Yikes! Where do I even begin?
I've designed so many amazing pieces over the years that I literally have no clue where to even start this blog.... lol! And just so you know- my favorites aren't in any particular order. Just 1-15.
If you've been my friend on Facebook for a few years you know that I have soooo many different looks to choose from. Dresses, lingerie, swimwear, formal gowns, etc. After going through hundreds (yes, HUNDREDS) of photos- I narrowed down my 15 most favorite swimsuits designed by me....
Y'all ready? Let's gooo!!
(Sewing on my 'Passion' labels to some garments I created)
15.
I mean...... what can I say about this piece? This was one of my most favorite bathing suits a few years ago. I was actually on vacation in Mexico during this impromptu photo shoot. I'm a sucker for strings and skin. Anything that accentuates a woman's curves and highlights her best features is what I enjoy creating. This piece was no exception. It held me together just right!
14.
This one was a hot piece back in the day. I designed this swimsuit in 2015 for a vacation I took to Mexico. I wore it and it was a hit! All the women loved it and I even made a couple of sales while on vacation for this exact piece. Again, strings and skin are my thing. This one had the nude illusion. Cover up what you don't like, show off what you do! That's what I did, all custom work. I loved that yellow and pink leopard print.
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13.
Whew!! This one here was the ONE! This was a part of my 'summer 2016 Egyptian Goddess Collection.' It included 9 swimsuits, 3 cover ups and 2 dresses. Gold, sequin and hieroglyphics were the theme. This collection was beyond luxurious and I even took it international when I wore my pieces during my birthday vacation to Egypt!
12.
This exclusive piece was from my 'Fall 2013 Freak Mentality: Sequin and Leather Collection.' I showed this collection in front of hundreds of people on the runway in Hollywood, CA during the Facet Fall Fashion Show. I received tons of business and inquiries about my brand which led me to design for socialites and reality TV stars. I would probably say that this was a great time for my business as a designer.
11.
White, strings, skin.... need I say more? My favorite combination of things all came together with this look. I won't lie though- this piece was a replica of a swimsuit I saw in a store. The one in the store was a bit expensive and I knew I could make one for myself. With the right alterations I made that look good on my body. I wore this piece on vacation in Santorini, Greece during my 32 day birthday trip to Europe in 2017. This one held me up, in and down in all the right places, amen!!!!
Oh..... just making sure you're still here.....
10.
Oooh, I loved this piece. So many memories seeing this again. I created this piece to go along with my '2014 Poolside w/Passion Collection'. I actually made this piece in 2 different variations. A 2 piece, high waisted bikini and a 1 piece with a wrap. Both items were big sellers during their time!
9.
Who doesn't love a lil' hot pink bikini?! I know I do. I made this one to wear on my vacation to the islands. These pictures were taken in Anguilla and St. Maarten back in April 2017. It was such a beautiful place. The beach was awesome, the white sand, the dolphins, the teal blue water and the sunshine. Me and my bathing suit had a great time on this trip!
8.
Here's another cute hot pink bathing suit that I created as a 1 piece design. This too was apart of my '2014 Poolside w/Passion Collection'. That collection was the very first complete swimsuit line that I put together. I'd been designing bikinis forever, but never actually thought to make a dedicated line until I created these pieces. This collection will always be special to me...
Thanks for being here.... you're awesome!
HONORABLE MENTION DESIGN
These pieces are honorable mentions to the blog. They didn't make my list of favorites, but I included them because I love seeing this model in my pieces. I had the pleasure of working with Angela Henderson a few years ago for this photo shoot. She was a doll!
Also, these pieces didn't make it to a collection. They were more like sample pieces. I eventually sold them and never recreated them.
7.
Yassss! This bathing suit was one of my favorites for a long time. Then I ended up selling it to someone and decided to discontinue it. I have this thing when it comes to designing. I don't like creating the same piece(s) multiple times. I like being exclusive and knowing that no one else has my stuff. I call them "one and dones"- it means I create it once and then I'm done with the design. I never recreate the same look twice.
6.
Sooooo...... technically this one is another honorable mention. I didn't actually make this bathing suit, I "enhanced" it. I thought it was really cute when I bought it, but it didn't fit me quite right. So I had to cut it up and get creative with adding in material where I needed more coverage. In the end, it worked out just fine. I wore it during my vacation to Oia, Santorini in 2017. It too was a one and done. I never wore it again after this vacation. Luckily it didn't cost me too much so I didn't lose anything. It was a cute cactus bathing suit!
5.
Now look at this beauty here! I'm talking about both the model and the swimsuit. This piece was an "off the head" design. I literally designed this piece right off the top of my head and on the fly. I was going to a pool party and needed something to wear. I created this piece in 2 hours. Once I finished I realized I liked it a lot and decided to add it to my '2014 Freak Mentality Collection.'
But shout out to my amazing model and friend Kahlelah for killing this look!!
4.
I'm really going back in the days with this design. I created this piece early in 2015 for a 7 day trip to Mexico. This bathing suit matched the water, the cushions on my deck chairs and my skin tone perfectly. It all just came together. I only wore this piece once. Yea... I have that habit. But when you can design what you want- why would you wear the same thing twice? Lol!
But uh... did you see it? My signature in the design? The strings and skin theme... my favorite!
We're almost to the end..... are you still here?
3.
The infamous '2014 Poolside w/Passion Collection.' I created these pieces for my first swimsuit line. The creativity, the lessons, the mistakes and the challenges I learned on this course of my life was crazy! Wow is all I can say. I've definitely come a long way....
This swimsuit also happened to be one of my absolute favorite pieces. It was backless with (you guessed it) strings and skin showing. Lol!! Too bad I never got to take a picture of the back of it.
2.
God bless America! Lol!! This is another piece I made on the fly. I made this 2 piece in less than an hour to wear to the beach. It was a hot day in Long Beach and I felt like riding my bike to the beach to hang out. I had some left over material from something else I'd made (likely for 4th of July) and decided to make myself a bikini. Never named it and probably only wore it once (don't judge me, lol!) But it was cute so it made it to my top 15 favorites.
1.
Ok, ok..... so it's a white bikini. Nothing fancy here, however there's just something about the simplicity of things. A pure white bikini with no extras. Always has been, always will be one of my favorite bathing suits to date. Yes, I made this one-- but 2 piece bikinis come and go. I don't know how many of these I've made throughout the years. I can never seem to keep one and reuse it. Lol....
(Don't mind the photos of me in the house. 2020 quarantine had just set in and I was stuck in the house bored- but the pictures with the hat were taken on a vacation to Puerto Rico in 2019)
WE MADE IT TO THE END!
[insert big sigh of relief here]
Congrats my friend, you did it! You made it all the way to the end of this blog... lol. Good for you. Since you're down here I added some more honorable mentions that didn't quite make the list, but were still good enough to be shown. Check 'em out.... Many of these pieces were sold or went on to become some other creative design.
Yes, all made by me!
Just in case you're wondering- I am NOT accepting any inquiries for designs at the moment. To stay updated with my fashion business- you can follow me on social media @AshawnaLane or visit my website AshawnaLane.com to see more.
Thanks for being here, for reading, for sharing, for supporting. It means everything to me! What were some of your favorite pieces? Let me know!!
Happy #tbt!!