posted by admin on Jul 8
Ever wondered why the daring swimwear is called bikini? Well, this term was cooked up 63 years ago by French fashion designer Louis Reard who at that time displayed a two-piece swimwear at the Piscine Molitor.
On July 5, 1956, Reard showed to the world the first bikini swimwear. It was also him who called these swimwear line “Bikini” which was named after the Bikini Atoll located in the Pacific. The said atoll served as a test site for nuclear weapons way back in 1946.
Reard explained at that time that he wanted the launch of the bikini swimwear to be as explosive and popular as the nuclear tests being done in the area.
The French designer started as a car engineer but later shifted to lingerie designing after he started running his mother’s boutique in Paris. He was assisted by fashion designer Jacques Heim who has been developing beachwear at that time.
The bikini at that time would today be perceived to be conservative since the bottom was large enough to cover the navel. But back then this cut even caused controversy among models who protested wearing these.
Eventually, the bikini swimwear gained support from the masses and has inspired designers to come up with more daring cuts. Today the bikini comes in many different sizes and shapes, in brands like panache and oneill.
Leave a Reply