New and Last Items Available on Etsy

          Just wanted to post an update and announce the last few items for sale before official launch  are up now on Etsy. I will write a longer detailed post about everything I have had to do since the last update, in case anyone is interested in how to launch a swimsuit line/business. So here are a few styles now available on Etsy.

Click HERE   for details and prices

Life Update: My Year

           I figured it has been so long since I wrote anything, that maybe I should update and write a bit of what I've been up to. Needless to say, the fashion blog was a bust. It is just way over saturated and it's too late in the game to get in there and actually get seen and  read.  I also don't have the budget to purchase and showcase exciting designer items like others do. This doesn't mean I have been sitting around doing nothing though! For one, we had a baby in June, so that has kept me VERY busy. On top of that I have turned my Etsy sewing hobby into a full on business. As of June, I am Isalina Swimwear. So that has kept me extra busy. I have been doing a ton of research and reading up on business ownership, and specifically swimwear business. Although there are a few vague things I have found, there aren't many specific things to go off of and so I thought it would interesting to write down and document my experience here, and maybe that will help someone in the future!

       So, to start, I decided to trademark my name. I came up with a unique name idea which is my 2 daughters names shortened and put together; Isalina. Little did I know, the trademark process actually takes around 9 months. Crazy, right? I thought I was going to pay and have it same week. So that was the very first thing I had done, on the business side, creatively I had already begun sewing my own samples and sketching other ideas. I had decided to take on a fashion show in DC for DC Swim week late July to get some eyes on my pieces and get some word of mouth and interest in the brand. That event was fun and I would say it is worth it for someone who could jump in and be super social and network with others. I, however, am the opposite of that and was even avoiding doing the designer interviews and had trouble talking to anyone! I did get a bit of exposure to the industry and really the only downside was losing a bikini top sample during the process. Before doing any type of networking event such as this I would recommend setting up a website with a web hosting site such as Shopify. I did not do this before the event and therefor couldn't hand out my business cards with my domain on them because it wasn't set up yet. I didn't want people to go to the site and receive an error message. Currently, I am looking into business and personal loans as well crowdfunding like kickstarter to help fund this project.  But, before I can set up my kickstarter I need to have great professional photos done of my products. In order to do this, I have to have professional samples made by my manufacturer so that what I am advertising is what people would be getting. And, it's little details like this that I couldn't exactly find online and I just had to figure out and arrange on a timeline in my head. For right now, I am just trying to stay positive and motivated and not lose focus of my goal! Some days are harder than others and I just think I am crazy for having this big dream.

        Here are  just a few photos from DC Swim Week of my collection!



                     

purchase sample HERE or email to pre-order

Purchase here or email to pre-order

                                                 

I wore my Camilla dress with nude lace up sandals. Be kind, I was 1 month after having a baby!

If you want to follow along with I'm doing, head over to my instagram HERE 

To pre-order anything please contact me at Monikasanguinetti@gmail.com

New Gingham Bandeau Lace-Up Bikini

 

       Just posted a new listing up on Etsy of the newest addition! Its a gingham off-the-shoulder lace up bandeau bikini set. Shop here

-Fully lined
-With boning in side seams
-Elastic in top and bottom

Swimwear Added to Etsy Shop

    I've started adding swimwear to my items on Etsy! I'm very excited about this because I was never taught how to do swimwear professionally. This is a personal achievement that I am pretty proud of, especially because they are coming out great! I am personally in love with the tribal print swim fabric I bought most recently and I am considering buying a few more yards if sales go well. In the near future a few one pieces will be available in the tribal, the gold, and the gingham fabric. The tribal print pieces are reversible, with one side being extreme colors and including gold foil, the reverse is toned down blues with tan camel color and brown. To date, these are the swimwear pieces I have designed and constructed on my own. Again, I am pretty proud of these items and just wanted to share them with everyone! I'm going to keep rolling these babies out until our trips to the Caribbean so I can do some serious photo shoots with them. You check them out in more detail at this etsy link (click here).

Thanks for reading!! 

New Etsy Shop

    Hey guys! Just wanted to share that today I started an Etsy shop account, as of right now there are only two things on there. The striped skirt from last year that I had in one of my ootd posts and a high waisted bikini that is fresh off the sewing machine as of today. Hopefully, since I have too much time on my hands, things will start to accumulate there as the days go on. In the future, I plan to sell women's clothing, accessories and maybe a few styles of little girls dresses. Here is the Etsy account....

the lining side and back look

The striped skirt on my etsy shop I made last year. 

 

The Cover Up: My favorite Swim Cover-ups

 
     A good swim wear cover-up is a staple piece for the summer, if you get a somewhat classic style or color it can last many years. Bonus points if it is something that can take you from the beach to drinks or shopping afterwards. There are some great cover-ups that can be paired with shorts or double as a dress, these are sometimes more expensive, but because of the multiple ways to wear them, it's justified! I love a simple black or white because it looks really great with a tan and it's one of those classics that will be in style forever. A fun print is nice too to make things interesting when you have a solid bikini or suit.  Check out some of my favorites below.