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A Retro ‘70’s Look
The original bikini design that inspired and launched Acqua
Sabbia belonged to Zoe’s mom, Lori, and came from her clothing line
manufactured in the 1970s, called Malibu Media. The girls discovered
the now-vintage bikini while raiding Lori’s closet. They not only
admired the “all-cotton” fabrication and feel of the classic design, but
were also amazed that the fit still worked after 40 years! Both Mari and
Lori worked with the girls on one of the first Acqua Sabbia samples.
Mollie and Zoe slightly modified Lori’s original pattern, adding a few
modern touches while staying true to its retro look and feel.
Each Acqua Sabbia bikini is currently designed and hand sewn
either in Santa Barbara or La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico, where Lori
Cleary is now living. Signature looks feature reversible, mismatched but
complementary suits with a flattering low, almost boy-cut bottom and
simple string top. Technically, it is like having four bathing suits in one.
Zoe and Mollie often mix-matched their own bikinis and rarely wore a
The young women first developed their close friendship as high-
school volleyball teammates at Laguna Blanca. Reuniting in Santa
Barbara after graduating college, they founded their bikini brand.
As youngsters, both Zoe and Mollie were influenced and inspired
by two women with extensive backgrounds in the fashion industry:
Zoe’s mother,
Lori Cleary
, a former clothing manufacturer, and Mollie’s
grandmother,
Mari See
, a former seamstress from Dallas, Texas who had
her own lingerie and catalog business in the 1950s. Mari, now a resident
of Santa Barbara, created handcrafted and perfectly tailored Christmas
dresses every year, each one of which Mollie has kept.
Beach-bound Zoe and Mollie often had difficulty finding a bikini
that was
not
a carbon copy of what other girls were wearing at Butterfly,
Hammonds, Miramar, Santa Claus or Rincon (all Santa Barbara area
beaches). They also regularly searched without luck for a bikini that would
not only fit well but would also
stay on
when surfing or swimming.
Zoe Cleary (left) and Mollie See seek to re-establish the appeal and durability of
natural cotton two-piece bathing suits with their Acqua Sabbia brand bikinis