Brazilian-Themed Boutique Avalon B. Opens
Natalie Bovis, who designs bikinis under the label Iemanja, will open a showroom/boutique called Avalon B. in the Merchant’s Mart at 2411 Main St. in Santa Monica, Calif.
The space, which officially opens Dec. 1, doubles as a showroom for her own line and a retail space for the other lines she carries, which include jeans and gym- and yoga-wear by several Brazilian brands, as well as U.S. brands Envi and Erin Einerson.
Though not all the lines she carries are Brazilian, Bovis said, “Everything is in line with the Brazilian concept, which to me means original, sexy and reasonably priced.”
Bovis became enamored of South American style while on a trip to Brazil.
“I saw really sexy and unique swimwear styles that I hadn’t seen in Los Angeles,” she said. “We have more sport-oriented swimwear, and this was more fantasy-like.”
Bovis also touts the bright colors and highquality Lycra that characterize Brazilian swimwear.
Many pieces in Bovis’ 18-month-old Iemanja line include hand-painting and beadwork accents. The suits wholesale for $20 to $40.
Iemanja is the Brazilian goddess of the ocean, Bovis said, and is worshipped on New Year’s Eve, when locals throw white flowers into the sea as offerings. —Christian M. Chensvold
