Held was founded by Jo Davis former member of the Buying and Merchandising team at Topshop and other fashion brands alike, where she spent years understanding how women shop, wear, and experience fashion.

Despite working in the industry, she struggled to find swimwear that worked for her own body. The options always felt divided - beautiful but impractical, or supportive but uninspiring.

The idea for Held came unexpectedly while on holiday in 2024.

After layering her favourite bra beneath a swimsuit, she noticed an immediate difference: the support transformed the fit, and the silhouette looked effortless.

That simple moment revealed something obvious in hindsight.

If lingerie could provide the structure women needed, why wasn’t swimwear designed with that same foundation?

Held was built to answer that question.