Founded by Portuguese-born, Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Amanda Aubrey Amorim, swimwear brand Aubrey Swims unveiled its first collection at a private event in Beverly Hills on May 1. Amorim, the daughter of Miss Portugal, who has lived in Portugal, Rio de Janeiro and now Los Angeles, revives the glamorous imagery of swimwear and absolute femininity, coupled with a sense of sustainibility. Her collection, made in Portugal from fabrics sourced from dead stocks, is currently only available online. 

FNW: You’ve just launched your swimwear brand in Los Angeles. How is this brand different from others?

Amanda Aubrey Amorim: I created Aubrey Swims the summer of my wedding because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to wear and what I knew would look best on my body. I think a lot of women still struggle with swimwear fits that are flatteting and make them feel good. I’ve spent so much time of my life at the beach, in Portugal and in Brazil, and tested every swimwear style, shape and color, that I knew exactly what I wanted to make. 

FNW: What inspired you the most to create this brand?

A.A.A: The inspiration for Aubrey Swims is a mix of memories, dreams and the cultural references that shaped me. I grew up in southern Portugal in a coastal town in the Algarve. My father was obsessed with the ocean and has always lived by the beach. My mother was Miss Portugal. Trust me, I have spent my childhood building sand castles and night watching my mom’s fashion videos with my brother. As a child from the 90’s, my favorite Disney film was The Little Mermaid and my role model, besides my mom, was Cindy Crawford. All this must have influenced me!

FNW: FNW : Your brand also shows an idea of absolute femininity. Was it important for you to catch this aesthetic?

A.A.A: I have always been fascinated with the art of the female form, in different shapes and sizes. Roman sculptures, the Boticelli’s Renaissance and Matisse’s Fauvism were my favorite expressions, but more recently I’ve discovered contemporary artists like Christiane Spangsberg, Mia Weiner and the photography of Jean-Daniel Lorieux. All these artists explore feminity around a glamour and sophistication that inspired me for my brand. Healthy strong women are the other sources of inspiration. Femininity and empowerment are at the heart of my brand.

FNW: Your brand is made in Portugal. A natural choice for you?

A.A.A: Besides being Portuguese, I chose Portugal because we have such an amazing textile and manufacturing industry there that I really wanted to support. So many of the luxury fashion houses produce in Portugal yet there is so little awareness. People associate quality to France or Italy but Portugal is now on par with those places. Before deciding on the factory we produce at, I toured others, including in the US and was most impressed with the production I saw in northern Portugal.

FNW: Swimwear is one of the most polluting apparel. How have you integrated sustainability into your brand?

A.A.A: All of our swim sets were produced with luxury deadstock fabrics. The fashion industry is such a wasteful space and I knew I didn’t want to contribute more to it. Since swimwear production uses such small pieces of fabric to assemble its garments, it’s the perfect category to repurpose the left over fabrics. For this reason, each set has a really limited and unique number of pieces that were produced. We made as many as we could from the fabric left over, which I think makes the collection more interesting and each piece even more special. 
 
You chose not to invest in marketing right away. Is that possible today?

A.A.A: We’re a new brand with no real marketing as yet, and the first sales have been a real success. I think that says a lot about the quality of our product. Everyone who tried on an Aubrey Swims set at our launch event ended up buying it. For the moment, we’re going with the flow, and initial reactions are very positive. Aubrey Swims has its own eshop and we’re thinking about working with the right retailers.