that can stick with me, that I can forget about until I put it on in the morning and it makes me smile. That doesn’t get stuck in my hair, that I can swim in, run in, and that lives on me and with me. “I LOVE JEWELLERY THAT CAN STICK WITH ME, THAT I CAN FORGET ABOUT UNTIL I PUT IT ON IN THE MORNING AND IT MAKES ME SMILE.” [featured_images2]Which piece from the collection resonates with you most, and why? All of the earrings. Every single pair. The campaign was filmed on the west coast of Aotearoa, a place rich in elemental energy and connected to your heritage. How did being in that landscape shape your experience of movement and creation during the filming? There was a great reverence with shooting there. I thought a lot about Taniwha and Whenua. And I really loved having Rae, the makeup artist who was local, and Matt who works at Sarah & Sebastian, on the shoot with me, two people that understood the complexity of the Tangata Whenua. What do you hope others feel after experiencing your movement or being present with your work? Every work is very different, and I’m not in the business of dictating hope to a room or an audience. I am however in the business of ideas, experiences, rigour and movement. I hope that no one ever says: Amrita’s works all look the same, and that’s why I am here. [featured_images3]Looking forward, are there any new works, performances, or collaborations on the horizon? Many. But at present I have just finished a full and happy few months of making a new work called The Act for Rising Festival, working with my sister on a new show at Passage, and beginning the European tour leg of Rinse at Avignon Festival. The thing I am looking forward to is sleeping and swimming. But also, if Sophie Calle or Michelle de Kretser are reading this, let’s have a drink and talk about collaboration. On me!
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Astrid Holler On Fashion, Freediving And Ocean Conservation
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In Conversation: Matt Lennon on Style, Design, and the Details That Matter
There’s a quiet confidence in the way Matt Lennon approaches style. As SARAH & SEBASTIAN’s Global Head of Brand, his days span shaping campaigns, refining brand strategy, and collaborating on our philanthropic Xanthe Project initiative, yet it’s his eye for detail and love of design that truly anchor his work. For our men’s collection campaign, he chose the National Gallery of Australia as the backdrop, drawn to its striking brutalist architecture and the dialogue it creates with the art inside. Here, Matt reflects on the influences shaping his aesthetic, from Tadao Ando’s concrete forms to the shifting colours of the natural world, and considers how jewellery is carving its place in the evolving language of modern masculinity. Tell us a little bit about what you do at SARAH & SEBASTIAN My days are filled with everything from art direction and campaign ideation to brand strategy and communications planning. I’m lucky to work with a great team, exploring new ideas and contributing to a creative direction for our brand that feels deeply aligned with my own sensibilities. I also work closely with our Creative Director, Sarah, and Head of Philanthropy, Phoebe, on the Xanthe Project, our initiative that supports ocean conservation, a cause I’m incredibly passionate about. Matt wears the Lock Bangle, the Traction Ring and the Traction Signet Ring. The National Gallery of Australia was chosen as the shoot location, what connection do you feel between the space and the SARAH & SEBASTIAN men’s collection? I’ve always been quite obsessed with the NGA; it’s an extraordinary building, and I love the way its brutalist architecture interacts with the art it houses. I’ve spent many afternoons there, often making the trip from Sydney to see new exhibitions. I do think there’s a parallel between the building’s character and our men’s collection: the gallery has a certain masculinity to its external structure, but once inside, you discover nuance, intimacy, and a truly singular curation. Many of our pieces mirror this, too… the closer you look, the more detail and refinement you uncover. “THE CLOSER YOU LOOK, THE MORE DETAIL AND REFINEMENT YOU UNCOVER.” How does brutalist architecture resonate with your personal aesthetic? I’ve always been drawn to brutalism. The designer Tadao Ando has been my number one since my first trip to Japan over a decade ago. He fuses the stark, geometric qualities of brutalism with the warmth and restraint of Japanese design. One of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had was in the Monet Room at the Chichu Art Museum, which Ando designed. The paintings are set in contemporary frames and bathed in natural light. There’s something extraordinary about seeing masterworks in such a modern, minimalist setting, it’s one of the few times I’ve been brought to tears in front of art. “THERE’S SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT SEEING MASTERWORKS IN SUCH A MODERN, MINIMALIST SETTING” [featured_images1]Matt wears the Chase Signet Ring, the Lock Bangle and the Valentine Bracelet. When it comes to men’s jewellery, do you prefer layering or wearing pieces solo? How do you decide? If a piece is bold, I like to give it room to breathe but with finer pieces, like delicate chains, layering can add dimension and interest. It’s all about creating balance without losing the individuality of each piece. “IT’S ALL ABOUT CREATING BALANCE WITHOUT LOSING THE INDIVIDUALITY OF EACH PIECE.” Which pieces from the men’s collection are you most drawn to, and why? I wear my Lock Bangle every day, it was the first piece I purchased when I started to work with SARAH & SEBASTIAN and I don’t think I’ve taken it off since. Matt wears theLock Bangle, the Traction Ring and the Traction Signet Ring. What role does proportion, texture, and finish play in your jewellery styling? I think proportion is everything, it sets the tone for how a piece interacts with what you’re wearing. Texture brings depth, and finish determines the mood. A matte finish can feel understated and architectural, while a high polish reads more classic and refined. Playing with those elements is what keeps styling interesting. “I THINK PROPORTION IS EVERYTHING, IT SETS THE TONE FOR HOW A PIECE INTERACTS WITH WHAT YOU’RE WEARING.” [featured_images2]Matt wears the Bold Scale Ring, the Promise Bracelet and the Khaki Lock Cord Bracelet. What influences — whether art, design, or fashion — are currently shaping your approach? I’m constantly absorbing influences from art, music, film, and architecture, but nature is always my biggest inspiration. The structure of a shell, the shifting colours of a sunset, those patterns, tones and forms always seem to find their way into how I think creatively. “NATURE IS ALWAYS MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION” How does your work at SARAH & SEBASTIAN influence your personal style, and vice versa? I’ve become far more attuned to jewellery since joining the brand… as you’d hope! I’ve always loved fashion, but working closely with our jewellers and seeing the craftsmanship involved has deepened my appreciation for design detail. There’s also something really special about being part of pieces that mark personal milestones for people. Matt wears theChase Signet Ring, the Traction Ring and the Pearl Piston Bracelet. How do you think jewellery fits into the evolving conversation around modern masculinity? I think men are increasingly seeing jewellery as an extension of self-expression rather than a status symbol. It’s becoming less about adhering to a set idea of “masculine” and more about wearing pieces that feel authentic, whether that’s a bold statement chain or something subtle and personal. How do you see the role of jewellery in a man’s everyday wardrobe shifting over the next few years? I think it’s moving toward a place of ease, where a man might reach for a necklace or bracelet in the same way he chooses a watch. It will become less of a special occasion accessory and more a part of daily ritual, layered into how we present ourselves every day. “I THINK PROPORTION IS EVERYTHING, IT SETS THE TONE FOR HOW A PIECE INTERACTS WITH WHAT YOU’RE WEARING.” [featured_images3]Matt wears the Chase Signet Ring, the Traction Ring and the Pearl Piston Bracelet. If you could only wear one chain for the next year, which would it be? It’s hard to choose just one, but I think the Bold Valentine Chain is pretty special. I’ve always liked marine-style links and a heavier weight. It’s a piece that I think I could quite easily work into every day looks but also dress up and layer when the occasion called for it. Outside of jewellery, what object or item do you wear or carry daily that reflects your personality? A photo of my cat, Aki on my phone’s . He’s the sweetest.
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