Bondi Born has bred a new take on timeless swimwear.
Draya Michele is many things: a top model, a former reality star, a mother, an actress, an entrepreneur, an Instagram influencer with more than 8.7 million followers.
Anyone who cooks knows (and loves) olive oil. To the Greek gods, olive oil was the life force that sustained everything and everyone. Today, we can only aspire to be immortal– but at least our skin can look it.
Whether you have a Valentine, galentine, or just want to celebrate self-love, this Valentine’s Day is one to dress up for. Why not celebrate 2022? Don’t look any further, we have the best dresses for every kind of V-Day below.
For the Luxe Date Night
Feel like a Greek goddess in this stunning olive-hued velvet gown by Miss Circle. The Yanis Olive Velvet Mesh Corset Gown boasts an asymmetrical design with a peekaboo mesh detail, and a side slit for a high-low detail ($159). We’re head over heels for its subtle regal vibes and twist on timeless Hollywood.
For Galentine’s Day Brunch
SOFIA The Label’s Bella Frill Playsuit in pink and violet floral ($352) has the perfect playful ruffle detail on the neckline and hem to have fun in. Let’s be real, a happy outfit can make us all happy for the day! Toast some champagne and have fun with your gal pals.
For the Classic Valentine’s Day Ball
Miss Circle’s Zayda Red High Slit Corset Satin Gown ($195) can either be worn off-the-shoulder or straight up, and we can’t get enough of the inner boning and intricate design that both holds us in (where we need it!) and makes everything look smooth AF. It’s also perfect for Valentine’s Day with a stunning red hue.
For a Steamy Club Party
Step aside standard LBD, there’s a new little black dress in town– with a major twist. Thanks to Heiress Beverly Hills, our wardrobe has stepped up a notch for date night with the Embellish Crystal Lined Mini Dress ($168). With a see-through cutout and a crystal-trimmed bust, cutoff sleeves, and torso, it’s safe to say we’re dripping in (faux) diamonds. There’s nothing that will boost your confidence more than strutting your stuff up in the club in this stunner.
For a Beach Celebration
Ready to pack your bags for Miami and beat the winter weather? Well, don’t forget the little green dress you need to feel amazing. The Felis Green Lace-Up Strappy Ruched Mesh Dress ($149) is slinky, sexy, and ruched in all the right places. Who said Valentine’s Day needs to only be pink and red?
For the Opera Date
It’s all about the subtle ruching with Nocturne’s simple yet iconic LBD. The V-Neck Midi Dress ($161) has both a front and a back V-neck, plus a hidden in-seam back zip. It’s subtle, it’s classy, and it’s ready for date night.
For a Romantic Picnic
If you are blessed to live where the sun still shines in February, then you need to embrace it! We are totally in love with the Terra Dress by Daze Dayz ($178), which is perfect for a rom-com style outdoors picnic to celebrate V-Day. The midi dress boasts a vintage flower pattern in a lush, rich terra-cotta color. The square front and slightly ruched neckline beautifully complements the silhouette, and we truly just can’t get enough.
Accessorize with a Soraya Hennessy woven bag for an effortless aesthetic. The brand is synonymous with sustainable practices, and each bag is handwoven by Wayuu female artisans with a mission to empower entrepreneurship, education, and innovation. Per Wayuu tradition, the woven mochila is a deeply personal process, passed down from generations to generations. Each bag is uniquely crafted with bamboo and gold handles, acrylic chains, and hidden pockets for your personal belongings. Venezuelan-born Soraya founded the eponymous brand in 2016.
We love the Mini Pink Bolero handmade crochet bucket bag with a pearl handle ($185). Or opt for a more festive style with the Love Is in the Air Tote Shopper ($350) in lilac. Better yet, the purse has magnetic tabs and is made out of cotton!
For the Adulting With a Twist Party
YG Collection’s Kim Mesh Dress ($90) feels fresh, current, and trendy in the most couture way possible. The gown fully outlines the body in artistic see-through stripes, culminating on the torso. It’s also double layered so don’t worry about any wardrobe malfunctions, but the dress is thin enough to easily layer under anything else for a very futuristic vibe. It’s an elevated update for any wardrobe, and you’ll definitely be the best dressed in any room.
For Dinner to Drinks
Turn up with Miss Circle’s Flattery Red Long Sleeve Blazer Dress in the most perfect shade of red with a dash of orange ($159). It’s truly mixing business with pleasure.
