Megan Mae Stevens will present a Hamptons Swim Week Collection, her first on the East End, at Hamptons Fashion Week. Megan is the founder and creative director at Megan Mae Miami. As a swimwear model, Megan has worn countless swimwear. This experience has given her knowledge on the proper fit and characteristics of high-quality swimwear. Stevens aims to utilize her expertise and creative passion to design.
Tell us about your background as a designer. Was this always your passion?
I grew up in central Michigan in a family of entrepreneurs who have been in business for 50-plus years, and I always wanted to have my own business. I graduated from college with a degree in Exercise Physiology. After wearing numerous bikinis over the years, both as a model and a beachgoer, I set out to build a brand that would not only be luxuriously soft and fashionable to wear, but would also feature extraordinary fit and comfort. Our high quality swimsuits and bikinis move effortlessly with the body as it moves, allowing the customer to feel confident all day long.
You are a swimwear model and designer. How has your career as a model guided you as a designer?
I was a swimwear model before I became a designer. This gave me the opportunity to see and wear many different styles and fabrics on the market. I learned during this process to identify gaps in the market and turn them into an opportunity to create a luxury swimwear product line that I was proud to wear. So when I decided to launch my own brand, the experience I had previously as a bikini model was extremely valuable in influencing my design ideas.
Tell us a little about the material you use for your pieces. How is craftsmanship and sustainability at the forefront?
Nearly all of our primary fabric is made from a special synthetic fiber called EcoNyl. This fiber is manufactured from recycled fishing nets and other ocean waste plastics through a special regeneration and purification process. It is similar to virgin nylon, but recycled and recyclable, and therefore it is a greener alternative. Our swimsuit product line is 100 percent manufactured in the USA by veteran swimsuit and garment workers who are perfectionists when it comes to cutting, sewing, and finishing our beautiful products. Quality control is our number one manufacturing priority.
What is your design process? Where do you find your inspiration?
Our design process starts with an idea I have for a new collection. Through internal discussions with our team, this idea gets refined into a working concept. From there, our product design engineers develop initial patterns and samples for me to evaluate. Once the final sample is approved, the specs are then sent to the plant for production.
Miami is a thriving city in America that is not only growing, but changing all the time. I often draw inspiration for my new designs from the various neighborhoods in Miami, such as Brickell, the Design District, Wynwood, South Beach, etc., and from the people who live there. I am also influenced by the bright colors and different styles of architecture in the city.
Talk about how your goal is to save the ocean one bikini at a time.
At Megan Mae Miami, we strive to always be conscious of the important health and environmental trends influencing not just swimsuits and apparel, but the entire beauty industry. When we set out to design and build our product line, we knew that sustainable fabrics had to be at the forefront. We stand with our customers in supporting the movement toward environmental and health safety each time they purchase one of our bikinis.
What are you most looking forward to at Hamptons Fashion Week? And what can guests expect from your show?
We are very much looking forward to exhibiting our beautiful swimwear at the Hamptons Fashion Week Swimwear Show at the end of August. Since our designs were developed in South Florida, this show gives us an opportunity to present the Megan Mae Miami swimwear line to an important new market for us in the Northeast. This summer, we have already presented four of our newest collections at previous shows and events, and I am confident we will come up with some absolutely stunning looks for the Hamptons!
What’s next for Megan Mae Miami?
We hold regular new product design meetings throughout the year, and we intend to broaden our product line with new colors, fabrics, and styles as the year progresses. We are also looking into extending our reach by adding sun care and skin care products, as well as after-swim casual wear.
