Francesca Aiello was only 17 years old when she founded her swimwear brand in Malibu in 2012.
Her skimpy swimsuits became popular with her high school friends and acquaintances, who happened to include Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid. They helped spread the word about her brand by posting photos of themselves on social media wearing her cheeky bikini bottoms and triangle tops, which were a bit skimpier than many current styles. From sales on Instagram, the swimwear made its way to its own e-commerce site and then to wholesalers and pop-up stores in Miami, Los Angeles, New York City and Montauk, NY
Now, Frankie’s 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 one of several new retail locations in the recently completed Cross Creek Ranch, an 11-building shopping center that recently began leasing space.
A look inside the first Frankie’s Bikinis store in Malibu, California.
Courtesy of Frankie’s Bikinis
“We’ve had a lot of success with our (pop-up) business over the last few years and see tremendous future growth potential in retail,” said Aiello, who launched the brand with her mother, Mimi, who is president of the company while Aiello holds the titles of CEO and creative director. “So we’ve focused on retail. Malibu is where I grew up. It’s my special place, my happy place, and I’ve always wanted to have a store here,” said the brand’s co-founder, who still lives in Malibu but commutes to the corporate offices down the street in Marina del Rey.
Five years ago, Malibu was a sleepy beach town where it was hard for retailers to succeed year-round, Aiello says. But the celebrity-filled seaside enclave is attracting more tourists and locals with Instagram and Internet stories about places to go and things to do. Local retailers include John Varvatos, Double RL & Co., Vince, Chrome Hearts and Paige at Malibu Country Mart. One of the most popular restaurants is Nobu, with its stunning ocean views.
The new Frankie’s Bikinis boutique’s decor features a clean, minimalist style that makes the space feel like an upscale beach surf shop with a feminine touch for Gen Z and millennial customers. The store is filled with swimsuits, as well as clothing and accessories that the company began developing several years ago. “We’ll have a lot of exclusive Malibu products in the store, like a swimsuit that we don’t have online in a specific color combination, or a lounge set that’s easy to wear and throw on at the beach,” Aiello said.
Pieces from the current “Dress Shop” collection by Frankies Bikinis.
Frankies Bikinis opened its first pop-up store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood two years ago and is still going strong. The swimwear company’s pop-up store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, a coastal neighborhood of Los Angeles, has been open for a year and its Miami pop-up opened late last year. A temporary store at Bluestone Lane Coffee in Montauk, NY, typically closes in October.
More deals could be in the pipeline, especially since Victoria’s Secret took an $18 million minority stake in the brand two years ago to capitalize on the 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.
Victoria’s Secret’s investment came in handy for developing collections and collaborations. Last year, the pair put together a Frankies Bikinis collection for Victoria’s Secret, which included a range of one-piece swimsuits and bikinis, as well as a shorts and tank top loungewear set with details – including wings – and colors inspired by Victoria’s Secret.
Earlier this year, the lingerie retailer launched “Pink by Frankies Bikinis,” a partnership that saw bikinis, mini dresses, maxi dresses, lounge sets and lace outfits sold through Pink’s stores and website.
