Frankies Bikinis is my Roman Empire
I recently achieved every girl's dream. I received a PR package from Frankies Bikinis. And then the gorgeous, kind, and generous badass business woman behind it all, Francesca Aiello, let me interview her for this blog.
If you’re even mildly swimwear-obsessed, you know Frankies Bikinis. But what you may not know is how it all began — not in a showroom, but in a high schooler’s bedroom. I wasn’t a great student,” she told me. “I didn’t see myself going to college. But I’d grown up on the beach, always in bikinis, and I couldn’t find any small bathing suits — which sounds so silly — but I couldn't find any that fit how I wanted. So I started getting them made for me and my girlfriends.” “People started asking for them, and suddenly I had a website and an Instagram account for this brand I didn’t even know I was creating.”
That scrappy, intuitive beginning is a through-line in Francesca’s story. She didn’t follow a traditional path. What she did do was trust her eye, stay close to her customers, and leverage social media before most of us knew how powerful it could be. Her small idea became a big reality. Social media was just starting to take off, and Francesca had a gut-level understanding of how to make it work. “I remember sitting in class thinking, what can I post today to help us pass another brand in followers? That was my goal. That’s where I could compete.”
And it worked. From the start, Frankies felt different — not just because of the timing, or the early Insta strategy, or the daring cuts and dreamy color palettes — but because Francesca was creating something that felt different. Real. As someone who’s worn the brand for years (including hand-me-downs from my older sisters), I’ve always felt that a Frankies bikini isn’t just something you throw on before the beach. It’s a look. An entire outfit unto itself. A feeling. “I always wanted it to be more than bikinis,” she told me. “There’s so much vulnerability in putting on a swimsuit. I wanted to make it feel like something empowering — like you were part of a community that lifts each other up.” And that intention shows. Wearing Frankies never feels like you're just wearing a swimsuit. It feels like you’re stepping into a character — the sun-kissed, carefree, confident version of yourself.
That ethos shows up in every detail — from the dreamy Malibu-inspired designs to the tone of the brand’s online presence, which still feels surprisingly personal despite its massive success. Francesca’s creative process is deeply hands-on, fueled by instinct and inspiration rather than industry comparison. When I asked how she keeps the brand so fresh without chasing trends, she told me something I found so interesting: “I don’t look at other swim brands. I’m inspired by my surroundings — by Malibu, by fashion, by anything I see and love. And then I try to bring that into a bikini. I want to surprise people. Disrupt the industry in little ways with every drop.” And she does. Each Frankies collection feels cohesive but never repetitive. Familiar but new. You can spot a Frankies bikini from a mile away — and yet, it still somehow surprises you every time.
Behind the aesthetics, though, is someone who’s put in the work. Francesca didn’t come from a business background. She didn’t have a plan laid out for her. She figured it out as she went. “I had to figure out what type of learner I am,” she said. “I’m hands-on. The more involved I am, the faster I figure it out. It’s taken time, and honestly, a lot of grace. You don’t become the perfect leader or the perfect creative overnight. But I’ve grown with the brand.”
There was something deeply vulnerable, and really inspiring, about the way she talked about her early years. “When I first started, I couldn’t even look people in the eye and tell them I was building a bikini brand. I didn’t feel proud. Everyone around me was going to college. I felt different. But now, I’d tell that version of myself to be proud of doing something different. Be patient. And keep going.”
Talking to Francesca felt like talking to a friend — one who just so happens to have worked with some of the biggest names of our generation including Bella Hadid, Pamela Anderson, and Sydney Sweeney, and basically redefined how an entire generation experiences swimwear. And yet, she still lights up when you ask about old designs (the crochet Poppy one piece is a favorite).
When I asked what her dream off-day looked like, she smiled and said, “Wake up early. Walk my dog. Matcha. Go to the beach. Surf. Be in the sun all day.” It made perfect sense. Francesca is her own brand, she is the Frankies girl — playful, grounded, effortless, and stylish. That’s what makes the brand feel like more than just swimwear. Not just a name. Not just a swimsuit. But a story. One that a lot of us, especially girls like me who grew up idolizing the brand, now get to be a part of.