What’s the story behind the creation of Maison du Maillot? I hooked up with Fifi, Co-Founder of the business to delve into what makes her and her sister tick when selecting stunning bikini’s & luxury swimwear coupled with finding out a little bit more about her favourite travel haunts.

My sister, Leila, and I launched Maison du Maillot in 2014. Maison du Maillot translates as ‘House of Swimsuits’ and is an online beachwear boutique. www.maisonmaillot.com.

We want to make stunning bikini’s & luxury swimwear accessible to those living in the region and beyond. We have really struggled to find beachwear and with the nearly year-round sun and beach lifestyle in Bahrain, it made sense to source items that we all want.

Many shoppers don’t realise the range of beautifully crafted swimwear out there and for us to discover designers and bring them to the e-boutique is an exciting opportunity for us.

Furthermore, we ship worldwide and have a free returns policy, to ensure that no matter where you are you can shop from us!

What’s your target audience?

Our customers are all over the world and love fashionable, contemporary swim and beachwear that is of a high quality. Due to our location in the Gulf we can ship speedily to Australia, Europe and the US, which is great news for us and our customers!

Next month we are going to be visiting Australia on a media tour and meeting top fashion editors, stylists and bloggers to show them the new collections. We can’t wait to check out the scene in Sydney as well.

What inspires you in terms of swimwear?

The two essential things for us in terms of swimwear are comfort and quality. We have just returned from the trade shows in Miami and were inspired by the beautiful feminine styles in the new collections and the range of blue shades that were just stunning.

Your favourite beach holiday in the world?

My mother lives in Barbados, so visiting her and spending time on the pristine beaches there is always high on my list.

In Europe I love Formentera and the beaches there are pretty unspoilt and the island has a really chilled out vibe. In Asia, Vietnam has some impressive beaches and is a great place to travel for the culture and history as well.

Advice for L2E2T bikini wearers

I think an important thing is to get the size right – don’t wear a slightly oversized bikini thinking it will be more comfortable or a small one hoping you won’t pop out of it! A well fitting bikini is flattering and should enhance your silhouette.

We have a body shape guide on our website which is helpful for choosing the right shape of swimwear. It can be found here: http://www.maisonmaillot.com/body-shapes

Also to answer any shape or style questions, customers can chat to our stylist on our Live Chat available on the website.

What’s in this Summer?

5 key pieces this season would be:

1) The Le Swim kaftan. This is just a versatile piece and can be worn for day or night, at the beach or at the office.

2) Mara Hoffman swimwear is really on trend. We love the bright colours and prints she uses in her designs.

3) Caffe Swimwear are a lux Columbian brand and their kaftans are just stunning. They are real show pieces and can be perfect for a night out.

4) Cali Dreaming is a hip US brand and their bikinis are becoming real celebrity favourites for their understated cool style.

5) A 9 Seed cotton dress is essential for any beach holiday. They can be slipped on over your swimsuit and the simple cuts are chic and sexy. We live in ours during the hotter months!

Website: www.maisonmaillot.com
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