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Best body-positive bikinis for women by a brand in LA. Body-positive bikinis- is that a real thing? I found a small business in Los Angeles that creates beautiful bikinis (now also loungewear) for women of all sizes. The message of LDLA swimwear is very healthy and positive. The brand includes women with natural, different figures not only in their sizing but also in marketing campaigns!
On Instagram, I asked if you prefer brands using 0 size models or all sizes to promote their products. 85% of my audience wanted to see real and natural women showing off the product! I am touching on this subject a little bit in my latest blog post about the fashion industry discriminating big bust women! Today I am here to share the interview with the founder of LDLA swimwear! A brand that is size-inclusive and sells body-positive bikinis! Save, share and follow my blog to read more inspirational business and fashion stories!
Please, tell the audience about yourself more!
Hi, I’m Lexi and I’ve always been obsessed with the LA lifestyle and encouraging others. I own LDLA but I am no stranger to the small business hustle of juggling numerous jobs to make my dreams happen. In my free time, I love quality time with friends, boxing workouts at the park, and afternoon naps.
Your brand LDLA is mostly bikini centered brand. How did you come up with the name?
During the creative creation phase of LDLA, the branding, including name creation, came pretty seamlessly. I wanted the name of the brand to be easy to remember and flow off your tongue. LDLA stands for Lexi Donato Los Angeles. However, I like the mystery that it brings if people don’t know what it stands for because they can dream up something of their own.
What is the message of your brand, and how it stands out amongst millions of other brands!
LDLA is an empowering swimwear/apparel brand; the first with numberless sizing, body-positive design details and eco-friendly fabric made to safeguard the environment.
When you think of a fitting room, chances are it’s a terrifying thought. Now, imagine a world where going swimsuit shopping was a confidence-boosting, eco-friendly experience. Where shopping doesn’t include numbers like 4, 12, and 20, and instead includes embodied goddesses like Venus and Aphrodite to represent fit.
“Now, imagine a world where going swimsuit shopping was a confidence-boosting, eco-friendly experience”
-Lexi-
Beyond “just a swimwear brand,” LDLA is an online space to come for a dose of confidence & inspiration, reminding women everywhere that they are wonderfully made and can fearlessly chase their dreams. We just launched loungewear to inspire confidence in every day and not just under the sun.
How did the idea come to life? When it started, and how the idea of the no-size body-positive bikinis brand appeared?
I grew up feeling so much body shame solely because of my size, and not my physical size, but the number/letters imprinted on the tag of my jeans. While my friends were a 0 or 4, I was a 10/12, also known as “large/ extra large.” When I’d walk into fitting room, you better believe I hid the tag and in the rare occasion I bought clothes, the first thing I would do was cut it off and bury it at the very bottom of the trash, never to be discovered EVER again. It was traumatizing, as a kid to be labeled a “large.” It took years to overcome label-shame, but from that birthed LDLA and our mission to flip size stigma on it’s head. LDLA features numberless sizing, and uses goddess names to portray fit, a symbol that represents strength, worthiness, radiance, power, etc.
You started with bikinis, and now I noticed that there is also loungewear. Very reasonable as beach vacations are fewer and living room trips a lot more. However, why did you go for bikinis and not other clothing pieces? Like jeans, T-shirts, or lingerie?
Truthfully, I don’t quite understand why larger companies can’t accommodate inclusive sizing when cost isn’t necessarily an issue for them. My mentally is, “I want to create something for all”, but bootstrapping my business and not having the funds to support a large inventory limits me. Larger stores don’t cross that same issue, yet often times they only carry up to a size large.
2020 was a challenging year for many brands and companies. How had the pandemic affect your business, and did you need to apply some changes to make it more available for people?
Phew! 2020 was rough…. but we were all in it together. My business is highly correlated to the travel industry and due to the lack of vacations and beach closures, no one was really buying swim. To alleviate some of the heaviness that we all felt during the pandemic, I was able to launch an LDLA BOGO promotion with the mission of buying a suit for yourself and gifting the other to someone who needed uplifting — whether that was someone that was laid off their job or a friend that needed a little blessing. I also offered my customers the option for me to write a personal note of encouragement, included in the package. It was so neat way to touch lives during a rough season.
You have succeeded in creating a fantastic brand, beautiful body-positive bikinis, and an even more beautiful message. What would you tell or suggest to someone who wants to start their business (fashion brand)! Maybe some suggestions on what to do or what not to do!
My suggestion would be, discover if your personality and character align with being a business owner. Be prepared to work hard and expect failures. Launching a business is not for everyone… which is okay. Sometimes I even think life would’ve been so much easier if I just stayed in my corporate job and rode it out. While that’s true, I wouldn’t have made the impact that I have if I didn’t take a risk and build a brand based on a mission to inspire women.
Where you can find and shop LDLA swimwear and loungewear, and shop for your body positive bikinis?
Thank you, Lexi, for your honesty and time to give this interview for me and my audience! It was nice to know a brand that sells body-positive bikinis. Leave in the comments below your thoughts about the topic and who should I interview next? If you are a model, fashion business owner, writer, or anyone fashion (or beauty) related, write your story to info@glambutfirstcoffee.com. I might interview you next!
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