This is MAJOR. And we’re not just talking about Kate Upton’s gorgeous Sports Illustrated cover (because let’s be honest, we’d be a little behind if that was the case). The real excitement is that the swimwear designer who crafted some of the amazing swimsuits Upton’s rocking in the Antartica spread is coming to Arizona for Phoenix Fashion Week 2013. That’s right ladies & gentlemen. And you heard it here first.
Kate Upton in Sports Illustrated wearing Dolcessa Swimwear
Dolcessa Swimwear is behind many gorgeous swimwear pieces that models like Chrissy Teigen, Genevieve Morton, and Irina Shayk have all worn on the pages of Sports Illustrated magazine. Their designs are fashion forward, glamorous, and down right provocative. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Chrissy Teigen and Genevieve Morton in Sports Illustrated wearing Dolcessa Swimwear
When the Phoenix Fashion Week team called to tell us that Dolcessa Swimwear would be participating in the emerging designer competition for Phoenix Fashion Week 2013, we couldn’t have been more excited. After all, there’s something about a swimwear fashion show that just hypes up the crowd (it might be the mostly naked models, but we’re going to give people the benefit of the doubt and say they truly appreciate the fashion that can be created with such a small amount of material).
When we found out that we were going to be the FIRST people to announce Phoenix Fashion Week‘s partnership with Dolcessa Swimwear… well, our excitement level just went through the roof. We were lucky enough to have an exclusive interview with the super-talented designer, Katya Leoncio, to talk about the brand, her work with Sports Illustrated, and where Dolcessa Swimwear is headed next.
Katya Leoncio ~ Photo courtesy of Desert Companion Magazine
Katya, how did you first become involved in swimwear design? How did you come up with the idea for Dolcessa Swimwear?
“My career as a designer first started with dressing the nightclub industry and designing the performance outfits for the entertainers in some of the most extravagant nightclubs in Ibiza and Las Vegas. From that world, I adopted a sense of risque fashion and wanted those designs to translate during the day time.
Dolcessa Swimwear was naturally born with an inspiration to create luxury swimwear for women to be fashionable during the day when lounging by the pool, beach, or dayclub.”
Dolcessa Swimwear featured in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ advertisement
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
“I’ve always been fascinated by Dance, Nature, and Architecture. These 3 components embody my design DNA:
Dance – Inspired by movement and how the designs will flow with each turn of the body
Nature – Inspired by the color and composition of nature and of the classical elements
Architecture – Inspired by construction perfection, especially when it comes to the embellishments used”
How did you feel when you first found out you were going to be featured in Sports Illustrated?
“Short answer—Cloud 9. Making it in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is like winning gold in the Swimwear Olympics (if there were ever one). 2013 was our 3rd consecutive year being featured in Sports Illustrated, and our most impressive one, with 9 different styles being featured.
It’s estimated that the issue touches more than 60 million readers, which is a huge impression value for any brand. The exposure is immeasurable and establishes credibility in the swimwear business.
It is a true inspiration and quite honestly a creative challenge to make samples for Sports Illustrated. The editors have seen it all and you have to be original in order to get noticed. I’m thankful they’ve seen something unique in my designs.”
Hannah Davis in Sports Illustrated Wearing Dolcessa Swimwear
Is there a certain Sports Illustrated model you think best represents the Dolcessa brand?
“Irina Shayk is stunning in every way. She is bold, exudes confidence, and draws you in, which are all key characteristics of Dolcessa Swimwear. Irina was the 2011 cover model for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and we were fortunate to have her wear our swimwear in the 2013 issue, Spanish theme in Barcelona.”
Irina Shayk in Sports Illustrated Wearing Dolcessa Swimwear
How will being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week help you reach your goals for growing your brand?
“Phoenix Fashion Week has garnered a lot of press with its overall production value and ranking in Times Magazine as the #3 rising local fashion week across the nation. An event of this magnitude inevitably draws in the right mix of people to network with. Last, the tremendous amount of educational value contributed by Brian Hill and his superstar team can only make us smarter about growing the brand.”
And one last question, just for fun. What celebrity do you still want to see in a Dolcessa swimsuit?
“Rhianna is on fire right now and a trend setter who is always in swimwear. She is a perfect fit for our brand.”
Natasha Barnard in Sports Illustrated Wearing Dolcessa Swimwear
If you simply can’t wait to see more from Dolcessa Swimwear, don’t worry. You won’t have to. They’ll be presenting a sample of their collection at the Phoenix Fashion Week Emerging Designer Challenge fashion show on Friday night at the Toni & Guy Academy.
Check out this video from last year’s show (featuring a comment from one of your favorite fashion bloggers):
To be a part of this awesome event and see more from Dolcessa Swimwear, buy tickets HERE. We look forward to seeing you all there and kicking off a brand new year of Phoenix Fashion Week!
