Swimwear has always been a challenge. As a curvy woman, I’ve always yearned for swimsuits that looked chic, felt good and stayed put. Swimsuit shopping was always a nightmare - I never found one that fit quite right. When I moved to Rio, I found myself living in bikinis day in and out. And yet, even in the bikini capital of the world, I never found one that I really LOVED. Yes, I surfed in those triangle tops and tie-up bottoms, but I found myself adjusting myself more than enjoying myself.
So I decided to do something about it.
Swimwear has always been a challenge. As a curvy woman, I’ve always yearned for swimsuits that looked chic, felt good and stayed put. Swimsuit shopping was always a nightmare - I never found one that fit quite right. When I moved to Rio, I found myself living in bikinis day in and out. And yet, even in the bikini capital of the world, I never found one that I really LOVED. Yes, I surfed in those triangle tops and tie-up bottoms, but I found myself adjusting myself more than enjoying myself.
So I decided to do something about it.
Now in Rio Swim
I have been dreaming about my brand for years. We launched in 2020, and right off the bat, I had issues with manufacturers. Most of them have too many clients and not enough time. They do not want to slow down. They do not want to go back and fix things. They just want to produce and move on to the next brand.
But I know my customers. They want swimwear that works with them, not against them. They want pieces that hold them, move with them, and actually feel good on their bodies. That means you have to test. You have to tweak. You have to change things. You have to care. And I wanted to constantly adjust, improve, and make the product better.
The problem was that I could not find a partner who shared that vision.
One manufacturer turned into another, and then another. I was rushed, ignored, and made to feel like I was asking for too much just because I wanted the product to be right. One time, I was literally screamed at on the phone and hung up on. I remember sitting there crying, thinking, this is not how it is supposed to feel to build something you love.
So I took a break.
When I moved from Portugal to Canada, I decided to relaunch Now in Rio Swim. I found another manufacturer and I thought this time it would finally work. We talked through everything. Every piece. Every detail. We were aligned on what the brand was supposed to be.
And then one month turned into two. Two into a year. And things still were not done. Samples were late. Promises were broken. Eventually, that relationship fell apart too.
And then something really random happened. A friend told me about another woman who also owns a swimwear brand and said we should talk. We had never met before. We just started chatting about what we were both dealing with. At some point she said her dream was to own her own factory.
I remember just sitting there thinking, wait. That is my dream too.
A space where I could actually be in control. Where I could take the time to develop great products instead of rushing them. Where I could test, fit, adjust, and really get things right. A place where Now in Rio Swim could finally be built the way it was always meant to be built.
And not just for my brand. I wanted to create a place for other brands as well. A reliable, woman owned manufacturing space that understands what it is like to build something from nothing. A place that listens. A place that cares. A place that does not treat brands like numbers on a spreadsheet.
That is why I decided to create and launch my own factory.
YOUR FIRST LOOK
To celebrate this launch, the first pre-sale orders will be gifted a handcrafted, hand-painted pair of earrings made by a local Brazilian artist. Each pair is unique, just like the women who wear them.