Swimwear brands that pay celebrities to appear in campaign photos are not the same as swimwear brands that celebrities actually pack in their carry-ons. If you spend enough time looking thru candid beach photos taken by paparazzi or observing holiday dump posts on Instagram, you’ll notice that certain labels consistently appear on bodies you recognize, summer after summer.
The best illustration of this is probably Frankie’s Bikinis. What began as a mother-daughter experiment in 2012 at Mimi and Francesca Aiello’s Malibu home has evolved into something akin to the unofficial uniform of a specific aspect of celebrity life. It was worn by Kylie Jenner.
Bella Hadid has done the same. Hailey Bieber has done the same. Even tho it would be fashionable for Devon Lee Carlson and Iris Law to wear paper bags on the beach at this point, they continue to visit Frankies, which probably says more about the product than any number of brand deals could.
Hunza G has a different energy but occupies a similar space. The distinctive crinkle fabric of the brand has an almost sculptural quality; it works with the body rather than just resting on it. To be honest, Hunza G didn’t require the affirmation, but their recent partnership with Burberry propelled them into the editorial discourse. It has existed. It felt more like a confirmation of what people already knew than a launch moment during the Lila Moss cover shoot.
What’s intriguing about the celebrity swimwear scene as a whole is how much it has moved from overt luxury to what could be called accessible desirability. The Spanish brand Gimaguas became genuinely unavoidable last summer after Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner were spotted wearing their eye-catching two-piece.
Suddenly, the brand seemed to be what everyone needed but only a select few had discovered. Every swimsuit brand is aiming for that sweet spot. Gimaguas struck it by accident, or at least gave the impression that he had.
Skims has taken a slightly different approach. Like everything else, Kim Kardashian’s brand tackled swimwear by finding a solution. Celebrities wear this label because it works well, not just because it looks good in pictures.
The fit is deliberate the sizing is truly inclusive. Celebrity endorsements come in two flavors: performative and pragmatic. Skims typically fall into the second group.
When it comes to investing, Eres frequently features celebrities who curate rather than consume. The French brand has been in business for more than 40 years the one-pieces have a subtle confidence that makes them feel current even in the absence of a trend cycle.
Alongside it, Marysia is worth mentioning because those scalloped hems have been a distinguishing feature long enough to serve as a sort of benchmark. The brand was adored long before Sofia Richie Grainge was recently spotted wearing one.
Gimaguas and Fruity Booty are examples of newer wave labels that are based more on social exploration and esthetic uniqueness than on decades of history. They deserve their position. Instead of chasing trends, Fruity Booty’s polka dots and pastel checks have a certain charm. It’s precisely this kind of specificity that transforms a product from a brand to a cultural touchpoint.
Which labels will characterize the upcoming summers is still up in the air. Celebrity swimwear trends change quickly, so by May of the following year, something that seems necessary in July may seem outdated.
Currently it is evident that the brands with the most genuine celebrity affection Frankies, Hunza G, Gimaguas, Skims Marysia have one thing in common: they were designed with fit and feeling rather than logo placement in mind. Even when the cameras are rolling, that turns out to be important.