DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT SERIES: MEET LAUREN QUINN OF BROMELIA SWIMWEAR

BROMELIA ETHICALLY MADE SWIMWEAR
Interview with Lauren Quinn [Founder + Creative Director]

SWC: How did you get started as a swimwear designer

LQ: I am a California native, who used to lived to Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian women have an effortless confidence when it comes to wearing swimwear that I found magnetic. I wanted to materialize this attitude and share it via a product. So, I spent a year in Rio’s fashion district soaking up the swimwear creation process, working alongside seasoned creatives but just as importantly, alongside local non-corporate women artists who had a story to tell through patterns and design.

SWC: Why was sustainability important to you?

LQ: I was tired of fast fashion that profited from paying unfair wages and not treating those who made their products with dignity. Swimwear is a unique piece of clothing, in that it is used in those life-defining moments, like that first day of Summer, a tropical trip, a poolside cocktail… I feel swim should have an element of soul and humanity sewn into its bones and wanted to show respect for the craft of those local female artists for whom swimwear was a way of life. So to do this, I showed up. I spent day after day drinking coffee with these women and their sewing machines as they let me into their creative worlds. I appreciated their history and in return, they didn’t just make our collections to turn a profit, they gave it life. This blend of fashion with humanity is Bromelia’s roots.

SWC: What is the inspirations for your collection

LQ: Producing local is fundamental, so when I lived in Brazil I took inspiration from South America and now based in Santa Monica I take it from California. I aim to invoke a feeling through each pattern, like a scent that brings you back to a place or reminds you of who you want to be. To encourage that, I step into the experience of where the person wearing the suit will be swimming, how they will tan, what they will sip, the company they keep and what is in their beach bag. For example when I began to design this year’s collection, I was still living on Ipanema beach and was feeling nostalgia. I was really missing California artichokes, so worked with a local textile artist to embody this nostalgia into a textile design. Artichokes aren’t an everyday vegetable there, and despite a detailed artichoke inspiration board and many reiterations, the closest they could get was a tropical flower with artichoke-like features. The difference between the end result and initial inspiration were radically different, but it worked. It turned into an authentic blend of my beach roots and that present local culture.

SWC: What are your greatest challenges during the Covid crisis?

LQ: Focusing on the bigger picture! Covid is a beautiful exercise in flexibility. Given that it hit at the beginning the northern hemisphere’s sunshine season, everyone had to redefine their strategies, be ok with it and execute accordingly. As brands, we build collections over 18 months in advance and at launch time the excitement to share is palpable! But this year all that changed. I feel the true survivors of this season, won’t necessarily be the biggest nor the smallest players, but those who can adapt and let go of prior expectations. Fashion is alive and demands fluidity, which is why we adore it and dedicate our lives to it.

SWC: What are some tips on working from home?

LQ: I highly prioritize with A-B-C lists in order to not waste time on what can’t be done right now and set reasonable expectations of just what can really be achieved. I also focus on maintaining relationships with people in the industry, whether that be a quick message, text or call. It goes back to the ‘fashion should be built on humanity’ concept. It’s more than just doing business, it’s about actually caring on a human level for those you work with.

SWC: How have you adapted your company to work from home?

LQ: I have a home office that I often work from when I’m not in the production houses, so it isn’t a huge stretch for me. I do however, have a 1 year old who brings a much welcomed lightness to quarantine! She is a reminder of the importance of balance Covid is forcing us to embrace.

SWC: What are your thoughts about the future of swimwear

LQ: I feel there will be a shift to more conscious fashion as the idea that what one does half the world away from you, has a direct effect on our lives. People will feel more connected and aware of other’s well-being. Ethical swimwear will be less of a trend and more of an expectation. Swimwear is the clothing that define our favorite memories. It isn’t going anywhere. Once we become used to the world’s new rhythm, we will stop buying [or not-buying] reactively and embrace our traditional seasonal buying routines.

To find out more about BROMELIA SWIMWEAR:

email: info@bromeliaswimwear.com
site: bromeliaswimwear.com
instagram: @bromelia_swimwear