Summer 2021 is now in full swing and the post pandemic swimwear fashion has arrived with a bang. As the market shifts away from the high street brands in favor of independent fashion houses that are full of tenacious energy and refreshing talents, we gather the 4 female-founded swimwear brands that will guarantee to take your poolside style to another level.
Sqorpios: The Stylish Ibizan Wild Child By Chiara Bransi
Founded in 2018 by Chiara Bransi, Sqorpios is named after the zodiac sign of both the founder/designer as well as the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. A representation of sustainability, wearability, and Bransi’s core values, the brand’s mission is to create swimwear that makes women feel empowered and confident in their own skin.
Having been passionate for fashion since a young age, Bransi wasted no time to start her own brand following her studies in Fashion Marketing. Sqorpios’ designs are classic, timeless yet with a soft yet daring touch — who can forget the white onesie featuring geometric design that had become viral on Instagram overnight (pictured below)? Referring to the process of putting a collection together, Bransi says: “We create unique designs by incorporating different elements — combining different fabrics, using gold hardware and emphasizing on the cut to create an extremely flattering shape for different body types.”
The designer’s latest masterpiece, Goddess of Nature, was inspired by Ibiza, the island where she lived since 4. The source of inspiration came from natural surroundings and the desire to admire the beauty in women. With the use of calming colors such as warm earthy tones, Bransi intends to evoke emotions of bliss and serenity.
“We believe natural tones and high waisted suits will be big this year.” Speaking of the 2021 summer trend for swimwear, Bransi continues: “It’s all about the details in the latest collection. From the right cut to the luxurious fabric, golden hardware features and elegant yet sporty look.”
As a young brand, Sqorpios is in the process to identify the most sustainable solutions across supply chain, and has started to tap into the pre-order concept in an effort to eliminate over production and dead stock. Bransi adds: “The fabrics we use are made from recycled plastics from the ocean and landfill that gets regenerated into textile yarn. All swimwear accessories such as tags, labels and liners are made from recycled materials. Our newly launched jewelry collection is completely made from recycled brass which has many environmental benefits.”
Frankies Bikinis: The SoCal Dream By Francesca Aiello
It may surprise many to know that Francesca Aiello, at the tender age of 26, is the brains (and beauty) behind Los Angeles based fashion brand Frankies Bikinis, which has fast become a favorite amongst consumers and celebrities. She was also the youngest designer to ever showcase their brand at Miami Swim Week. With its inclusive and trend-driven designs, Frankies Bikinis aims to fit, flatter, and empower people with all body sizes and shapes.
The brand is known for its frequent drop of new and on-trend styles, and has collaborated with some of the most influential celebrities, athletes, and retailers (think Hailee Steinfeld, Naomi Osaka, and Browns Fashion). Most recently, on June 3, the brand launched its most recent collaboration with athleisure giant Alo. The new collaboration, together with its stunning yet fun pieces, also marks Alo’s expansion into swimwear for the first time.
Speaking of the collaboration with Alo, Aiello says: “This Alo x Frankies Bikinis collaboration is a perfect mesh of two likeminded brands at the forefront of immersing fashion trends into their respective category. In my eyes, Alo showcases the Southern California lifestyle the same way we do. We have merged the two to create a fashion-forward, inclusive, active inspired swimwear collection that we hope everyone loves!”
Aside from the exciting collaboration, Frankies Bikini has also stepped (pun intended) into the footwear category on June 10. The brand launched 4 styles: Juna Terry Slides, Puffer Padded Flip Flop, Surf Fin Heel, and LA Girl Platform, all pulling inspiration from the classic California coastal lifestyle. “Our customer wants a full head-to-toe Frankies Bikinis look with options of swimwear that you can layer into your everyday wardrobe, pieces that you can dress up to go out or dress down for a more casual look, and pieces with the versatility to be styled as they please to highlight their own unique sense of style. These footwear styles check each of those boxes, while staying true to our Southern California coastal lifestyle inspiration.”
Miaou Swim: The Hot Girl Summer With Attitude By Alexia Elkaim
The It girl brand and its eco-friendly pieces have been a celeb favorite loved by the likes of Bella Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Known for its ’90s riot girl inspired designs, Miaou naturally expanded into swimwear on June 10, with the first collection featuring a number of eye-catching styles with glitter embellishments, cut-outs and nostalgic prints.
Alexia Elkaim, the stylish founder and designer behind the sexy grunge cool label, describes the aesthetics of Miaou as “coquettish, irreverent, playful and sexy.” “After learning about trims, fit, denim shrinkage, and everything else that came with making a garment, and with the few yards of dead stock denim my friend sent me, I was able to make about a dozen pants and quickly sold them all on Shopify.” Elkaim recalls how her journey to Miaou all started: “Soon thereafter I was approached by Opening Ceremony to launch an exclusive capsule collection — I decided to quit my job as a casting associate and take a leap of faith as a designer.” The rest of history.
Sustainability is engraved in Miaou’s DNA since its birth, and the brand is committed to doing its part for the environment by using deadstock and biodegradable fibers. Elkaim says: “We focus our ethical practices in fabrics and packaging. Sourcing dead stock fabrics also eliminates the process of industrial washes, which wastes hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. We push for all of our products to help conserve energy and minimize the carbon footprint which helps control the level of toxicity or pollution to the environment.”
Speaking of the trend this summer for swimwear, the designer says: “This summer is about thin strapped bikinis, cheeky Brazilian bottoms, lamé fabrics, neon colors, and colorful prints.” And she tells me fans can expect some exciting categories being added to the brand soon, most notably, Miaou intimates. Now we all just need to stay put and wait patiently...
JANTHEE Berlin: The Sophisticated, Sexy And Versatile By Linda Hausser
JANTHEE Berlin was founded by world-traveler, Linda Hausser, in 2016 with the goal of establishing a women’s swimwear line that embraced the beautiful city of Mykonos, the sprawling beaches of Ibiza, and the Mediterranean paradise of the Italian riviera. With every piece carefully made in Portugal with only the best Italian swimwear fabric, the designer’s focus is firmly on quality.
Speaking of becoming a female entrepreneur in the world of fashion, Hausser says candidly: “In the beginning, as a young female in the start-up world — especially one without a college degree — it was hard to get people to take me seriously. Creating cheeky and sexy bikinis didn’t exactly fit into the strict business world. However, over the years, I have grown to realize JANTHEE’s worth and I can’t wait to see how it matures.”
The hard work clearly paid off. JANTHEE Berlin as the luxurious swimwear brand is now recognized and known for its versatile styles and impeccable quality. The most recent collection sees a number of the brand’s classic styles in the most luxurious fabrics and prints. Hausser says: “It was important to me that JANTHEE’s swimwear be versatile and adjustable. I wanted to create luxury pieces that could be worn to any occasion and adjusted according to mood and preference.” Designed for the modern woman, like Hausser herself, who travels the world, most of JANTHEE’s tops can be worn in multiple ways. “Our bestseller, for example — the Olympia Top — can be styled in up to 8 different ways. Having one versatile top, rather than 8 different ones, is not only more affordable but also more sustainable.”
