Swimwear, yes, but not just swimwear!

With 100% domestic production , recycled and certified fabrics, and unique prints handmade by founder Béryl Bouvier, b(e).swimwear aims to establish itself in the high-end, eco-friendly swimwear market.

The project began with a simple observation: 5 to 10% of global CO2 emissions are generated by the fashion industry.

Relocated production, fast fashion, the use of highly toxic chemicals, deplorable working conditions: all these ecological and ethical factors call for a real rethink.

So why not try to do better by creating a brand based on respect for the planet and for people?

In addition to the ecological and ethical dimension of the project, there's also the notion of self-acceptance and self-love. b(e).swimwear's mission is to avoid creating complexes.

So it's "real" women, of different ages, morphologies and origins, who pass before the photographer's lens. No body is retouched. Each swimsuit is designed to adapt to different morphologies, and the range of sizes is wide: from 34 to 48 for this first collection.

Above all, KEDGE brought me new encounters. Taking part in a humanitarian trip to Brazil organized by a KEDGE association led to a similar experience with a Beauty Success Manager (Bordeaux) in charge of recruiting her future trainee.

My profile caught her attention, and following an interview with her, she decided to put her trust in me for my very first professional experience as Assistant Product Manager in marketing development.

Six months later, on the strength of this first experience, I left for a second 6-month internship at Cartier in Mexico, this time in operational marketing.

Back at KEDGE for my Master 2, I met Jonas Holmqvist. He was my professor in Luxury Marketing and my thesis tutor. Thanks to this meeting, I was lucky enough to take part in the InsideLVMH competition, which was an added bonus when I applied for a job at Christian Dior Couture in Paris. I was recruited on a permanent basis as an e-Merchandiser, following my end-of-studies internship in Digital Content.

Thanks to this professor, I was also able to speak on several occasions during his courses at KEDGE for Luxe x Digital sessions.

I also had the opportunity to speak at a seminar for a Finnish company on the theme of "Luxury x e-Commerce".

b(e). swimwear was born out of a troubled period, following a burn-out. At the time, I wanted to change my life, to leave Paris and do something that would allow my creativity to shine through. As artistic activities had been essential to my mental and physical healing, I felt I needed to include this dimension in my daily life.

Having grown up by the water, the idea of swimwear came quite naturally. The idea of associating these swimsuits with the drawings I was making was just the next logical step. Then, in August 2021, I began to think seriously about the project: building a business plan, weighing up the pros and cons, interviewing entrepreneurs.

Having spent several years working for French luxury brands, I had a good grasp of marketing and ecommerce, but not of fashion design. So I decided to train myself online in the basics of this new profession. In April 2022, the company was created and things began in earnest.

My current job actually encompasses several, as I do almost everything myself. Styling, design and creation of patterns, exchanges with the workshop, research and relations with suppliers, creation and management of the website, communication, logistics, dispatch of parcels, after-sales service, administration, art direction and even photo modeling, I really do go through every link in the chain, from the initial idea to dispatch of the parcel to the customer.

To help me bring my project to fruition, I've been lucky enough to be able to surround myself with solid, conscientious partners (manufacturing workshop, suppliers, photographer, accountant...) in whom I have complete confidence.

The support of those close to me is also essential, and it's thanks to them that b(e).swimwear is flourishing today.

From the second collection onwards, the aim is to develop swimwear compatible with the wearing of breast prostheses, particularly for women who have undergone a mastectomy. The idea is to be able to launch these swimsuits on pre-order in September/October 2023, at the time of Pink October.

Ready-to-wear will also complete the swimwear lines for summer 2024. In the longer term, a children's and men's line will be launched. For the time being, the aim is to concentrate on the French market before expanding into Europe and, why not, the United States.