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Heidi Klein Co-Founder, Heidi Gosman Talks Bikinis, Beaches & Holiday-Packing

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Absolutely catches up with entrepreneur and Heidi Klein co-founder, Heidi Gosman on bikini trends, beaches and packing for a holiday

Words Pendle Harte

What makes a great bikini?

Without a doubt, it’s all about fit. Getting that right is 90% of the battle for women purchasing bikinis, and one of the problems that plague the search for so many is that there are plenty of designers doing truly gorgeous bikinis that only fit very specific, often unrealistic body shapes. We put a huge amount of research and emphasis on making sure that everything we create is beautiful on and off the body. Every single Heidi Klein swimsuit goes through a seven-stage fit cycle, on different body types.

And what makes a terrible one?

Bad support and wearing the wrong size. Beyond that, it’s down to personal style, and everyone has their own.

How do trends affect swimwear? What’s new for SS18 at Heidi Klein?

Trends in swimwear tend to affect shapes and silhouettes most dramatically. More than anything, we change our palettes, developing hand-blended colours and patterns we hand-paint in-house. We always have new shapes, but we also do have a lot of timeless classics that we have absolutely perfected over time. Our customers love knowing they can always find their dream shapes in fresh colourways.

What are your best-selling pieces?

Easily our core nautical range. It’s the DNA of the brand and a huge success, not only in the UK but all over the world.

How have your swimwear designs evolved over the years?

It’s really interesting actually- there have been such enormous levels of innovation and advancement in the technology around swimwear, particularly in the last 5 years.  Because we put such a focus on research and development, we’ve been able to really harness these changes and build them into our products and design. Fabrics dry faster; provide greater and more consistent SPF; padding holds shape better; colours stay true in even more extreme conditions and there are wonderful developments in ethics and sustainability in the sector. I would say there’s not a single component in our swimsuits that has not been enhanced dramatically by recent innovations.

Who is your favourite designer?

In the world? I’d have to say Carolina Herrera. She just never gets it wrong, does she?

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Where is your favourite holiday destination?

I’ve been visiting Botswana for 20 years- safari there is an incredibly special thing to experience. Positano and the Riviera will always have a special place in my heart, it’s where I went on my honeymoon.

How many bikinis do you pack for a holiday?

I wish I could take hundreds, but I’m always on the run and often travel with carry-on only, so I can’t pack too many. I’d say at least an edited choice of three, easily, as I’m always curious to trial the new collections and test how they actually perform. They all have to be perfect, of course!

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