For the Date Night In
Parisienne Et Alors’ Robineau Dress ($165) looks so stylish paired with flats, heels, sandals, sneakers, and yes, even slippers. Why not cook with your Valentine and spend the night in? The vintage-inspired geometric print looks good in any room — especially the kitchen!
For Trendy Bar-Hopping
Um, we’re FEELING ourselves in this string-up Black Ruched Cutout Midi Dress by Heiress Beverly Hills ($168). Dare we submit an audition tape to be the Kardashians’ new bestie (or Kanye GF) because this dress makes us a real smoke show, and we almost can’t Keep Up. Pop this hottie on for a impromptu photoshoot between bars.
And Don’t Forget…
How can you have a proper Valentine’s Day without a little smooch? Whether it’s a kiss on the cheek for a pal, or an all-out makeout sesh behind the DJ booth (what, we can dream!), no outfit is complete without Huda Beauty’s Liquid Matte Ultra-Comfort Transfer-Proof Lipstick ($20). We are seriously head over heels for the new collection, which boasts perfectly-named shades like Slaytina, Icon, Miss America, and First Class to remind you that at the end of the day, you’re always your own Valentine, through thick and thin.
Be flawless with the luxe collection, and even gift the adorable limited edition Valentine’s Day Liquid Matte Lipstick Mini Quad to your besties ($33) to sample an array of shades.
Smell divine with Kayali’s Eden Juicy Apple Parfum that transports you to a naughty paradise with top notes of juicy red apple, pink grapefruit, and lychee (starting at $25). The full-bodied fragrance encompasses berries, jasmine, and vanilla flower for a whimsical scent, while sensual musk and sugared moss add a slightly masculine vibe. It’ll definitely get you– and anyone around you– in the mood, we guarantee.
Get Your Drink On
Finally, toast to Valentine’s Day with the Haus Sampler Kit ($50). Fill your bar cart (come on, everyone needs a bar cart!) with the signature Haus apéritifs in delicious flavors like Lemon Lavender, Ginger Yuzu, New Fashioned, and Pomegranate Rosemary. Plus, the kit comes with cocktail recipes to make a Haus Spritz and instructions for how to best serve Haus on the rocks.
“We’re doing everything differently than corporate liquor – starting with ingredients,” the Haus team stated. “We source the highest quality fruits, herbs, and botanicals from trusted farmers and purveyors who supply Michelin-star restaurants.Our team blends every bottle at our warehouse in Sonoma County, and ships straight to you in packaging made from recycled materials.”
Better yet, Haus includes nutrition facts so you know exactly what you’re cheers’ing to. It’s the easiest (and funnest) way to get tipsy.
Pop some bubbly with Mumm Napa Rosé ($22) which not only is on theme for V-Day with its stunning shade of pink, but is also insanely delicious. Kicking off with a warm, soothing sweetness, the Brut Rosé has strawberry meets spice flavors, with undercurrents of cherry, vanilla, and crisp apple. Open for brunch, or pair with lighter meats for dinner, but either way, it’s a V-Day must have.
For a red, we love Campo Viejo Reserva ($15) which balances cherry, plum, and blackberry fruits with an oaky sensibility. Savor the clove, nutmeg, and vanilla warm note, while feeling a kick of the coconut and tartness of berries. The artistry of Rioja is also present in every bottle, using progressive winemaking techniques in the region.
Finish off your Valentine’s Day evening with Kenwood Six Ridges Pinot Noir ($23), hailing from California’s Russian River region. The Sonoma County gem is the perfect climate for the best Pinot Noir, and Kenwood Six Ridges is on the lighter side for the darker red, which we certainly appreciate to fully taste (and relish) every complex flavor.
Somehow, our prayers have been answered: Sanctuary Clothing has not only perfected easy, carefree staple pieces, but the brand has also just debuted its denim line.
Get ready to star in your own music video, because between the sexy outfits, trendy accessories, and a BRAND NEW Range Rover (yes, you read that right!) White Fox is basically Santa this year.
Clearly all we want for Christmas is to win the brand’s Huge Holiday giveaway, which includes a brand new Range Rover Evoque and a $1,000 White Fox voucher to stock up on all our favorite pieces.
From steamy New Year’s Eve outfits to athleisurewear, White Fox is a one-stop shopping experience. Plus, you know, we really could use a new car.
The contest runs through Dec. 24, just in time to make our holiday dreams come true. Now, who said there is no such thing as Christmas magic?
The winner will be contacted on Christmas Day. To enter the contest, click here.
