interview with the miamiherald
Designer Q&A: Not all cheap bathing suits are bad
Q: What did you do differently to make your Target suits so much cheaper than for other labels?
A: Really, nothing.
The difference is in the size [of the order]. When you make more clothes, it becomes less expensive for the manufacturer to make them and the fabric becomes less expensive. It's the same in bathing suits.
The difference between Target and Saks Fifth Avenue is that Saks doesn't compare to the size of a Target. You're making so many more. If they make a mistake, they make a mistake of 20-, 30-, 40,000 pieces.
So [Target's] attention to detail was just incredible. I've never experienced such brilliant quality control.
Q: What should you look for in a great bathing suit?
A: The stitching. When you take a good bathing suit and put it on, the fabric shouldn't crack and the stitching shouldn't crack. You want that elasticity. The worst thing in a bathing suit is when you fall out of it.
You want it to stretch with your skin.
Q: How was it, working with Target?
A: They taught me a lot about bathing suits. I came in with the knowledge of design but they came in with how to take the quality even to the next step. There's probably 10 bathing suits in the line. One's pleated. They took it and made it so beautifully and so technically ingenious.
Actually, they came back with something more intricate and complicated than what I gave them. They ended the pleats at the very bottom and the top actually twists, and they figured out a way to enhance the breasts.
I can't say enough about them. I've worked in the industry 20 years. It's one of the best experiences of my career.
Q: Any advice on buying a swim ensemble? A: Don't stick to just the basics, especially as a woman. Have fun with it. I took two patterns and put them together for the ads. You can do that, too.