Waterwear 2012 Mikoh: Two Sisters With a Dream
As tweens, Kalani and Oleema Miller lived the life of surfer girls.
They were on the Roxy surfing team for nearly a decade and modeled for the brand started by Quiksilver to cater to fresh-faced ocean-going girls who wanted to look cool after riding the waves.
So it seemed only natural that the 20-something Miller sisters would launch a swimwear brand born of their love for the sea, which comes from growing up in San Clemente, Calif., and being part of a surfing family.
“It was a natural progression from wearing swimsuits every day for work to starting a line of our own,” said Oleema, who is the design force behind the label. “We felt there was a hole in the marketplace. There were some suits that were functional and you could surf in, but they weren’t really great fashion.”
In February 2010, the sisters launched their line, called Mikoh, at the same time that the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimwear issue came out. The magazine’s annual swimsuit issue is considered an influential launch pad for new swim brands. Last year, the magazine featured one Mikoh suit. This year, the sisters had three suits in the issue.
“One of my friends working in public relations had a contact for Sports Illustrated, and on a whim we sent them some suits, and they loved them,” said Kalani, who handles the business side of operations and is also dating surfing legend Kelly Slater.
The suits, all handmade in Bali, Indonesia, are seamless constructions with no hardware. For Resort 2012, there are four different styles for one-pieces, including a string design on the back of one suit.
The two-pieces have halter tops, bandeau tops and triangle tops. Bottoms are both a skimpier bikini cut and fuller silhouettes such as a boy bottom. Strings of fabric are employed for straps on the tops and as side panels on the bottoms. Stringed fabric appears in some of the suits as a very long tassel.
The entire collection is made of 80 percent nylon and 20 percent spandex with double lining for extra fit and comfort. Wholesale prices for separates are $40 to $47 and $95 for one-pieces.
For more information, contact HM Showroom at (310) 828-9454 or visit www.mikohswimwear.com.—Deborah Belgum
