This Swimwear Line Wants To Cater To All Ages

Launching a clothing line is risky business any time of year, let alone launching a new swimwear collection at a time when most brands have had pieces out for months. But Kara and Frank Palmeri are plunging in headfirst with their second swimwear collection, Fantasy Figure. After five years as business partners at their first swimsuit brand, Mazu Swim, and 20 years of Frank's previous experience in the industry, wading into the waters of swimwear on their own was a natural business progression for the fashion-forward couple. This time it's different, though, and here's how.

"Women are women and they should all be catered to with the same detail," Kara tells me of the ethics of Mazu Swim in a phone interview. Through an un-retouched lookbook, many styles available up to a size 24, and models who are a size eight and a 12, respectively, the brand is aiming to not only cater to the Millennial market and its many 20-somethings, but to help women of all ages feel "comfortable and confident" in their swimwear.

This is done primarily by utilizing styles, prints, and cuts that both a 20-year-old consumer and her 50-year-old mama could equally enjoy. Despite the fact that the models used are younger, Gillian Small, who does PR for the company, tells Bustle that the brand is hoping real consumers across the age and body type spectrums see these styles and feel that they can wear them, too.

To Creative Director and Co-Founder of Fantasy Figure, Kara, helping women feel comfortable and stylish in their swimwear (and all throughout the swimwear purchasing process) is why she went into the industry. By utilizing exciting prints and bold colors while paying special attention to silhouettes that swimsuit wearers of any size can feel fashionable in, Palmeri is offering more than just bikinis.

The focus of the brand is "all about the empowerment of women, of feeling beautiful and gorgeous and comfortable," Palmeri tells me multiple times in our phone call, sure to reinforce the point that this new line has been made entirely with women's best interests in mind.

Palmeri adds that comfort doesn't have to mean covering yourself up, but providing options that will suit anyone at any point in their self love journey. High-waist bottoms haven't been produced to "cover up" the body, but because they're on trend. The lookbook hasn't been retouched specifically to help women feel better represented by the brand's models.

Additionally, "Swimsuit Pursuit Stylists," the brand's online team, is available 24/7 to help with fitting and swimsuit selection. Fantasy Figure isn't just about finding the perfect swimsuit, but making the search so much more seamless as well.

The full collection is available to preorder as of May 24 in sizes eight to 24, although Palmeri says a wider size range will hopefully be on the horizon. Prices range depending on garment, but bikinis will set you back between $61 and $65, while tankinis are $69 to $77, and one-pieces come in around $105 to $150.

So if you're interested in supporting a new swimsuit brand that makes female customers the main focus of every aspect of the design and production process, then consider taking time out of your day to check out Fantasy Figure: Swimwear for the Sex In The City-inspired woman of any age.

Images: Courtesy Mazu Swim