Versace for H&M - Swimwear

 

 

 

images via here

It's a warm 75 degrees here in Los Angeles (in January!!!), which has us already thinking of Summer, and thoughts of Summer naturally have us thinking of swimwear.  That brings us to this editorial featuring the new Versace for H&M Cruise 2012 collection.  If fruity patterns are your thing, then this is the collection for you!  Personally we see these pieces as more striking for photography than for "real life" but it's always fun to see how a luxury designer interprets their designs for a younger, more budget-conscious crowd.  Definitely playful and fun for the budding Frou Frou Fashionista!  

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest or Google Friend Connect

Shop with us at Faire Frou Frou

Bathing Beauties by Stefano Galuzzi

Bain de Cinema images via here

With Memorial Day just around the corner, Summer unofficially begins next week (for our non-US readers who aren't familiar with the holiday, just trust us on this one). We've booked our Summer weather get-away, and that means that we're now closely checking out what's new and fabulous in swimwear.  We have a tendency to gravitate towards pieces with a subtle retro vibe, kind of like the images in this post.  Not too campy, but not too trampy (for instance a thong bikini).  Perhaps you will see a little more swimwear on our blog as we prepare for our tropical vacation!
These beautiful images are the work of photographer Stefano Galuzzi, whom we thank for the inspiration. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Google Friend Connect

Shop with us at Faire Frou Frou

Rosa Cha... Inspired by Lingerie!

a Rosa Cha knit belted bodysuit - how adorable!

this piece (above) reminds us of the Christian Dior bodysuits & bustiers we've seen a lot of

images via Rosa Cha

Naturally when we hear the brand name Rosa Cha, we think of elegant Brazilian swimwear. Now we can add beautiful intimates to the list with the recent addition of lingerie to the label (along with some beautiful lingerie-inspired RTW). The moment we saw the images from the Summer 2010 collection, we knew we had to share. The 'High Summer' collection (does that mean Winter?) includes some darling bodysuits, and we particularly love the black knit piece with the belt & sweater. We can't help but wonder, however, if our love of model Chanel Iman is influencing our opinion of the designs!
An interesting little tidbit we learned about Amir Slama, the founder & original designer behind Rosa Cha, is that he launched the brand in 1990 after leaving his career as a history professor. The brand's new designer is Alexandre Herchcovitch.
To see more lookbook images (and there are plenty more), visit the Rosa Cha website.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin' or Google Friend Connect

Shop with us at Faire Frou Frou

And Speaking of Retro Swimwear...

photographs courtesy of Audre Rae Photography

In our last post, we featured swimwear from Brooklyn-based brand Hayden-Harnett, and now we have another Brooklyn designer to share with you: Elizabeth O'Brien Berg. We don't know too much about this brand, as it appears to be fairly new. Nonetheless, let the adorable pictures speak for themselves! If you are interested in purchasing one of these designs (or to see what else she has), you can email Elizabeth at Elizabethobrienberg@gmail.com.
What's interesting is that this is the 3rd Brooklyn talent we've featured this week; the other brand is The Lake & Stars. There's a lot of talent in that NYC borough!

Hayden-Harnett Swimwear

detail of the very cute 'boudoir' print suit

We recently discovered the brand Hayden-Harnett, a Brooklyn-based accessories and handbag brand that was established in 1999. Until recently, we did not know of the brand (where have we been?!?!), but all of that changed with the introduction of their swimwear line! The styles are very kitschy retro-inspired, and one of their swimsuits was recently featured in New York Magazine's (The Cut) article "Pinup-girl Style Makes a Comeback this Spring". With styles like this, no wonder the look makes a comeback!
Below is a picture of the brand's founders, Ben & Toni. We love that they included pictures of their cats on their website - they must be good people!

More Swimwear...We Couldn't Resist!

above image: Brian Doben

above image: Ana Rosa Krau

We happened to find a few other swim images that we enjoyed, and of course wanted to share with you! Two very different photo styles, but both beautiful in their unique way (with the exception of the cigarette!).

Girly Swimwear

New arrivals include the adorable polka dot bikini set by Mimi Holliday. Everyone who walks in the store goes straight to this set!

above: Mimi Holliday re-introduced the very popular Ruffle Tunic from last year...but this version is made from a slightly heavier cotton (which we love!)

We are certainly seeing a retro trend this year with swimwear. New styles from Fleur T.

We are definitely on a swimwear kick this week, and what better way to finish than with 2 of our favorite British brands; Fleur T and Mimi Holliday.
We just added the new arrivals from both brands to our website, and couldn't wait to share! For us, this season is all about the little polka dot bikini, and rightly so! You need to see these pieces in person, because the photos don't seem to capture their cuteness. The navy blue & white polka dot set has the adorable high-waisted bikini bottom...and the little ruffle trim in the back adds just the right touch.
As for the Mimi Holliday peach polka dot set, the rivets with the ribbon ties are just the right accent to make this a must-have item.
See all of our swimwear here!

Eres Swimwear 2009

While looking over the Norma Kamali swimwear yesterday, we couldn't help but be reminded of the current Eres swimwear group. It too has a retro look, though a bit more understated with a little less frou-frou. Of course Eres is known for their elegant swimwear, and for the past 11 years they have created luxury lingerie as well.
We were fortunate to view the collection in person, and were delighted to see numerous styles and color options. The only problem is that Eres does not show many of their designs online, so we only have a handful of images to share with you. If you can make it into one of their boutiques, we think you would enjoy seeing the full group - we remember just loving so many of the swimsuits! In the meantime, enjoy these pictures with one of our favorite models, Hilary Rhoda.

Retro Swimwear from Norma Kamali

Ahh, we're loving the high-waisted bikini bottoms - such a big trend in lingerie and swim this season! We discovered the new Norma Kamali swimwear collection thanks to the beautiful Captivate Me blog...don't you just love it?!? The designs are inspiring and lovely, and filled with 1940s glamour. In general we enjoy swimwear much more than we enjoy actually swimming - anyone agree with us on this?
We will be posting more swimwear this week since we have new swim arrivals from Fleur T and Mimi Holliday.

Retro Swimwear from Abaete

We've been doing our ordering for Spring 2009, and as far as swimwear is concerned, we are ordering a lot of retro styles! Almost every brand has the cutest high-waisted bikini briefs, or 1940s-inspired 1-pieces. But all of these new items come to our boutique in February...and we need to be hush-hush for now.
In the meantime, we found some retro goodness in these Abaete pieces! These items are available for purchase right now, with some styles on sale (even better!). Also check out the Abaete ready-to-wear collections while you're at it...