More and more women are interested in bikinis once again. There seems to be a new freedom developing- the freedom to experiment with your appearance, to try a new look in fashion as well as swimwear. What it all amounts to is an attempt to package oneself differently and more effectively. That women are more diet and exercise conscious today is obviously part of the same effort- to look one’s best, young and vital.
The reason for this upsurge in women’s interest in appearance are many. If you’d like to know all the indicators that I suspect, you’ll have to wait for my book to be published. For starters, the interest in appearance couldn’t have happened without this country’s newly founded prosperity. There is enough money in the household to spend on fashion.
Prosperity, too, has meant wide travel, particularly to sand white beaches, where the American female-who had been conditioned by Puritan concepts- broadens her horizons into the newly revived bikinis’ on the market today. In short, the bikini has evolved to adhere to modern consumer style tastes and functional demands. Today’s technically advanced fabrications and bold colorful designs have created the bikini of the modern era. These various influences affect the target audience as well as turning heads of the onlookers around the globe!
And once you become interested in change, in redesigning yourself, in brightening your wardrobe, and experimenting with bikinis, you will find that Gigi C Bikinis is on a forward path of harnessing the winds-of-change into a fashion collection that is taking the world by storm. The brand has a particular talent for reworking and reinvention, often taking a core piece or theme for the collection and reconstructing the elements- reworking them into something new and wonderful, but always with the source remaining completely recognizable by it’s athletic-inspired appeal. In fact, there is probably no better designer who can take the the DNA of a bikinis language of an archetypal, even ubiquitous, bikini and reinvent it while staying absolutely true to the original concept of design. The brand often has elements that are sports-driven, maybe implying that a bikini is not a finite solution; what these features to allow is input from the wearer, who effectively plays a part in the future design process. This is brand interconnectivity at its best>
Gigi C Bikinis is a modern collection of luxury swimwear founded by Gigi Caruso and her mother, Tina. The company was founded on the belief that a great swimsuit should enhance your style—never inhibit it.
The collection offers a range of chic separates and one-pieces that showcases the brand’s signature aesthetic: clean lines, architectural shapes, and crisp, laser-cut details. A bold palette draws focus to the sleek silhouettes and intricate details; expert design features, such as luxury seam finishes and adjustable closures, give each piece support and structure, while luxurious, lightweight fabrics ensure a smooth, supple feel that accentuate the body.
Achieving the perfect fit is a priority for the brand. Gigi C Bikinis are indeed contoured, comfortable and functional. The attention to detail here is quite specific. Prior to designs being placed into final production, they are tested by Gigi to ensure their unique style, glamorous lines and strong durability will capture the target audience. This commitment the highest quality extends within every step of the manufacturing process, with in-house quality control overseeing and inspecting each phase of production to ensure that all the pieces within the collection are perfected before they ever hit the beach.
I recently has the privilege of speaking with CEO and Co-Founder Gigi Caruso about the DNA of this dynamic swimwear brand, the competitive advantage and what women seeking today in undergarments and swimwear today!
Joseph DeAcetis:Talk to Forbes about the DNA of GIGI C Bikinis brand?
Gigi Caruso: I have been on so many family trips where my swimsuit kept me from jumping in the water or wake-boarding, it was frustrating that I had to choose between the way I wanted to look and the activities I wanted to participate in. So we started GIGI C Bikinis to create swimwear that is fashion-driven but still wearable and durable, and now I don’t have that problem.
Prior to launching the brand, I was in high school in LA, applying to colleges and brainstorming about the future. In my spare time I was involved in a few charity projects. I loved volunteering at Para Los Ninos since I love kids it was a great fit. I also started an event called Angel Riders where I invited disadvantaged youth from an amazing organization called Operation Progress to a local stable. I taught the kids about horses and how to ride them.
JD: In your words, what is your competitive advantage?
GC: The swim market is so saturated right now, but I think GIGI C does stand out because of the athletic-inspired details on our core styles. We create many of our styles using a really beautiful fabrication. Our signature scuba makes it possible for us to incorporate our unique laser cutouts, which have become a key element of the GIGI C brand.
JD: How do you intend to market to Millennials and Gen Z? Advertising?
GC: I am on the cusp of Millennial and Gen Z, so I am in a perfect position to direct the marketing efforts based on how my friends and I shop. Social media is where most of our advertising happens, whether it is via traditional paid ads or influencer collaborations. It’s been amazing to see how our community on Instagram has helped us spread the word about the brand organically. Our customers are so amazing, they are constantly posting photos of themselves wearing GIGI C which is the best kind of AD there is.
JD: What are women seeking today in swimwear?
GC: One thing we are seeing in swimwear is that the trends in silhouette are moving more quickly then they used to. A swimsuit used to be pretty universal and now they are becoming outdated after a season or two. We are working hard to create styles that feel classic, and that can last, by creating styles that stick to our brand DNA.
JD: Talk to Forbes in detail about the current collection and why it is important for consumers to be aware?
GC: Summer 2019, our newest swimwear collection, is our smallest capsule of the year. The intention of this latest drop is to inject some newness into our existing swim offering, so we did that by adding some new shapes a bold new color, fuchsia. Some of the styles are made from our signature scuba, and others are made from our, slightly more glamorous, shiny tricot. My favorite style in summer ’19 is definitely the Charlie one-piece because it’s really a showstopper but I can wear it to do just about anything.
JD: If you could choose one celebrity to wear your brand, who would it be and why?
GC: Alex Morgan. She is an inspiration to women everywhere. Alex embodies everything that is GIGI C. Seeing her wearing our brand in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swim Edition was a dream come true.
JD: Talk to Forbes about how technology aided you in the development of your brand?
GC: In building the GIGI C assortment we have utilized technology in manufacturing from the precision of laser cutting to the computer patternmaking and cutting software. Beyond the physical product, we are mainly an e-commerce brand so we lean on technology every day from social media to our web-based store.
JD: What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
GC: My first priority is to design the styles but beyond that, I find that I spend a lot of my day focused on GIGI C’s social media and digital marketing side of things. Planning photo shoots, choosing images, creating ads, or reviewing video edits. The other thing that my mom and I both spend a lot of time on is product development… meeting with factories, sourcing fabrics and reviewing every tiny detail of each style in fittings.
JD: Where is the product made and why?
GC: Most of our styles are manufactured domestically, near LA. I love being able to visit the factories and have a personal relationship with the people who make it. Being able to pop into the factory makes it so much easier for our team to oversee the cutting and sewing, and then we can troubleshoot any problems on the spot.
JD: You have the floor: Talk to my viewers about why they should try this brand?
GC: We spend so much time making sure that our suits fit well, feel good and hold up. Our hope is that it shows and that our customers feel like they have found their perfect suit. I always recommend that people start by trying our Riley surf suit. It’s the swimsuit I never knew I needed, but now it’s my go-to.
JD: Three reasons to purchase your bikinis now?
GC:
1 – We all deserve a suit that makes it possible to do whatever we want when out on the water.
2 – Our scuba fabric hugs the body, it’s subtly sliming and super supportive.
3 – The unique details of the styles will get you noticed this summer.
JD: If GIGI C Bikinis were a song, which would it be and why?
GC: Say to Me by WHT KID
JD: What are your future projections and growth strategy for the next few years?
GC: We just expanded into active wear and I think we need a few more seasons before we add any more categories so our focus is to grow our e-commerce and add more retail partners to help expand our distribution.
