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Swimwear isn’t what comes to mind when you think of Humboldt fashion. We’re typically limited to rain gear, hiking gear, and comfortable clothing, and it’s hard to picture someone wearing a swimsuit on our beaches. It’s hard to imagine a swimwear market here.
But Lorena Alvez, 33, is the owner of Lo’s Swimwear in Humboldt County.
Alvez founded the company in 2018 with a vision to create fashionable, inclusive and sustainable swimwear. Originally from Brazil, Alvez is taking the cheeky Brazilian swimwear design and making it as accessible to as many bodies as possible.
“I try to tell women it doesn’t matter what the label says,” Alvez said. “The main thing is that it suits your body.”
Offering pieces in sizes XS to 2XL, she strives to change her size guide on a numbered system. In this way, any implications that come with the usual dosage procedure are removed. Alvez is currently marketing her work InstagramAnd sold directly through her website.
“I have struggled with body issues all my life, and my business is not only a creative aspect of it, but it helps me to encourage myself and other people,” Alvez said.
Every year for her business, Alvez invites local women to model her swimwear. Last year, about 30 women participated in this photo shoot.
Group shot! All photos courtesy of Alvez.
“I see these women of all shapes and sizes respecting each other and it’s powerful,” Alvez says. “Joining means community.”
Alvez and her family immigrated to Boston when she was 7 years old. The oldest of three siblings, she spent most of her childhood in Boston and attended the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for her undergraduate degree. During that time, she studied abroad in Argentina and Spain while receiving degrees in psychology and Spanish. Faithfully, she made a friend abroad who was a student at Cal Poly Humboldt, formerly of Humboldt State University.
After graduating, Alvez had to rush to pay off her student loans. She holds five jobs, bartending, nanny and personal assistant.
Eventually, Alvez was convinced to take a weekend vacation with a friend to visit California. She landed in San Francisco for Pride 2013 and made their way to the Redwood Curtain. After the week passed, Alvez called her mother and told her she wasn’t going back to the East Coast.
She fell in love with Humboldt, but still had to work day to day to pay off her student loans. In the next five years, working without any creativity began to wear on Alvez. Then in 2017, she traveled to Brazil to visit family. Her uncle had the idea of going to a seamstress to make custom speedos and asked her if she wanted to make a label. It was here that Alvez designed her first skirt and got the idea to start selling her designs back home in America.
She brought her designs and quickly sold them all on SnapChat and local markets, and she wants to do more. In some cases, she even takes her items to buyers’ homes, so you can try on the swimwear before you buy.
“My clients kept asking me to make tops, so that’s when I said, ‘OK, I’m going to start a business,'” Alvez said.
In the year In the summer of 2018, Alvez participated in the Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) Summer Entrepreneurship Program, which helped her transition into a legitimate business. In the year In 2019, Alvez began making bodysuits and launched her website and online store. Then in the year In 2020, she launched unisex swimwear, swim trunks and board shorts.
Alvez’s designs became so popular that they were featured in New York Fashion Week 2021. Alvez reported everything. over here.
Although each piece is handmade, Alvez’s inventory grew enough that she began offering bulk purchases. She offers local customers the opportunity to visit her home studio to try on swimwear before buying.
Alvez has agreed to partner with local businesses to sell her swimwear in stores, but she hasn’t closed a deal. That’s one of the reasons she launched a website so quickly, especially for a small business like hers.
“I thought about closing my business for a while, but I really like it,” says Alvez. “I always had side hustles to keep it alive.”
Non-swimwear related, Alvez wants to focus on community engagement with things like the “Goddess Hike,” as she announced on Instagram on April 15. She also hopes to participate in giveaways with other brands and local businesses.
Looking ahead, Alvez formed an LLC in Mexico with hopes of expanding beyond Humboldt County. She is committed to making her products of better quality and sourcing sustainable fabrics to make them last longer than conventional swimwear.
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Do you have an interesting story about living the Humboldt Hustle? Email eddie@lostcoastoutpost.com would love to hear!
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