Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Park.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Liz. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Marina West Swim was started in 1998 when our family decided to move to Los Angeles from Seoul, South Korea.
My husband and I definitely wanted to start our own business but was not entirely sure which industry to go into. One random night when we were at a friend for a dinner party, one of the guests was a fortune teller. She had told us that we needed to go into a business related to water. We didn’t think much of what we were told but soon after we somehow found ourselves thinking about a wholesale business in swimwear. I always had a big passion for art/fashion/creating and my husband came from a business background working for Samsung. It seemed like an industry that we could really enjoy and grow so that is when we started Marina West in the Fashion District in DTLA. The name Marina West came from the first elementary school that my two daughters attended when we moved to the states.
When my husband and I first started off in 1998, the trending silhouettes of swimsuits were mostly bikinis or one pieces. However, as the demand for new styles grew, that is when the tankini style started showing up in the swimwear industry. We quickly designed several different varieties in this new tankini style and we were able to really grow our customer base. In about 2 and a half years, we had quite a large number of loyal buyers from all over the states and even internationally. While being in this business for about 20 years as a designer, I always tried my best to cater to different body types, making sure the fit and fabric quality was the best I can provide. I believe through this I was able to really gain trust as a reliable swimwear brand in Los Angeles. I hope to continue to grow as a designer and be able to make my buyers and customers feel confident and happy in my swimsuits.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not always smooth as this was the first time my husband and I ever dealt with factories, fabric vendors, and simply running our own business. However, I think the biggest struggle would have to be the language barrier. We were both not fluent when we started in 1998 which caused some misunderstanding. But because we were running out own brand with limited employee we kind of had to force ourselves and became fluent in a quick amount of time.
Please tell us about Marina West Swim.
My company is a swimwear brand in DTLA. We mostly provide women’s swimsuits but have some men’s and children’s as well. We are currently wholesale based which means that we only sell in a large amount to other vendors such as small boutiques, large departments or online ecomm sites. I am the founder and creative director of Marina West along with my husband, Kevin Park. I am in charge of designing every piece, picking out prints and fabrics, and meeting with different buyers. We are known for our great fit and diverse styles of swimsuits.
Pricing:
- Our swimsuits are only sold in wholesale price which has a average price of around $15.
Contact Info:
- Address: M A R I N A W E S T S W I M
600 E 12TH ST. LOS ANGELES 90015
213 746 1947 - Website: www.marinawestswim.com
- Phone: 213 746 1947
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Stella Berkofsky
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