Olympic gold medallist diver Matthew Mitcham has been unveiled as the new face of Funky Trunks, Australia’s fastest growing men’s swimwear label for fit, active men.

Mitcham will appear globally for Funky Trunks advertising campaigns across Australia, Europe and the United States as the brand rapidly expands into international markets.

Funky Trunks has been the preferred training swimwear of several elite Australian swimmers for many years and, since being introduced to the brand, they’ve also become Mitcham’s preferred training trunks. Using Italian fabrics with exceptional quality and durability in chlorine pools, Funky Trunks also designs its own prints which are colourful, eye-catching and often drawn from retro-style designs.

At a cocktail party overlooking Sydney’s Bondi Beach to launch Mitcham’s involvement with the brand this evening, large scale images from a recent aerial photo shoot showed the diver clad in Funky Trunks and gave a sneak peek of the Funky Trunk designs due out in late April 2010 and the forthcoming Summer 2010 range.

“Funky Trunks has filled a void in the men’s swimwear market for cool, fashion-forward swimwear which reflects personal style, so I’m excited about being involved with a brand I really love,” said Mitcham.

“The retro-style prints are fun, the cuts are flattering and the fabrics stand the test of time, chlorine and wear.

“Good swimwear is a bit like diving – it has to look great but there’s a lot of technical performance going on as well!”

Mitcham is about to embark on a run of international events including the FINA World Series and Grand Prix competitions. He will compete in the FINA World Cup in China in June before competing at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games where he is a Gold Medal favourite across several diving disciplines.

Funky Trunks founder Duncan McLean said Mitcham was the ideal choice to front the fast-growing brand.

“Matt’s a brilliant athlete but he’s also a true individual with a great sense of humour and style,” said McLean.

“He understands the Funky Trunks aesthetic and he knows exactly what he likes, which is great for us to have as active input from someone who’s representing our brand.”

The appointment of Mitcham as brand ambassador is the latest landmark moment for the fast-growing Funky Trunks.

The brand began in 2002 when McLean, bored with the endless parade of black and navy men’s swimmers on display at Melbourne’s Prahran Pool where he was a part time lifeguard, combined inspiration from the daggy-but-cool prints in his father’s old wardrobe with some basic skills on his mother’s sewing machine to create his first pair of Funky Trunks.

“The guys in my swimming squad laughed but also asked me to make them a pair and the orders started rolling in,” says McLean.

Former Australian swimming coach Mark Thompson and designer Jessica Holmes joined McLean and the business has grown to produce 100,000 units of swimwear for the Australian market and 50,000 for the international market. Funky Trunks is available in over 200 boutiques, swimming pools and swimwear chains across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, France and Poland.

Funky Trunks are available for Men, Boys and Toddlers ranging in price from $29.95 to $79.95.

The Printed Classic Men’s Funky trunks retail for $54.95.

To view the Funky Trunks range, visit www.wayfunky.com.au