Shopping for resort wear with Biondi Couture
It’s that time of year again, ladies. The temperature starts rising and it’s time to begin the essential prepping and priming your body in anticipation for beach season. Whether you’re going to be sunning yourself in St Barths or the South of France, the most important thing is what you wear to show it off.
When you want unique swimwear with an edge, the place to go is Biondi Couture. The warm and welcoming Chelsea boutique is an Aladdin’s cave of swimwear and we count the store as our one-stop shop when it comes to shopping for the perfect bikini.
Perfectly summarized by founder Claudine Davies as ‘Luxury, Expert and Style,’ Biondi Couture filled the gap in the market for a luxury holiday boutique in London and the rest was history. Claudine began with her notable wholesale agency View Studio and the search for a new showroom space led to what she calls ‘one of the best business decisions I ever made!’
One of the key aspects of their Old Church Street space was the sewing room and the offices which took Biondi from just another store to a fully fledged business. The sewing room allowed the bespoke bikini service to take shape and Claudine and the brand further cemented their position in the niche market by stocking exclusive brands including Vix and Karla Colletto followed by a natural progression into their own line. I think we can speak for a lot of women when we say shopping for swimwear is not easy and the Biondi collection is exactly what we have been looking for.
Many of the designers carried by the store are exclusive so pieces are one-of-a-kind, which will ease the minds of women everywhere dreading the ‘first day at the resort, same bikini as the girl on the next lounger’ disaster. Maintaining this exclusivity keeps Biondi on top of their game at all times providing a unique shopping experience driven by the desire for customers to look and feel great in whatever piece they try on. The team is able to consistently provide this service by extensive product knowledge, a product range to suit everybody (no really!) and exclusive items, all topped off by a bespoke service for the utmost in originality.
The way the business has grown since 2005 is astonishing but its success is a testament to the incredibly hard work Claudine and the team has put in over the years. When listening to Claudine describe the collection, her dedication and enthusiasm about her business radiates.
‘Biondi embodies the spirit of glamour that Brazilian beachgoers are renowned for and provides key pieces for your holiday wardrobe.’
The idea is that when clients wear a piece from Biondi, they feel confident, sexy and comfortable. This cannot be achieved by run-of-the-mill swimwear, which is why the collection offers the best possible shapes and colours to ensure the pieces fit and flatter where it counts. When it comes to designing swimwear, there is so much room for creativity and inspiration can come from all kinds of places.
‘The SS14 collection was inspired by the magical souks and bazaars of Marrakech’, Claudine explains. ‘In particular the stunning Majorelle gardens where a visit becomes a sensory overload – the colours, tropical plants and even the birds singing were such a striking combination to me.’
The garden inspiration can be seen in the strong shade of cobalt blue running through the collection and the bold accents in various bright hues. Many of the pieces also follow significant trends this season, with textured opulence adding a double dose of luxury to the shapes in the Namaqua and Montezuma ranges. There is also a heavy reliance on all that shimmers with ivory, black metallics and gold beading for high shine detail in the Nebu story; one that has definitely caught our eye here at Your Coffee Break.
Since offering the bespoke design service, Biondi has made one-of-a-kind pieces for clients that they would never be able to get elsewhere. ‘One of our VIP clients, a model, orders an elegant swim dress every season. It flatters and fits her perfectly and we always wish we had put it in the collection.’ Claudine tells us.
Despite some of those ‘could-be’ pieces, Claudine and Biondi’s in-house designer Aliya Wilkinson have worked hard to develop a collection suitable for every woman. We quizzed Claudine on her favourite piece and the answer was easy for her; the underwire halter top and any piece with the signature bust detail (which is the brain child of Aliya).
‘The clever pulley effect lets you adjust fit and coverage of the bust. It’s pure genius!’ exclaims Claudine. Now that we know Biondi’s super secret there’s no need to shop for swimwear anywhere else!
Planning the much anticipated holiday wardrobe is a well executed mission yet most women still don’t really know what they are looking for! This is where the team at Biondi comes in to offer the best possible advice to make sure you select a piece that’s perfect for you.
Claudine let us in on her top tips for choosing the perfect poolside piece:
• Always select fit over fashion. It’s impossible to look good in swimwear if it doesn’t fit properly.
• Don’t be scared to ask for advice and try on as many shapes as possible.
• Invest in a well-made bikini as they will often fit you better and last longer.
• Resist covering up your ‘worst bits’ in fabric – this will only accentuate them and make them appear bigger.
• For those who really struggle with their shape, buy separates or choose a bespoke bikini as this is made to measure to fit your body exactly.
• Most importantly, make sure you’ve found a swimsuit or bikini that you feel happy in and then wax or shave, get a fake tan and make sure you have a nice manicure and pedicure. If you feel confident, you will look all the better!
For more information on Biondi Couture, and more importantly, to shop the collection, visit them here.
