Frankies Bikinis Adds Activewear to the Assortment
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Frankies Bikinis is the latest brand getting into the activewear games.
The fast-growing Los Angeles-based swimwear business — which has expanded into footwear, men’s swim separates, beauty, cell phone cases and ready-to-wear apparel, in addition to collaborations with names like Alo Yoga, actress Hailee Steinfeld and tennis star Naomi Osaka in the past year — launched its first activewear collection Tuesday.
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“Activewear is something that I felt was an organic next step for myself as a designer and also for the brand and our customers,” Frankies Bikinis founder and creative director Francesca Aiello, told WWD. “Over the past year, Frankies Bikinis has been expanding into new categories and the purpose behind this has been to offer my customers more options that they can incorporate into their everyday lives both on and off the beach.”
The 12-piece collection, which ranges in price from $65 to $145 each, includes leggings, bralettes, cropped tops, tennis skirts and dresses, bodysuits and gym bags. The collection comes in sizes XS to XL and can be purchased at frankiesbikinis.com, as well as third-party retailers, such as Revolve, Free People and Victoria’s Secret, among others.
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Aiello said the assortment mixes fashion with technical attributes — such as moisture-wicking and quick-dry fabrics — and can therefore be worn throughout the day. There are also tennis skirts with built-in shorts for extra support and pieces made from 80-percent recycled polyester.
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“Our customer is typically on the go and wants pieces, whether swim or other [pieces], that can be worn for your morning walk to your lunch date with your girlfriends — and this collection brings exactly that,” Aiello explained. “Our line has the amazing technical qualities of your go-to activewear piece, but the versatility to wear for any occasion due to the high focus we placed on making it so heavily fashion-focused.
“With each of the categories we expand into, my goal is for them to continue to grow with the brand each season,” the designer continued. “I have had so much fun really making Frankies Bikinis Active unique and true to our signature style and have so much more up my sleeve.”
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Aiello founded Frankies Bikinis in 2012 out of high school, quickly growing its fanbase and working with names like streetwear brand Kith and model Sofia Richie along the way.
Frankies’ total revenues grew 70 percent at a compound annual growth rate, over the last five years, the founder said. The brand’s most recent holiday collection — a mix of swimwear and apparel — had a 75-percent holiday sell-through rate within the first hour of launch. And there are more categories — and the possibility of Frankies Bikinis’ own stores — on the horizon.
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“I have been loving being able to expand Frankies Bikinis into new categories alongside swimwear,” Aiello said. “The goal is to continue to offer my customers more categories that they can incorporate into their everyday lifestyles, but never stray from the brand’s core. Everything that we offer — whether that is our clean beauty, swimwear, footwear — is something that I use or wear every day; just with my personal Frankies’ style twist. So any continued category expansion for the brand will be not only organic and true to myself and the brand, but also something that my customers would love and use [and] wear regularly.
“And brick-and-mortar is something that I think would be so amazing for us to open one day,” she continued. “As we continue to expand our offerings, something like a store of our own is becoming more exciting to think about. With that said, I really believe in taking my time to perfect everything that the brand does and releases so am not rushing into anything and enjoying the growth process.”
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