Francesca Aiello was only 17 years old when she started her swimwear brand in Malibu in 2012.
Her skimpy suits gained popularity among her high school friends and acquaintances, who happened to include Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid. They helped boost her brand by posting photos of themselves on social media wearing her cheeky bikini bottoms and triangle tops that were a little more abbreviated than many current styles. From selling on Instagram, the swimwear branched out to its own e-commerce site, and then to wholesalers and pop-up stores in Miami, Los Angeles, New York City and Montauk, N.Y.
Now Frankies Bikinis is taking the plunge with its first permanent store in the beach town where the brand was born. The 1,200-square-foot outpost is among a handful of new retail locations populating the recently completed Cross Creek Ranch, an 11-building shopping venue area that recently started leasing space.
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“We’ve seen a lot of success with our [pop-up] brick-and-mortar over the past few years, and we see a ton of future growth potential in retail,” said Aiello, who launched the brand with her mother, Mimi, who is the company’s president while Aiello holds the titles of chief executive and creative director. “So, we have been focusing on retail. Malibu is where I grew up. It’s my special place, my happy place, and I have always wanted a store here,” said the brand cofounder, who still lives in Malibu, but commutes to the corporate offices down the road in Marina del Rey.
Five years ago, Malibu was still a sleepy beach town, where retailers had a hard time making a go of it all year round, Aiello said. But the celebrity-filled oceanside enclave is attracting more tourists and locals with Instagram and internet stories on where to go and what to do. Local retailers include John Varvatos, Double RL & Co., Vince, Chrome Hearts and Paige at the Malibu Country Mart. One of the go-to restaurants is Nobu, which has killer views of the ocean.
The decor at the new Frankies Bikinis boutique incorporates a clean, minimalist style to make the space feel like an elevated, beach surf store with a feminine touch for its Gen Z and Millennial customers. It is filled with swimsuits as well as clothing and accessories the company started developing a few years ago. “We will have a ton of exclusive Malibu product in the store, like a bathing suit we don’t have online in a special colorway, or a lounge set that is easy and something to throw on while you’re at the beach,” Aiello said.
Frankies Bikinis opened its first pop-up store two years ago in the SoHo district of Manhattan, and it is still going strong. The swimwear company’s pop-up on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, a Los Angeles seaside neighborhood, has been open a year, and its pop-up store in Miami debuted late last year. A temporary store located inside Bluestone Lane Coffee in Montauk, N.Y., usually closes in October.
More stores could be on the horizon, particularly since Victoria’s Secret made an $18 million minority-stake investment in the brand two years ago to take advantage of swimwear’s popularity. According to Euromonitor International, the global swimwear market was worth $16 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $21.4 billion by 2025.
The Victoria’s Secret investment has been convenient for developing collections and collaborations. Last year, the two doubled up on a Frankies Bikinis for Victoria’s Secret collection, which included a variety of one-piece swimsuits and bikinis, as well as a loungewear short and tank top set featuring details — including wings — and colors inspired by Victoria’s Secret.
Earlier this year, the lingerie retailer debuted Pink by Frankies Bikinis, a partnership that saw bikinis, minidresses, maxidresses, lounge sets and lace outfits sold through Pink’s stores and website.
