We gave Fashion Rio a miss this season (it’s not all positive cultural
developments down South), but our radar locked on to the exquisite
presentation from swimwear giant Lenny. On our watch list for global expansion at a time when swimwear has a bold new presence (in the form of the IMG-owned Miami Swim Show), Lenny’s, with its uniquely polished designs of the highest universal standard, is a label women will soon become more intimate
with.

A former landscape architect, Lenny Niemeyer has been at the forefront
of the bikini revolution. In 1983 she moved from São Paolo to Rio, and
promptly identified a gap in the market: the sophisticated swimsuit.
Using her background in landscape design, she fashioned a new kind of
bikini for herself, a skillful blend of form and function. Her closest
friends started to clamor for her unusual designs, and soon she was
forced to buy the apartment next door to house her burgeoning swimwear
business.

Fast forward 20 years to Lenny’s 18 boutiques in Brazil and
international retail distribution from Holt Renfrew to Barneys, Harrods, and Printemps, with plans for further expansion into the US with the
opening of freestanding Lenny boutiques. And, although the empire is
fast expanding, it’s a very hands-on undertaking for Niemeyer, who
continues to design and manage the entire operation, with only the help
of a few sourcing assistants. Her wares have been seen on the
beach-friendly bodies of everyone from Giselle Bünchden to Nicole Kidman to Devon Aoki, and the same spirit that infused
the conception of the line still holds true today: sexy, sophisticated looks for the chic beach babe. "I design for the independent
chic woman and my suits are meant to highlight their femininity and charm," Niemeyer explains — a fact surely not lost on
her aforementioned clients.

Spring/summer 2008 was a riot of textures and colors, taking inspiration from surreal art (Joan Miró) and modern architecture
(Le Corbusier). "Fragments fight to make organic shapes or mosaics, and architectural patterns open up new frontiers," says
Niemeyer. Think prints created from the fine lines and cracks in decorative tiles in bold blues, reds, and yellows, paired
with key hardware details like quartz, leather, patent, and hammered metal adorning suits. New Touch Lycra, an extremely soft,
double-faced fabrication, allows the suits to take on shapes that are more fluid and flexible, and creates drape and ruching
to hide trouble spots. Speaking of fit, Lenny’s creations are truly innovative when it comes to translating a woman’s body
into a chic silhouette. Magically, a Lenny suit minimizes and maximizes in all the right places, without heavy stiff construction
or restricting support materials, but rather through gorgeous details that create interest without adding pounds to, or feeling
awkward on, the body.

Perfect for Fortaleza, Los Angeles, and Saint-Tropez, Lenny manages to make
simple details like twisted bandeaus, adjustable halter rings, and
cutouts accentuated with underwire frame the sexiest aspects of a
woman’s body with ease and grace, not to mention a fierce beach profile. With the label’s expansion comes a new line
of shirtdresses, the launch of a fragrance, and even a home accessories line.
-Meghan Cleary

Photos:
Lenny s/s ’08