Former pro surfer, designer, and celebrity fan favorite? There’s little that MYRASWIM founder, CEO, and Creative Director Bianca Elouise can’t do.
And don’t let the brand name fool you: MYRASWIM doesn’t just stop at the beach. The clothing line includes stunning ready-to-wear garments and menswear, in addition to high-quality and high-fashion swimsuits.
Back in 2013, Australian designer and former pro surfer Elouise founded the premium swimwear line, now beloved by celebs like Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski, and Jennifer Lopez. The body-positive branding accentuates curves in a stylish way, with a minimalist aesthetic and signature high-cut bottoms. MYRASWIM is sold internationally by Net-a-Porter, SSENSE, and Olive LA.
Below, Elouise discusses her design inspiration, celebrity secrets, and favorite pieces from the latest collection. Before jetting off to your own tropical holiday vacay, hear Elouise’s exclusive go-to picks!
The Knockturnal: What inspired you to shift from surfer to designer in 2013 and start MYRASWIM?
Bianca Elouise: I grew up being a creative. Mum always said I was born with it. Being a child always wanting to do art, I started to sew and sketch in my teens. After my sponsorship contracts with Billabong ended, I had to start buying my swimwear. What I wanted I couldn’t find. So the ideas and work started from there…
The Knockturnal: MYRASWIM has already garnered a huge A-lister fan base. Which celebs have you worked with personally?
Bianca Elouise: We have worked so hard to gain and maintain relationships with some of my fav celebs. Going from PR pitches and stylist pulls to dealing directly with the clients themselves is fantastic. The respect and loyalty they show to my work is mind-blowing. It’s an honor. I work directly with Karreuche, Eva Longoria, Lori Harvey, Tracey Ellis Ross, Ryan Destiny, J.Lo, Lara Worthington, Eniko Hart, and Emily Ratajkowski. They’re all such lovely people!
The Knockturnal: What about the brand is distinctly universal, and also distinctly Australian?
Bianca Elouise: Being swimwear, it’s 100% Australian. We invented the bikini! The bikini was first designed and worn on the Gold Coast, my home city, many decades ago. I take pride in continuing that.
I’ve worked very hard to distinguish my brand identity globally. You would think it would be impossible to recognize a plain black bikini. Back when I started, that was hard to find! But with my designs, fabrics and cuts, I’ve for sure established a brand recognized by just those things. Many people say, ‘I can tell when it’s Myra, ’ which is a HUGE compliment as a designer.
The Knockturnal: Where do you draw design inspiration from?
Bianca Elouise: History, 80’s/90’s swim fashion is 100% me. I wish I could have lived through that period.
In saying that, I design for myself. I never lose touch with where I started. I started making what I could not find to fit my shape and size, and I continued to do that.
The Knockturnal: How do you describe the MYRASWIM customer?
Bianca Elouise: Confident and stylish. I’ve received a lot of feedback over the years from women that say they’ve never wanted to wear a swimsuit, but as soon as they get into one of mine, they feel so confident and beautiful, and that brings so much joy to my life. My customers love or learn to love their bodies; feeling comfortable wearing minimal garments is sometimes hard, but I’ve designed to develop that ‘I love my body’ feel when wearing MYRASWIM.
The Knockturnal: What are some of your favorite pieces from this latest collection?
Bianca Elouise: I love the Borne one piece. Having a super high cut and waistband, I feel like this piece looked terrific on many different bodies. It was for sure a customer favorite. But in saying that, I love the tonal colors I chose. The oyster shade was such a beautiful color, and I’ve decided to follow it through to SS22.
The Knockturnal: How do you think the fashion industry, especially swimwear, is addressing body positivity?
Bianca Elouise: Using a diverse range of models is helping just that. I see a lot of brands using from XXS to XXXXL models, and it’s incredible. Every brand has a different demographic and market, and not all swim brands have the same customers. But just seeing a wide variety is helping women feel more comfortable wearing swim.
The Knockturnal: What led to the decision to expand into kids and menswear?
Bianca Elouise: I see a lot of family fashion on social media. I’ve had feedback from mothers who own Myra garments saying they would love a plain swimsuit for their kids; everything is so patterned and colorful that we want simple, stylish things for children too. It took a couple of years to process, but I finally took the step. We’ve had a great reaction to the collections, especially matching designs for adults, and mums love to match their minis. And expanding to mens & boys recently was along the same lines. My dad helped me with the men’s designs; we nailed it!
The Knockturnal: Lastly, what are some of your holiday traditions? Will you be at the beach in MYRASWIM?
