Our Someone 2 Know moved to northern Nevada in her late teens, and after attending fashion and design college, launched her swimwear business - Strange Bikinis - right here in Reno. The company continues to prosper and grow - thanks to its founder and designer, Ali Conway.
We met up with Conway the store and showroom on Dickerson Road in Reno.
"These are probably our most popular bottoms,” Ali explains, showing us a sample, “They have little corsets. And this is the back, so that goes on the booty, so it's a really unique design.”
A unique - or strange - design, that creator and founder, Ali Conway, decided would be a fun - and perfect - name for her business.
"I envisioned, like, a girl running down the beach and another girl saying 'hey, what's that swimsuit?!' And her looking back, being, like, 'it's a strange bikini.’“
And that is how the business was born. Strange Bikinis was launched in 2012 in Reno - and Ali says in the early days it was really more of a hobby.
"I started with hand-making them all, here, and it was a really personal transaction."
From creating and cutting the patterns, to the final product, Ali did it all - and quickly, her bikini designs gained popularity.
"The growth is just - each year, I'm shocked by how much growth we accomplish.”
Strange Bikinis has a strong online presence, one shop in Reno, one in Santa Cruz – and reviews from magazines like Forbes, Shape and Bella. Plus, a recent a request from Sports Illustrated.
"Normally, Sports Illustrated definitely goes for more of a sexy look.”
And while Ali knows her designs are flirty, she says her brand is more "skater, surfer, mountain-girl."
"... but when I got the call for this mood, I thought it was a match,” smiles Conway, “So, I’m submitting.”
Ali believes customers are drawn to her designs because she really listens to what women want in a bathing suit.
"I wanted to create swimsuits that pretty much fit a body like me, and I would kinda call that - most bodies."
And the icing on the top - the entire Strange Bikinis line is eco-friendly.
"We use a biodegradable fabric here, which is something new, actually completely for the swimwear industry."
Next year the company will also begin using recycled fabrics, plus, "We're gonna be introducing little girl swim suits soon,” beams Ali.
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The Strange Bikini line is no longer hand-sewn; the suits are now produced in small batches - and can be altered or customized, if needed.
All are designed by Ali Conway.
Check them out here –
