With swimwear season right around the corner and plenty of holidays booked, we are all currently in search of that perfect bikini or one piece to accompany us through those upcoming days spent basking in the sun. Enter Medina. The environmentally conscious and female form-centric swimwear brand dreamed up by Lou Medina in 2017 is looking to make a splash this season with its neutral-yet-bold hues and undeniably flattering silhouettes, all of which are sure to render you and your friends empowered and confident upon first wear.

When discussing the brand, its founder explained, “This brand focuses on lifetime designs, not following fashion trends, connecting and supporting projects and organisations that actively protect our oceans and raise awareness and consciousness. That was the primary goal. In Medina, every business decision we make is considered and evaluated from an environmental perspective (from our fabrics to how our accessories are made and the suppliers we work with). Designwise, I design for the women in my life.”

Sitting down with Wonderland, the designer got candid about how the corrosion of our planet informs her design process and being a woman in the fashion industry. Head below to enjoy our interview with Lou Medina…

What is the story behind Medina? What drove you to start it?
The idea of stepping back into the fashion world was to propose a luxury swimsuit line with PURPOSE. Back in 2014, I was increasingly alarmed by how much endangered marine life there was and how poor the quality of the water in our oceans was. The work of young activists and environmental engineers inspired me to create Medina. This brand focuses on lifetime designs, not following fashion trends, connecting and supporting projects and organisations that actively protect our oceans and raise awareness and consciousness. That was the primary goal. In Medina, every business decision we make is considered and evaluated from an environmental perspective (from our fabrics to how our accessories are made and the suppliers we work with). Designwise, I design for the women in my life. They are all different ages and have different lifestyles. I noticed a gap in the swimsuit industry, where brands focused on just one type of woman. I intend to include them all, sartorially speaking. This means that each different style is thoughtfully made for each diverse purpose.

Why was it so important for you to focus on sustainability in fashion? And what are some of the things you and your brand are doing to support more ethical and sustainable practices within the industry?
If we care, our customers will care. We – the brand – link recyclers, producers and projects. We stand up for an instigating change. Nowadays, waste-to-wear is being considered more and more as if it is the best option. From recycling, fabrics get certified, pass multiple quality controls and deliver a high tech new fabric. Medina Swimwear exclusively uses ECONYL as the main fabric, a regenerated yarn fabric, which helps minimise the usage of new raw materials, delivering the highest quality certification. Furthermore, Medina Swimwear works solely with local factories and therefore supports family companies in Italy and Portugal. Every season we support a non-profit organisation that focuses on cleaning or protecting the oceans. We created “OCEAN TAX”, a 3 %tax deducted from each sale and is destined to be donated to a non-profit organisation. Our products are entirely made in Europe with fabrics that come from Italy. Our hardware accessories are made in a Portuguese factory that 100% works on photovoltaic energy (solar panel powered). Also, our distribution packaging is 100% compostable and bio-degradable.

Why did you feel the need to create a Core Collection? What is its purpose?
Does the idea of having evergreen styles reflect how you feel about consumption and the fashion industry at large?
Core Collection represents the essence of Medina, both in its aesthetics and its spirit. Seasonless pieces of long-lasting value. I want to offer an elegant response to an industry saturated with wastefulness and overconsumption.

The Core Collection comprises Medina essentials, swimsuits that I have refined and perfected over years of iterations, a selection of signature styles that will stay and I believe deserve to be always in stock. A collection that you can always go back to, spanning one-pieces and two-pieces that range from sporty to sophisticated, the silhouettes are minimal, effortless, and rigorously tailored for a perfect fit. The colour palette is slightly muted with tone-on-tone signature hardware. Core Collection steps out of the frantic fashion cycle of consumerism. The styles never go on sale and never expire.

In designing and production, you need to make thoughtful choices. Core Collection is my statement on how a brand can offer luxury swimwear, keeping a sustainability angle: from the selection of materials and fibres to the way of production, lower quantities/higher quality, delivering a product that is atemporal and lasts a lifetime.This goal would be difficult to achieve without hard work and my team’s support, with whom I share the same ethos and dreams.