Kinsman Swimwear Heats up L.A. Fashion Week

As swimsuit season is year-round in San Diego, swimwear is essential. This year, fashion week has come full force. Kinsman Swimwear is a brand that has always shown something a little different than the rest.  Designer Joanna Kinsman has defined sex appeal with her lineup at Style Fashion Week 2014 in L.A. Coming from San Diego as a Maine native, Kinsman has unveiled a line where tribal styling meets bold and bright.

Growing up, Joanna’s mother helped hone her creativity, working as a seamstress—and her talents helped make Joanna’s visions a reality. Ironically, the line was always drawn at swimwear, as the material is just so hard to work with.

Joanna says that even her prom dress started as a sketch drawn in class, and that she still feels the same excitement completing a new swimwear design as she did for the very first time with that dress. She moved to San Diego after college and was inspired to pursue her passion in design. This is where she began sketching her ideas, which often came to her in her sleep.

As for the creative process, Kinsman says her favorite part of being a designer is creating new pieces.  She attends the L.A. International Textile Show and spends hours upon hours walking through the fashion district of Los Angeles in search of new materials.

Creating unique pieces for runway shows is the heart of what she does. She uses materials like faux fur, leather, feathers, wooden beads, bullet shells, chains and more—all to create one-of-a-kind swimwear that can’t be found anywhere else.  And now she talks about her unique and creative career in the fashion world.

Joanna Kinsman on Fashion Swimwear

W​hat did you hope to achieve this year at L.A. Fashion Week with Kinsman Swimwear?

This year was all about showing off the 2015 collection of bright, beautiful colors, yet maintaining a raw and rugged vibe through the tribal styling. The intention was to convey my design aesthetic, as Kinsman Swim isn’t the typical swimwear line that shoots pretty pictures of bikinis at the beach. If we’re going to do that, it still needs to tell a story, and be set apart from the rest. Or a notch above, I should say.

Where do you draw inspiration for your designs?

I find inspiration everywhere. From color combinations I see, to a dress that might have an element that I want to work into a bikini. Sometimes it’s buildings, and other times jewelry. Some designs have even happened by mistake. I subscribe to a ton of fashion magazines and save the things that inspire me in a book. When I need a burst of creativity, I go through my books and find plenty of creative ideas to draw from.

What sets your line apart from the rest at Fashion Week?

Kinsman Swim has the best fitting Brazilian cut bikini bottoms in existence, and it was amazing to show off some of these silhouettes on the runway. The feedback I received from the audience was that it was one of the most well-thought-out, edgy, and engaging shows of the entire week. I’ve never had goose bumps in any of my shows before, but this time I did.

Can you discuss some of the upcoming trends for swimsuits next season?​

Fortunately, the Brazilian cut bikini is becoming a more widely accepted style in the U.S., thus we’ll be seeing more of them in upcoming years. Bikinis are taking on a more athletic look than in past seasons, and the use of piping, color blocking, and neon colors will be more prominent. Consumers will look for designs with a focus on attention to detail. Additionally, I believe we’ll also start seeing components made with 3D printing tactics, which is sure to be a game changer in the industry.