Andie Swim Opens Its First Flagship within the Malibu Nation Mart

When Melanie Travis began the Andie Swim label in 2017, she was promoting three sorts of black fits out of her New York residence.

Quick ahead six years and the advertising and marketing director turned swimwear CEO launched her first flagship on Tuesday on the hip, seaside Malibu Nation Mart north of Los Angeles the place her retail neighbors embrace Paige, Faherty, Vince, Madison, Ron Herman, Chrome Hearts and Double RL & Co.

“Now we have an enormous market in Southern California, and we knew we needed a presence in Southern California,” stated Travis, who famous that about 10 % of her gross sales come from Southern California.

Andie Swim, which now contains intimate put on, has been offered principally by the corporate’s e-commerce website. However the model did pop-up shops in West Palm Seaside, Florida, in 2021 and in Sag Harbor, New York, final yr. The conclusion was the swimwear seasons at these areas final solely three months. “These shops did wonderful enterprise through the in-season, however through the low season, there was not sufficient enterprise,” Travis defined.

Drilling down on the label’s e-commerce web site, she seen her gross sales have been just about year-round within the Malibu area, an prosperous neighborhood stuffed with many celebrities the place her core buyer is an lively mom on the lookout for a snug but modern swimsuit that isn’t too matronly.

So, Malibu was chosen for the corporate’s first retail location. Contained in the 915-square-foot area, the inside design evokes a summery seaside with two becoming rooms outfitted with yellow-and-white striped curtains to resemble cabanas. A mural on the wall reveals a seaside scene, which is analogous to a mural on the model’s company workplace in New York.

Travis began the concept for her swimwear firm in 2016 when she didn’t know all that a lot about swimwear. She created her firm based mostly purely on want. Her profession till then had encompassed advertising and marketing jobs for e-commerce start-ups.

At her final job as director of brand name expertise for Bark & Co., a month-to-month subscription service for canine merchandise, she discovered herself trying to find a swimsuit to tackle a enterprise journey. “I had a depressing expertise discovering one thing that was snug, made me really feel assured and was reasonably priced,” she stated. “Plus, what sort of swimsuit do you put on together with your CEO?”

Right now, Andie Swim checks off the comfortable-fitting field, and the common retail worth ranges from $100 to $150. The silhouettes are primary however flattering and many of the material is recycled nylon with a little bit of stretch. The corporate’s assortment, which is manufactured in Sri Lanka, China and Morocco, is 60 % one-piece silhouettes. Sizing is inclusive, starting from XS to 3XL on all kinds and 5XL on some objects. There’s additionally an extended torso choice for taller girls.

Travis has made nice strides within the final seven years. She initially financed her firm by elevating $250,000 from family and friends and launched a yr later. Then, she did rounds of financing to speed up product growth, develop the e-commerce facet of enterprise in addition to increase the core group to 30 individuals.

In late 2021, Andie Swim raised $18.5 million in sequence B funding, bringing the model’s complete investments to $27.5 million. The newest spherical was led by Marcy Enterprise Companions, the enterprise capital agency cofounded by Jay-Z with Jay Brown and Larry Marcus. This has helped the model develop to about $50 million in annual revenues, Travis stated.

Actor Demi Moore can be an investor and longtime supporter of the label, saying she was drawn to the model as a result of it makes searching for a swimsuit much less demanding. Moore and her three daughters — Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis — appeared in a 2021 Andie Swim summer time advert marketing campaign. Final yr, she did a design collaboration of vintage-style items known as Andie Swim x Moore.

Sooner or later, there could also be extra Andie Swim shops being established. “We’re actually optimistic that is going to be a productive retailer for us, and we are going to have a look at comparable markets with year-round demographics,” Travis stated. “As we mature as a model, we’re casting our eyes to malls comparable to Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. I believe as you mature, you should be omnipresent.”