Crystal Jin Swimwear, Cruise 2010 Collection
CRYSTAL JIN SWIMWEAR UNVEILS DEBUT COLLECTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH MERCEDES BENZ SWIM AND SWIMWEAR ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA
Crystal Jin, a luxury swimwear company, is set to unveil its debut collection at Mercedes Benz Swim Week on Friday, July 17th at 4pm at the Penthouse of the Raleigh Hotel as well as the Swimwear Association of Florida’s SwimShow 2010, recognized as the leading trade show in the category. A combination of founder and designer Crystal Jin Eley’s first and middle names, the well-edited assortment of monokinis, bikinis and cover-ups expresses her individual style and comes from personal necessity. Unable to find the perfect swimsuit, Eley just didn’t make do—she made swimwear.
“The fashion seed was planted in my teens, but it wasn’t until this personal void in the market that designing my own collection was firmly rooted,” she says.
It’s usually not an option for the majority of frustrated shoppers, but her broad work experience at top-notch fashion companies created the realistic base to launch her own line. Her most recent post as an accessories designer for J.Crew followed stints at Proenza Schouler, Catherine Malandrino and Lela Rose, where she learned the industry top to bottom. Steps took her from sketching designs, manipulating fabric, and laying out beadwork and embroidery, to managing showrooms, tracking samples and conducting wholesale business at markets.
The initial collection for Resort 2010 consists of more than a dozen styles including triangle and bandeau tops mixed with various bottoms as well as a few monokinis, and is presented in different colors and prints such as animal and geometric for a total of nearly 40 looks. Eley sources nylon with Lycra from Italian mills, and sizes range from extra small to large. The same sizing applies to a small group of cover-ups in woven and knit cottons and silks from Italy.
“Being swimwear, its main goal is walking this fine line between sophistication and sexiness,” she says, envisioning the collection right at home in her favorite stores like Barneys, Bergdorf’s and Intermix.
The brand’s understated elegance also comes across in the company’s logo, a melding of its two first initials to resemble a water droplet. The effect is minimal and inviting, a reflection of Eley’s style that’s equally comfortable in high heels or flip flops, though she’ll always opt for the feminine former. Counting Chloe Sevigny and Jennifer Connolly among her celebrity style inspirations, she isn’t one to follow trends and hopes her customer also is as eclectic, such as mixing vintage and designer clothing.
“I’d rather have the collection be described as dynamic than anything else,” she says.
Eley has a clear cut vision of her market. Her first comparison is a well-cut diamond—meaning multifaceted. The Crystal Jin customer balances chicness and sex appeal, confidence with self awareness and indulgence with social conscience.
“But above everything, she enjoys life,” says Eley of her 20 to 40-something clientele that hops from charity events to art openings to the hottest restaurants and nightclubs.
Like Eley, this modern woman racks up frequent flyer miles on trips to the south of France and exotic lands like Brazil and beyond. This exposure makes her appreciate global influences, so she’s just as happy listening to world music as Brooklyn’s latest indie band at her neighborhood bar. Based on her personal lifestyle, Eley tries to design for this woman who wears Prada to a black-tie affair, and AG jeans with a James Perse tank in the same day. If there were one muse who defines this woman, Eley says it’s Kate Moss.
“Kate’s sexy, clearly independent and has the ability to morph comfortably from one character to another, which all of us have to do daily,” says Eley, who relates her fascination with the color black to the supermodel. “Like Kate, black has endless personalities, a trait I hope my swimwear conveys.”
From there, Eley builds on themes through everyday life from shopping to museum exhibits to the odd photograph or antique button. Ideal for a swimwear designer, she’s also blessed with a water view from her terrace. It’s a link to her childhood in Minnesota’s lake district, where she spent notoriously short summers cramming in enough memories of sailing and sunning to last the winter. Though a good fit, Eley doesn’t plan to be limited to swimwear; a full lifestyle brand looms ahead.
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Crystal Jin’s Biography
Founded by a Parson’s New School for Design alum in 2009 out of sheer exasperation with the category’s limited, lackluster selection, this savvy, women’s contemporary collection rethinks suits and cover-ups for an elegant, modern lifestyle.
The first step is viewing swimwear with the same expectations, advancements and quality as designer clothing. Crystal Jin is created for the sophisticate who demands the same chic aesthetic from her swimwear as she does from the rest of her wardrobe. Only fine, Italian-milled fabrics such as silk chiffon, cotton silk and luxurious knits are sourced. Styles and prints reflect the runway and street, and have chameleon abilities to translate from poolside to drinks, dinner and dancing. Many fashion insiders comment on their versatility as separates that can be worn with shorts, skirts and jeans, and how pieces don’t scream swimwear.
It’s all in the details too. Looks feature precise hand finishing and hardware from Barcelona or special pieces created exclusively for the brand by metal artisans based Los Angeles. The fit and cut of each piece is painstakingly fashioned to ensure that each suits wears like a second skin. Structural elements have been incorporated to showcase the elegance of the collection. A good example is an updated take on the roomy caftan: Three hidden snaps give the wearer more options in shaping the classic garment.
Bikinis like itsy, bitsy triangle and bandeau tops with matching bottoms, and monokinis including a plunging v-neck held snugly to the body with a thin, center strap are minimal and chic. Understatement is reflected in colorblocking, a handful of prints and a subdued, well-edited palette.
It adds up to individual, confident style and a new chapter for swim.
PICTURE GALLERY [Click on Image to Enlarge] Photos: Courtesy of Cece Feinberg.
