To paraphrase the classic ’80s ad that’s become a meme, Morgan Filler is not only the founder of See Her Swim — she’s also a client. The Petaluma mother of two girls and former professional swimmer launched the brand in the fall of 2020 after recognizing a need for high-performance swimwear that was also stylish.
“When I had my own kids, I saw that if I wanted them to play in the water and swim, I had to make it fun,” says Filler, who grew up open-water swimming with her parents in Chesapeake Bay. “I wanted to incorporate my athleticism into family time. I would play in the pool, in the river, in the ocean with them. They grabbed my straps, turned me into animals they rode underwater. They played tag with me and held and stretched my suit so I couldn’t escape.”
During the pandemic, as she taught her younger daughter to swim at Morton’s Warm Springs in Glen Ellen and a community pool in Petaluma, an idea she developed years earlier while teaching swim lessons began to crystallize. Traditional Speedos were too basic for pool parties or beach barbecues, and so-called “fashion” suits weren’t sturdy enough to stand up to active swimming, let alone the demands of amphibious parenting.
“What if I made a hybrid suit?” Filler asked herself. “So, I took a fashion style and made it with performance construction.” She enrolled in a fashion studies class at Santa Rosa Junior College and learned to sew a prototype, took an online website-design and marketing course, and eventually partnered with a manufacturer in Los Angeles. Before long, she was selling suits at pop-up events across Sonoma County. Today See Her Swim offers six one-piece styles, including plus sizes, all made of a recycled polyamide material that’s 50 times stronger than traditional Lycra or spandex. Filler is looking for investors and interns to help the business grow.
In a way, swimming has become a career again for the open-water expert who in her 20s traveled the world on the pro circuit, competing in races in several countries including Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Egypt. “I’m back at it as a profession, so it’s full circle, and it feels really good,” she says.
These days Filler is as likely to be seen surfing the waves at Dillon, Doran, or Salmon Creek beaches as she is diving under them. During summer, she loves taking the family to Healdsburg’s Veterans Memorial Beach on the Russian River. “One kid will be on a paddle board, my partner and my other kid will be on a kayak.” She swims alongside — sporting one of her own suits, naturally.
See Her Swim swimsuits are available at SeeHerSwim.com, SwimOutlet.com, Sports Basement, and a number of local surf and boutique shops.