New swimsuit line is as sweet as candy
June 10th, 2010, 3:00 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Taylor Hamby
Now Nguyen, who is originally from Upland, draws from fond childhood memories of playing mermaids in the pool to watching favorite cartoons such as “Jem” for the designs of her new swimwear line, Lolli Beach Candy. She derived the name for the line from a love for candy.
“I’ve always dreamed about making my own bathing suits,” said Nguyen, who now lives in Brea. “I just never knew it would be this soon.”
As a customer, she was never able to find swimsuits that fit her because most are made for a curvier fit than hers.
“Most swimsuit bottoms look like a diaper,” Nguyen said. “So I would just cinch the back.”
So she altered and embellished off-the-rack suits by adding cinches, jewels and beads. After attending Mt. San Antonio College for fashion and working at a fashion production company, Swat Fame, Nguyen was hired by Ella Moss in Los Angeles. But working in LA got too stressful.
Nguyen then gathered a few contacts she made over the years in the industry and took a dive into making her own line. Nguyen is the straps that keep Lolli Beach Candy up. Aside from a few sewers and a pattern maker, she runs the company single-handedly.
It’s easy to see that she models her suits after childhood. They are brightly colored, with plenty of frills and bows. Nguyen said her favorite is the Sugar Dots top with the Bow bottoms. Customers also like the one-piece Blueberry Pie, not only as a swimsuit, but as a top worn with jeans.
Because of experience with diaper-like swim bottoms, Nguyen designs suits that are fitted and accentuate the derriere. She also pays special attention to the elastic of the waistline to help prevent unshapely muffin tops.
The separates average in cost at $120 for a top and bottom together. They can be purchased online, at G. Marie boutique in Huntington Beach or at Harper’s in Corona Del Mar.
She does trunk shows weekly, which she announces on her blog. She will be part of a bikini fashion show in Huntington Beach called Independence Pop-Up at the Shorebreak Hotel on Sunday. At the event she will also have a pop-up store with her swimsuits available at wholesale prices.
Lolli Beach Candy be featured in another bikini fashion show, Bikini Rock, on June 25 at the Music Box in Hollywood.
Next up for Nguyen is adding a line of sunglasses, or “sunnies” as she calls them, to her collection as well as beach bags.
“And I can package them like candy,” she said.
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