Submitted by June Eding on | 0 Comments
“Free spirit,” “Excitement” and “Inspired” are all words Agustina Palacio uses to describe her personal journey to becoming a designer, and it’s clear when looking at her fresh, fun and sexy swimwear that her line, Nina Swim, reflects exactly who she is! Creator of the resort swimwear line Nina Swim, Agustina’s upbeat, sexy approach to looks for the beach is echoed in everything from her designs’ delightful names (Elektra, Jinx and Bonita, to name a few) to the suits’ bright colors, bold cut, and sophisticated and unique leather detailing. With an upcoming line of swimwear inspired by the Bond Girls, and the launch of a Resort Wear collection featuring sophisticated cover-ups for the beach that transition into nighttime attire for a relaxed look, Agustina is busy expanding Nina Swim and growing her creativity alongside her business. In our interview, Agustina revealed keys to business success, including the benefits of her background in marketing, her love of the “behind the scenes” in’s and out’s of a healthy business—everything from line sheets to photo shoots to social media strategies—and how she makes it all work as a mother of four.
What inspired you to get started?
My free spirit was what inspired me to start my own business. In 2000, after completing college, I packed my bag, including my huge bikini selection and headed for Miami. It was here that other bikini aficionados constantly questioned me about where I bought my bikinis. So with a friend we decided to start a swimwear line since we were not excited about any of the bikini designs we had seen in the market. So we traveled to NYC to buy fabrics and started creating. However, shortly after arriving back to Miami, I decided to move back to Argentina. Continuing the work I began in Miami, I did a very small collection and started selling bikinis to my friends and their friends and soon, my swimwear line, Nina Swim was born in Buenos Aires.
What was your background?
Marketing. I love designing bikinis, designing is something that it doesn’t take me a lot of time. I can design a whole collection just in one night when I am inspired. But I also really enjoy all the behind-the-scenes of making my business grow from developing the website, lookbook and linesheets as well as social media, PR and marketing strategies, photoshoots and fashion shoots, etc.
Was your background in what you are doing now?
Totally. Throughout school I knew that I wanted to do something related to fashion, however just designing was not enough. I was interested in being able to sell a line more than how to solely design, so that is why I studied marketing.
What challenge have you had to face that led to a big growth for your company?
My biggest challenge was being able to run my business with my growing family. I started my business with one son and now I have 4. So at one point (between my 2nd and 3rd child) I had to stop and take a break to think how I was going to continue. Many thought that that would be it, that I wouldn’t be back designing and running my business. Especially after having my 4th child. But this break gave me a lot of inspiration and desires to make my business grow. I studied the market and also learned more about Nina Swim’s identity. When I first started with the line I was a girl and my designs were very girly, but I grew up with the line and today Nina Swim is a resort line, sophisticated yet still fresh and trendy. And this year I came up with my best collection ever.
What do you have going on in your business right now that you're excited about?
So many things! This year I am re-launching my line with the Goldfingers Collection inspired by the James Bond movies I used to watch as a child. Each bikini style is named for each Bond girl. I am also launching for the first time a Resort Wear collection consisting of sophisticated cover-ups for the beach that transition into nighttime attire for a relaxed look. I also have a kid’s swimwear collection. The Mini Nina line is swimwear for girls ages 2-14 and includes miniature versions of the swimsuits and cover-ups found in the adult’s line; perfect for parents looking for fashionable pieces for their chic little It-girls.
Where would you love to see your business in 5 years?
I would love to see my swimwear line being recognized as a trendy swimwear line in the US.
