Despite having made a name for herself as a fashion stylist and editor, swimsuit aficionado (she owns upwards of 300 suits) Lisa Marie Fernandez decided to make her design debut this year with a namesake bathing suit line. Fernandez's fledgling line draws inspiration from friends and fellow New Yorkers (her suits are named after the likes of Misshapes DJ Leigh Lezark, "The Leigh," and socialite Genevieve Jones, "The Genevieve"). Fashioned in ‘80s-esque neoprene, the line features bikinis both string and those that zip in front à la Body Glove. Although, as the names imply, these suits are decidedly more sexy than surf ready.
Courtesy of Lisa Marie Fernandez
Lingerie designers for The Lake & Stars, Nikki Dekker and Maayan Zilberman dove headfirst into swimwear this season. Like their signature undergarments (launched in Brooklyn in 2007 and quickly a cult item thereafter), the Lake & Stars swimsuits are feminine and feature intricate ornamenting, like bows and two-toned detailing. The line currently boasts just two styles—a halter one-piece and a string bikini—but more are sure to come. For now, the two looks come in only three colors (navy blue, red with pink, and beige with turquoise), save for a gold version and a one-piece with ribbon detailing currently being sold exclusively at concept store The Smile in NYC.
Kava Gorna
Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova has been in the fashion industry for well over a decade. But, it wasn't until this past February that the ageless mannequin took her first steps as a fashion designer. Vodianova debuted her 40 look collection for French fashion house Etam at the Ritz Paris; her designs included predominantly lingerie and slips, but there were a handful of swimsuits thrown in for good measure. Among the suits were polka-dot separates prime for perching in the sun on the Riviera, as well as pared down bikinis with just a touch of ruching.
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Filling the void until his debut footwear line hits stores in July are the fruits of designer Phillip Lim's latest addition to his eponymous fashion house: swimwear. Lim introduced just three styles for his first installment of swimsuits: a string bikini as well as a halter and bandeau one-piece. The triad is heavy on floral prints (one of which is accented with color blocks). 3.1 Phillip Lim fans beware: the designer is also gearing up for the launch of a lingerie line.
Having dipped his toes in swimwear in the past, this season Marc Jacobs is taking the full plunge into swimsuits. The designer has debuted a range of flirty, print-heavy suits for Marc by Marc Jacobs created in collaboration with Swimwear Anywhere Inc. (with whom Jacobs recently signed a licensing agreement, and who designs and manufactures suits for the likes of DKNY Swim, Michael Kors Swim and Juicy Couture Beach). Jacobs' offerings include a one-shoulder fish-printed one-piece, a ruffle bandeau bikini and a cut-out one-piece equipped with ski-bib like straps. The assortment is as cute and quirky as one would expect from Marc by Marc.
Courtesy of Marc Jacobs
Not to be confused with the Native American warrior of the same name, Geronimo is in fact the middle moniker of designer Jenny Reyes. And, it just so happens to be the name of the fashion line from the longtime stylist to Jenny Lewis (lead singer of Rilo Kiley and a cool-girl icon). 27-year-old Reyes, who spent last summer working with recent CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year winner Rodarte, has channeled a distinctly west coast, vintage vibe for her line, which includes high-waisted shorts, rompers and swimsuits of which Bettie Page would approve. Also a big inspiration for the line, Lewis herself, who lends her name to two different bikini styles.
Courtesy of Geronimo Swimwear
The brainchild of designer and rock 'n' roll scion Charlotte Ronson and social fixture and seasoned swimwear designer Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, Made With Love is a brand new line of bathing suits with a bohemian feel. Think: lots of floral prints fashioned in triangle and bandeau bikinis, as well as a variety of cover-ups in comparable fabrics. Bikini tops and bottoms will also be sold separately, encouraging buyers to mix and match different prints.
New on the swimsuit scene this season is Brooklyn-based designer Elizabeth O'Brien Berg. Like Jenny Reyes, the designer has opted for a retro approach to swimwear: each piece in her collection bears a distinctly ‘50s sartorial stamp. From a chocolate colored one-piece accented with white ruffles and buttons, to bikinis with uber-high waists, O'Brien Berg's swimwear collection is big on pin-up appropriate styles. Formerly of the design duo FrenchMe, the vintage-inspired line is the FIT grad's first solo effort and will likely offer up exceedingly cute suits for seasons to come.
Audre Rae Photography
DJ's and peddlers of high-end spats, Marylouse Pels and Vanessa Giovacchini, have teamed up with Costume Dept, purveyor of covetable fashion leggings, to launch an ‘80s-tastic line of swimwear this summer. The suits feature an acid-heavy palette as well as graphic prints in styles that range from high-waisted bottoms to flowing tops that look more appropriate for a night out on the town than for suntanning shoreside. Titled 'Space Safari,' this collection is unlike anything else you'll see in stores this season.
