Newly launched sustainable swimwear brand, onetwenty swim, is absolute business goals. We love their ethos. We love their products. We love how they go about it. We had a chat with their founder, Sophia Calvi, on inspiration, daily routine and big dreams.
Tell us about onetwenty swim.
onetwenty swim is a brand that focuses solely on luxurious & sustainable one piece swimsuits, with only twenty per style ever sold.
While our pieces are exclusive, we celebrate complete inclusivity. I wholeheartedly believe that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, looks, ages, backgrounds & genders and through this brand, will showcase the true meaning of beauty in all of its diversity.
We do our part in protecting our people and environment by using recycled fabrics, sustainable packaging & ensuring all work places exceed ethical standards. Our exclusivity & limited stock places an emphasis on slow fashion by encouraging customers to shop consciously & get the most out of every swimsuit purchased. We also do our part in giving back by donating 10% of profits from each collection to a different cause or charity.
So much love, thought & attention goes behind every single design. There’s a story unfolding & an intention that when you put on a onetwenty swimsuit, you elevate into a higher version of yourself.
What inspired you to start onetwenty swim?
Starting a fashion label has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl & swimwear has been a borderline obsession since my teens. Fashion runs in my blood, it’s part of my soul & it’s something I’m wildly passionate about.
This brand started because I saw a gap in the swimwear market when it came to one piece swimsuits – flattering cuts were hard to find, conscious brands were far & few between & unique designs were rare, so I decided to bite the bullet & do it myself.
Tell us about your career and background.
I’ve worked in many different fields & started many different side hustles over the years – from real estate to events to health to marketing & basically everything in between. I’ve always been a creative with an entrepreneurial spirit & knew that at some point, I had to be a boss. The whole 9-5 & working for someone else never has been & never will be, for me.
After a lot of trial & error, I feel I have finally found my passion & purpose with onetwenty swim. There is no better feeling than seeing my designs on other people & playing a part in helping them feel sexy & confident in swimwear.
Along with building the onetwenty swim brand, I also currently work creating UGH & have just signed to a boutique modelling agency here in the Gold Coast!
Describe a typical work day for you.
No two days are ever the same, especially because we are at the start of our journey! Different things are popping up all the time but I’d say it would go something like this:
Head into the onetwenty swim office with an iced latte in hand, respond to emails, pack orders, communicate with retailers, top up the stock in the office, respond to IG messages, organise social content, plan photoshoots, go to photoshoots, plan future collections, collect design inspo, roll with whatever the day throws at me & head to the post office on the way home.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Figure out what you’re really passionate about, what you will do absolutely anything & everything for because you love it so much that you don’t care about making little sacrifices. Starting a business can be a lot but if you love it enough, you’ll be motivated to see things through & you won’t quit whenever you hit little bumps along the road.
What’s next for you, and onetwenty swim?
Oh gosh – so many ideas run through my head but right now my main focus is to build the brand & get our name out there.
Designing is by far my favourite part & I absolutely love seeing my designs come to life so I can’t wait to release new collections & have more fun photoshoots. I also really love connecting with people so I’d love to host more events & meet our customers in person!
My big picture plan is for onetwenty swim to be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to one piece swimsuits & to be a globally recognised brand.
To view the gorgeous onetwenty swim collection, please click here.