Bianca Elouise: I was fortunate enough this year to be able to buy a beachfront home. So this year for Christmas we will be spending it here. We usually spend the day at the beach as it’s summertime here. Lots of summer foods & refreshing drinks. I have a small family, so it’s normally just a chilled summer day all in our MYRASWIM, of course!
Grab your hot cocoa and dive into these fantastic gift ideas, handpicked by our editors.
Ah, the holidays, a time for eating, drinking, and being merry.
Of course, with all that merriment comes a very serious question: What does one wear to be warm, stylish, and most of all, comfy? Thankfully, Australian workout wear brand Cleo Harper makes it easy to run errands, squeeze in a workout, and celebrate the holidays to our hearts’ content (hello, stretchy pants!). The fashion-forward styles feature asymmetrical details, luxe embellishments, and barely-there seams to make for a jaw-dropping outfit.
Take the Forte Leggings in a stunning emerald green shade, for example. Sure, we could easily run a few miles in them (OK, so not so easily) and at the same time look like we’ve just left a glam squad. The leggings have a convenient side pocket and a flattering high-waisted fit, made from Cleo Harper’s signature Body Base fabric. The durable leggings have a compression feel and a stay-dry nature that stops sweat. No wonder the Forte Leggings are a signature Cleo Harper bestseller.
The latest Electric Field exclusive limited collection also includes the form-fitting Vashti Bralet in a new neon pink. Made from a breathable fabric, the sports bra gets an upgrade thanks to flashy gold buckle details. The small mesh cutout also has a wink to every woman’s inherent sexiness.
The Cleo Edit also makes for the perfect starter kit at just $119 to sample three pieces.
The Knockturnal sat down with Cleo Harper brand manager Courtney Hogan-Catley to discuss how the brand came to be.
The Knockturnal: What differentiates Cleo Harper, in your eyes, from other workout and athleisure apparel brands?
Courtney Hogan-Catley: First and foremost, Cleo Harper was created to make women feel beautiful in their activewear – something that matches the style they bring in their daily wardrobes. Our fabrics are custom made for our brand and as soon as women receive their first Cleo Harper order they just get it at the first touch of our pieces. Each collection is limited edition so once it’s sold out it’s gone forever and all those who made their purchase can rest assured they have something exclusive from Cleo Harper.
The Knockturnal: Where do you find inspiration as a brand manager, and how do you craft new campaigns and styles?
Courtney Hogan-Catley: It’s all very much a team effort. Our Head Designer comes up with the concept for a new collection, drawing inspiration from everywhere! Places around the world are especially inspirational to the design team. The collection is then created based around key colours and signature styles, and is built out from there. Once the collection is complete, we make sure that we have something for everyone, and it goes from there.
The Knockturnal: Cleo Harper is on the cutting edge of price point and quality, as well as style. What are the long-term goals for the brand?
Courtney Hogan-Catley: We love that our customers come from all over the globe and how personal and close-by in proximity we feel to everyone, with our lightning-fast shipping & customer service. We are always focused on creating each collection more unique and diverse from the last and delivering products that our customer enjoys wearing to and from the gym daily. We get excited when ladies wear Cleo Harper with pride and tell all their friends about our brand.
The Knockturnal: How do you describe your customer?
Courtney Hogan-Catley: She is stylish, social and appreciates the finer things in life (without the designer price tag). She lives an active life that allows her to feel her best and give the best of herself to those around her. Once she finds Cleo Harper, she is a part of the #CleoFam and gets a thrill out of every collection we release.
The Knockturnal: This holiday season, what are some of your top picks from the collection?
Courtney Hogan-Catley: Our latest collection, Electric Field is one of my favorite collections to date. I love the bright colors, perfect coming into our Australian summer but also perfect to add a bit of brightness to our international customers #CleoWardrobes who are heading into winter. My current favourite outfit is either our Vista set which is a brand new colour for us – the set is the Zeppelin Bralet & Soul 3.0 Legging – the most comfortable set I own and feels amazing on. Another favourite for the whole #CleoTeam is the District Oversized Sweater in Oatmeal with the Spin Shorts in Pink. It’s an outfit that has been on repeat and is one that I would definitely gift – a classic & chic look to take you from a workout to a coffee date without missing a beat.
What’s next for Cleo Harper?
Courtney Hogan-Catley: We have a very exciting 2022 planned. As you will see in collections to come, there is no limit to our colour palette, designs, and extravagant campaigns. Please come along for the ride with us and make sure you try your first Cleo Harper pieces before the year is out!