Today we’d like to introduce you to Ava Plasmyer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The idea started about ten years ago. I was a junior in high school. While applying for colleges, my mom showed me a local magazine article about a swimwear designer. Not having shown her much “fashion” interest, I brushed it off and wanted to pursue law. Fast forward a couple of years and I am sitting in a business law class. The first day I got called on as “bimbo in the back”. I’ll never forget that moment. I left class that day and enrolled into the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise immediately. I was going to start a swimwear line. I frantically searched for “job experience” and landed an internship the day I started FIDM. Even more odd, it was at that local swimwear company my mom mentioned a few years prior. From that day on, it was a crazy next few years. I was thrown in head first to balancing school and taking a large amount of responsibility at that company as they scaled rapidly. I learned it all. Packing orders, customer service, talking shop, learning all there was to know about fit and fabric. I then was able to learn all things production and was driving almost daily from Ventura, CA to downtown LA to manage the production.
With hundreds – possibly thousands – of bikinis in my car, I knew this is what I wanted to do. Overseeing the production of goods is so fascinating. You see the fabric come in on rolls and every single hand that touches the garments until they are packed and shipped. It is truly a stressful and addicting industry. I knew towards the end of 2017, my time had come at that company. I ripped the bandaid off and left to pursue my own dreams. The next task at hand was the hardest part of the last decade – what will set apart my swimwear? I took about a year and half to think about this. Meanwhile, I traveled as much as I possibly could on a waitress’s income. If I wasn’t serving pizza, I was gone. Through that period of my life, I found myself. It was such a transition from having worked so hard daily to having a lot of time to simply…. think. I found myself often staying with my sister while she was in college at Sonoma State. I would cook for her and her roommates and while they went to class, I would sketch. The time came to really ask myself what I was doing in early 2018. I set the fear of failure aside and took the leap. I will never forget the framework of DARLIN’. Throwing together a brand wasn’t an easy task. I tried not to overthink and design with comfort and functionality in mind for my silhouettes. I would show my more artistic side through the custom prints.
We officially launched in September of 2019. Not the best timing but who could have predicted what was to come. We held on and we held on tight. When I say “we”, I am referring to my sister, Jena. At first, she would help with my hundreds of questions and calm my thoughts. She then modeled for me because look her. We quickly realized she had helped create DARLIN’ and she is full-time with me. We work from a converted garage in Ventura, CA. Every day you can find us here… bikini-slinging. It has been as hard as they say it will be. Many tears. Happy and scared. It is intense creating a brand from scratch. I focus heavily on this being a lifestyle, not just a place to purchase a bikini set. Swimwear is intimate. It is probably the most intimate article of clothing to wear in public for most. Then throw in its need to perform, look cute and feel comfortable. It isn’t an easy task. Luckily, I have thrown my heart and soul into it and it really has turned into an extension of who I am. I didn’t need to try to convey something. It just happened. We are officially 3.5 years old and so excited for what is to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’d like to meet an owner of a start-up that has had a smooth road! All jokes aside, there hasn’t been any major hiccups per se. Stating the obvious would be Covid-19 and launching a few months prior. We still had the utmost support, but as a result of the world being in fight or flight, our raw materials took a hit. We have had exponential fabric delays and are still experiencing these issues. We had to pivot daily. Aside from the pandemic, I think just generally building something from the ground up is not for the faint of heart. You truly have to wear every hat and have no one to pass the torch to when you are stuck or just plain exhausted. You have to push. The fashion industry is also quite messy. It changes second to second because you have so many different contractors performing different tasks. Not only does that take a lot of time to manage, but allows for A LOT of error. So you have to be on it AT ALL TIMES. It’s a ride! But if there was an option to hand it over to someone else, I wouldn’t. I love the game of it and I love seeing the perfect product at the end of the process.
As you know, we’re big fans of Darlin’ Swimwear. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Darlin’ Swimwear is a California swimwear brand for women who believe that swimwear isn’t just a look, it’s a feeling. It isn’t your typical swimwear line. We are bold, a little more gritty, but still feminine and sexy. All of our prints are custom. We source incredible fabric and it is all made here in LA. For me, I didn’t have a direct vision of what I wanted DARLIN’ to look like at first. It was almost like I jumped in head first and instead of some grand plan to set myself apart, I just didn’t think too hard. I chose a fabric I knew would meet my standards and simply chose prints that had caught my eye. It just so happened to be that my love for the West showed through pretty immediately and that has really set us apart. The evolution of this brand is what I am most proud of. We have really found our lane and are sprinting with it. Darlin’ is leading the path and I am just here to make it happen. The group of women that have followed us… there are no words. They are incredible women who have nothing but amazing things to say about the brand. Every release, how the fit is. It’s incredible to see your vision that you didn’t even know was really there, to transform into a brand.
We have a huge line dropping this summer with some of our most unique prints to date and we can’t wait to share them with the world. We are also heading up to be vendors at Under the Big Sky this summer so we truly can’t wait to get our boots on and share our bikinis with Montana. I think with start-ups, the focus on the climb isn’t as appreciated as it should be. It seems like once you get to the “top” you then realize all of the overlooked moments. We aren’t setting out that way. No matter the day, good or hard as can be, we are so happy to be doing what we love and enjoying the ride.
What matters most to you? Why?
Creating swimwear that women feel beautiful and seen in. And not seen as in noticed. Seen as in they resonate with DARLIN’. Maybe it’s the message or maybe they just don’t want to look quite like the rest of ’em. Getting the feedback of them never finding swimwear like this. That is the goal.
Pricing:
- Average top price: $84
- Average bottom price: $84
- One Pieces: $159
Contact Info:
- Website: www.darlinswimwear.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlinswimwear/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darlinswimwear/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJdPbuB63slnpYZ0HwkctXQ
Image Credits
Kyle MacLennan www.kylemacvisuals.com
