I’ve mentioned the handmade retro swimwear by Popina here before (back in 2007), but designer Pamela Levenson’s collection of vintage inspired swimsuits has continued to evolve since then, and she’s got new styles and fabrics that are definitely worth checking out with summer right around the corner!
I’ve always loved the retro look for swimwear — I’ve actually got an amazing vintage pin-up style bathing suit that I adore, but true vintage bathing suits are often hard to find in good condition and the right size!
The Popina retro swimwear collection includes halter one-piece suits, tankinis, bikinis and swim skirts, in a variety of fabrics and sizes, and Pamela also stocks chemical-free lotions on her website. If you’re near Portland, Oregon, you can check out these suits in person at the Popina Portland Swimwear Boutique, where Pamela even offers custom sizing services.
I recently caught up with Pamela to find out a little more about how she got started making these amazing retro swimsuits.
Tell me a little about yourself and your work. My name is Pamela Levenson I am an independent swimwear designer, I live in Portland, Oregon, my swimsuit brand is called Retro Swimwear by Popina.
I grew up in Victoria, British Columbia and have been working in the garment industry for the past 20 years. This experience has given me opportunities to work for Guess? Jeans in Los Angeles, Ca and Paris, France and several larger clothing companies in Oregon. I have lived in Northeast Portland in the Beaumont Wilshire Neighborhood for the last ten years, which is an easy 20 minute walk from home to my shop and studio.
How did you get started as a designer? I began working with swimsuits while in fashion school in Los Angeles when I worked as intern at a prominent boutique bathing suit shop in Hermosa Beach California. At the time I never dreamed the skills I acquired cutting, measuring and doing custom suit orders would come in handy in such a direct way.
What inspires your work? Retro Swimwear by Popina is inspired by the past and the great women who wore them. One of my first swim suit styles was created because I could not find a fashionable swimsuit that fit and flattered the way I wanted. I have always had a passion for styling of the past (40s and 50s in particular) and swimwear was no exception. Reaching back to those eras, I created styles with the influence of days gone by but with the modern convenience of today’s fabric innovations and bathing suit construction. What’s great about Retro Swimwear by Popina is that you can be active or just relax on the beach in style. You will find Retro Swimwear by Popina somewhere between the Copacabana of the 40s and Ipanema today.
What advice you would give to aspiring designers? Love what you do because it is really hard work, get your work out there, don’t be afraid to start small, just start!
Where can people find your work? I sell my suits at my brick and mortar Bathing Suit Boutique in Portland, Oregon, online and wholesale at over 50 spas, boutiques, water parks, resorts and swimwear shops in 15 states.
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great interview, and great bathing suits. the retro styles are something i could definitely get behind:)