SUMMER OF SWIM

New Mom Candice Swanepoel on How to Look Chic on the Beach While Pregnant, and Her New Eco-friendly Swimwear Line: “It’s My Third Baby”

"After this pregnancy, I have some ideas!"

June 22, 2018

Photo courtesy of Tropic of C

It’s been a busy few months for Candice Swanepoel, to say the least. On Tuesday, she welcomed her second child, just a few weeks after launching her new eco-friendly swimwear line, Tropic of C. “It’s my third baby!” Swanepoel laughed as she looked back on the two-year process of creating the line. (Of course, Baby One is the supermodel’s 20-month-old son, Anacan, and Baby Two is the new son, whom she gave birth to at home.)

As Swanepoel has starred in numerous swim shoots throughout her career, it would seem that launching a swimsuit line would be an easy child—if we’re keeping up the metaphor—to care for. “I’ve always been drawn to fashion, but [through] modeling you really get the inside scoop,” she said. “I also get to see what works and what doesn’t firsthand, from colors and skin tones to stitch and stretch. As models, we learn to interpret and understand many different styles, and the history of fashion, as things always repeat.”

For her debut collection, Swanepoel decided to focus on silhouettes she loved from the ’80s and ’90s, the heydey of the supermodel. The line’s signature is a high-cut leg, which is a personal favorite of Swanepoel’s. “I think the hips are one of the sexiest parts of a woman’s body, so I like to accentuate that,” she explained. The collection’s muted tones are also a nod to the ’90s, but the working mom noted that “the earth is our color palette,” and that she’s very inspired by all nature has to offer.

In addition to offering chic swimwear with a smart fit in earthy hues, sustainability is a huge part of what Swanepoel aims to promote with Tropic of C. She firmly believes that “being sustainable should be the norm,” and her swimsuits are created, in part, from regenerated nylon fiber, a substance that is fabricated from fishing nets and nylon waste. “Packaging of product is another area where we can push for a more sustainable approach,” she added. “I’m always receiving gifts or purchases wrapped in plastic 10 times. We were very conscious not to do that.”

Though she managed to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and pose nude while pregnant, Swanepoel may not have been wearing her own line in the later months leading up to her son’s birth. “I wore them in the beginning of my pregnancy, but when my belly got too big I had to go with some simple triangle bikinis, as they are easy to adjust as you grow,” she said. “I would like to, in the future, design something specificity for pregnant women. After this pregnancy, I have some ideas!”

Here, Candice Swanepoel shares her favorite destinations, beach must-haves, and how she styles her swim from day to night.

Pool vs. beach:

Beach, always.

Favorite vacation destination:

Brazil, Mexico, Seychelles, and Bora Bora.

Beach must-haves:

Speakers, sunscreen, and conditioner.

Favorite beach vacation memory:

I have so many! There is something special about sunrise or sunset swims, or swimming in the rain.

Favorite swimsuit inspiration:

Bo Derek in Tarzan.

How would you style swim for a fun night out:

I love one pieces for this reason—you can go from the beach straight to happy hour! Depending on the place or occasion, [I would wear] either denim shorts and earrings to accessorize or, if it’s fancier, a chic skirt, slick ponytail, and red lip.

Any swimsuit style you would never wear:

Never say never.

What are you reading this summer:

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

What is your essential summer playlist?

Reggae classics.