Andie Swim prepares for Malibu store opening

By

Chenu Alexis

Published
Feb 23, 2023

At the Maliby Country Mart in Los Angeles, just a few miles from Malibu Beach, the work of the first store of the brand Andie Swim should reach its end in a few weeks.

 
A first for the swimwear brand founded in 2017 by New York-based designer Melanie Travis, a tech and startup expert, having collaborated for Foursquare and Kickstarter, and whose inclusive and eco-responsible positioning seems to have convinced consumers.
 
Contrary to the hyper-sexualized advertising campaigns, Andie Swim has been able to differentiate itself by taking an interest in all women, and by imagining collections for all ages, all bodies, including women victims of mastectomies, and all genders. At the same time, the brand is also committed to producing the majority of its swimwear from recycled fabrics, including recycled nylon, while the collections are now manufactured around the world, in China, Sri Lanka, Morocco and the loungewear line in California.

A state of mind that seems to pay. Andie Swim brand has now sold more than a million swimsuits worldwide, and has attracted major investors. After a first round of funding in 2020 from City Rock Venture Partners and Trail Mix Venture, the company followed up in late 2021 with another $18.5 million from the Jay-Z venture.

Last summer, Andie Swim announced its very first collaboration. A partnership with actress Demi Moore, herself an investor in the brand, for a collection of 10 models inspired by vintage fashion and reinterpreted with a new comfort and a new cut, made from materials sourced in France and Italy and manufactured in Morocco. 
 
Almost six years after its launch, and a strategy long based on direct to consumer, including a portal dedicated to the Australian market, the brand is now interested in retail. It will open its first store in Los Angeles, after having experimented with the pop-up format in Miami, in the Hamptons and in Berkeley, California.