The Mono Act

It all started when the mother of Monokini 2.0, Elina Halttunen, went swimsuit hunting for herself, following her mastectomy. Only, she couldn’t find one that would fit her post-surgery body. “I didn’t want to hide, I didn’t want to stop swimming, I didn’t want to undergo extensive plastic surgery operations, and I didn’t want to be forced to use the uncomfortable prosthesis on the beach,” says Elina. “I wanted to feel as free and active as I did before my cancer, and I was pretty sure there were others like me, out there. That’s how I came up with the idea of the Monokini 2.0 swimwear.” And a very powerful idea at that!

There has been an ongoing debate on the ideal body image of women. And Elina agrees that people look at breasts as powerful symbols of womanhood, sexuality and nurturing. Says she, “I know they are important for the self image of many a woman. But I also think we are getting quite fixated with what we consider beautiful, healthy and normal.” And this project aims at doing just that... breaking the narrow concept about a woman’s ideal appearance.

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Monokini 2.0 aims at re-examining this very school of thought and strives to expand what is accepted and considered beautiful by designing a swimwear collection for women who have gone through breast cancer. The Finnish art duo Tärähtäneet ämmät (Katriina Haikala and Vilma Metteri), or Nutty Tarts as they are popularly known, are the artistic directors who have brought to life Elina’s idea. The name Monokini 2.0 takes after designer Rudi Gernreich’s Monokini, a swimsuit that exposed both breasts. His Monokini was also meant as a cultural statement: “It had to do with more than what to wear on the beach. It was about a changing culture throughout all society, about freedom and emancipation.” Uncannily similar to what Elina and the team aim to achieve. Says the art duo, “We hope that if Rudi’s Monokini made it easier for women to go topless on the beach if they wanted to, our Monokini 2.0 will make it easier for women to go breastless on the beach if they want to.”

Monokini 2.0 aims at breaking the narrow concept of what is ‘accepted’ and considered ‘beautiful’ by designing a swimwear collection for women who’ve survived breast cancer.

Women, today, are wary of breast reconstruction surgery, as they wish to continue their lives with one or no breasts at all. “I was a bit surprised at the arguments of the breast cancer-operated women in Norway who said they felt like ‘half a woman’, ‘mutilated’ and ‘not fully treated for their illness’ without surgery,” says Elina. “I have also been operated for breast cancer and must admit that I got a bit provoked.” The Monokini 2.0 swimwear doesn’t hide the scars, but exposes them. After all, with the breast gone, there should be nothing to hide anymore!

In what seems to be a first, the haute couture swimwear collection is also modelled by women who have gone through breast cancer and took the brave step to expose themselves as they are. Elina further adds that she still feels like a whole, healthy woman even without her left breast. “Getting a plastic operation to restore my looks would be treating something other than cancer,” she says. “I don´t think my value as a woman is reduced because I now have a little less fat, some missing glands and a little less skin than before my operation. My scar is beautiful. It reminds me of the second chance at life I got in exchange!”

The team behind Project Monokini 2.0.