Mia Marcelle

Mia Marcelle

2014 WATERWEAR

Mia Marcelle: Swimwear on the Vine

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Mia Marcelle

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Mia Marcelle

Amber Wagner’s idea for her new swimwear label, Mia Marcelle, designed in Napa Valley, Calif., had been fermenting for some time.

Wagner, whose husband, Joe, is a winemaker and viticulturist, had been contemplating starting some kind of clothing label. “For many years, my husband and I toiled with the idea of lingerie,” said Wagner, a mother of six. “However, I am just very comfortable and familiar with swimwear. It is just part of my life.”

So Wagner took all the ideas that had been aging in her head and started designing her first collection, which debuted in time for the Summer 2014 season. After showing at two trade shows, she was picked up by a handful of boutiques in California.

The designer’s focus is on luxury fabrics that feel so good you never want to shed your swimsuit. “I fell in love with a nylon-based fabric that is really soft,” Wagner said. It is blended with spandex for stretch. She sources her fabrics from mills in Brazil and France. All her suits are sewn in northern California.

For her first season, Wagner designed about a dozen styles that veered more toward minimal coverage for the two-pieces and more traditional coverage for the one-pieces. “I think for swimwear, less is more,” the designer said. “For 2015, we are doing a combo of both minimum cuts and full to moderate silhouettes.”

The Summer 2015 season offers seven one-piece silhouettes and about 10 two-piece silhouettes. The two-pieces have tops that are fashioned into a twisted bandeau, triangle tops or halters. Bottoms are abbreviated.

She is injecting the collection with some prints and colors that have a Polynesian theme, reminding her of her honeymoon in Tahiti. “I am really loving the prints we came up with this year,” she said.

Wholesale prices for one-pieces are $100. Separates wholesale for $50 to $60 per piece.

For more information, call (707) 339-0680 or visit www.miamarcelle.com.