Swimming in style
Canadian brand offers inclusive swimwear designed to make you feel good about your body
Canadian designers have taken the plunge and entered into the world of swimwear in a big way with something for everyone
Canadian entrepreneur Joanna Griffiths firmly believes a dramatic overhaul of society’s depiction of a “perfect physique” is long overdue.
“For years, we as consumers have been told by brands that our bodies are not good enough if they do not look a certain way, leaving so many women trying to change their bodies to fit into the products that the industry is developing,” she says. “That is crazy!”
Instead of trying to conform to an industry standard, it’s the clothes that should be designed to fit the “real bodies” of shoppers, Griffiths says. “Not the other way around.”
As the founder and CEO of the Toronto-based brand Knix, Griffiths has set out to change the way the apparel industry markets to women — adapting the conversation from one of potential discomfort or shame, to one of acceptance and pride.
“At Knix, we value all women, no matter what size they are,” Griffiths says. “Our brand mission is to create a world where women can unapologetically own who they are.”
After kicking off in 2013 with a crowdfunding campaign for undergarments that were more about comfort and support than sex appeal, the brand has since grown to include a robust ecommerce presence, a retail presence in Nordstrom stores in Canada, and two branded bricks-andmortar stores located in Vancouver and Toronto.
This spring, Griffiths and her team decided to dive into another product category, one that has long been notorious for (tiresomely) promoting a certain body type: swimwear.
“This collection is designed for every woman to feel comfortable in. Whether they are going to the beach with friends or spending time by the pool with their family, our goal is to ensure they feel comfortable and confident in their swimwear,” Griffiths says.
Similar to its undergarments lineup, the Knix swimwear designs are available in an inclusive size range that goes from 32A to 42G and small to XXL (size 20-22). The swimwear pieces, which include two one-piece designs and several separates, are designed to be worn without any fear of falling out.
“You don’t have to worry about your bathing suit riding up or slipping off your shoulder,” Griffiths says. “This is something that a lot of swimwear companies do not consider, and it leaves customers constantly having to fidget with their bathing suit.”
When preparing to launch the collection, Griffiths and her team had dreamed up a campaign that featured several notable Canadian influencers, as well as one contest winner who had entered a draw to star in the campaign.
“We had been planning our Knix Swim launch for several months and initially were going to kick off the collection with a live photo shoot in Tulum, Mexico featuring influencers like Jillian Harris, The Birds Papaya, Sasha Exeter, as well as one lucky customer,” Griffiths explains. Then, COVID-19 hit.
“When the world went into lockdown, we had to get creative and shift our strategy,” Griffith says.
Despite being “nervous about launching a swimwear line during quarantine,” Knix carried out the launch and promotional campaign with home photoshoots, and a few more customers moonlighting as swimwear models.
“We had received over 11,000 customer applications for the original Tulum casting call, so we opted to choose 25 customers from the pool and
Our brand mission is to create a world where women can unapologetically own who they are.” Joanna Griffiths
work with them to bring our campaign to life,” Griffiths says.
The result is a collection of photographs featuring women of all shapes and sizes posing, confidently, in their chosen swimwear style.
“It was our most successful launch in company history,” Griffiths says. “Our campaign features real women in real life and that resonated with our customers.”
She hopes the success of the Knix launch provides a strong example to other swimwear lines and apparel companies to follow suit by highlighting a more diverse range of body shapes and sizes.
“Having an inclusive swimwear line and featuring real women in our campaign changes the narrative that we have seen in the industry for so long,” Griffiths says. “It tells women of all sizes, ‘We see you — and your body is beautiful.’”