Why the Kardashians can’t get enough of Australian bikini label IIXIIST

Rebecca Klodinskly started a swimwear label as a side hustle during her uni days. This year, she made $80,000 in a single 24 hours.

Rebecca Klodinskly started her own swimwear label while she was still at uni — but within a few years, her designs were being worn by celebrities including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.

It’s an incredible success story for the 30-year-old, who launched IIXIIST (previously known as Frankii Swim) from her bedroom less than six years ago, in December 2013.

Today, the brand is raking in more than $7 million each year and has amassed a 235,000-strong Instagram following with loyal fans across the globe.

Ms Klodinskly told news.com.au the business had become such a huge success so quickly by “meticulously re-engineering the basic bikini” and because she had identified a gap in the market and pounced at just the right time.

The Kardashian clan are fans of the Aussie label. Picture: Instagram/@frankiiswim

“I started the label way back when, before Afterpay, and the light bulb went off one day when my sister came home with a swimsuit she had just picked up from lay-by,” she said.

“It was very expensive — maybe $300 — and I thought it was mind-boggling to have to lay-by a swimsuit.

“It fell into place after that conversation because I researched and found there were only Kmart swimwear or high-end Aussie labels and surf brands — there was no happy medium, so there was a hole in the market.”

At the time, Ms Klodinskly was studying a double degree in psychology and forensic science at university and was also working full time, which meant IIXIIST began as a side hustle.

“There was a lot of hesitation because no one else was doing anything like it — now it’s kind of normal to call your girlfriends and tell them you’re quitting your job to start an e-commerce business, but at the time I didn’t tell anyone because I was so scared,” she said.

The brand is making millions every year — and is only five-and-a-half years old. Picture: Instagram/@frankiiswim

But it soon got to the point where Ms Klodinskly, then 24, couldn’t manage uni exams and her customers’ orders as well, and she knew it was time to take the plunge.

In the early days, the business was run out of the entrepreneur’s own home and she managed everything herself, from emails to orders and everything in between.

But IIXIIST soon took off thanks to Ms Klodinskly’s dedication to designing swimwear that focused on the “perfect fit”.

“The market was flooded with ill-fitting, unflattering swimsuits that were cheap and didn’t fit well — I redesigned the bralette with different shapes, cuts and sizes to make the perfect fit,” she explained.

Then, around four years ago, superstar Rihanna was spotted in a Frankii Swim nude bikini, and since then, a slew of celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid have all followed suit.

Ms Klodinskly said it was incredible to see her designs worn by some of the most famous women on the planet.

Frankii Swim has a cult following thanks to its ‘perfect fit’. Picture: Instagram/@frankiiswim

“It was great — it was around four years ago, so it was just on the cusp of the trend of celebrities influencing fashion. I just thought, ‘Wow, something must be going on — I guess I did something right with that fit’,” she said.

“And our nude suit has been one of our bestsellers ever since which is very cool — there has been a solid celebrity following of the same basic bralette and bottoms which we’ve seen them gravitate to.”

She said celebrity support was a “really big factor” in the brand’s ongoing success.

“A lot of our followers look up what celebrities are wearing, so ultimately it’s great to be recognised by them,” she said.

She said after her swimwear was snapped on celebrities and shared on social media she started to “really appreciate” Instagram and the power it held for businesses.

Rebecca Klodinskly started her own swimwear label while she was still at uni. Picture: LinkedIn

Around five months ago, Ms Klodinskly, who splits her time between Melbourne and the Gold Coast, again decided to shake up the industry by holding the first ever digital “pop-up sale”.

The idea was born after she had been inundated by comments from fans who had missed out on real-life pop-up sales due to their location — so as a result, the young designer decided to invite her followers to shop her on-trend bikinis and swimsuits at outlet prices during a special sale.

That move raked in a staggering $80,000 in just over 24 hours.

When it comes to her own swimwear preferences, Ms Klodinskly said she always opted for blacks and nudes in classic cuts over fads like cut-outs and skimpy designs, which she believes are favoured by influencers and not “the girl next door”.

She said there had also been a recent backlash against cheap fast-fashion, with more and more customers opting for higher-quality, longer-lasting pieces.

“We’re seeing a lot of classic cuts, block colours and string-tied bikinis — customers are going back to simplicity,” she said.

“Our big sellers are our basics — our nude and black ‘Kim and Kylie’ bikini which has been with us from Day Dot, but Kim was seen in it just last month, and six years later, it’s still a number one.”