Move over BonBon NYC — a new Sweet Shop is coming to town.
Next Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11, Frankies Bikinis is popping up in New York‘s SoHo with an immersive, sensory-driven, candy- and swimwear-filled pop-up shop called Sweet Shop.
Frankies Bikinis founder Francesca Aiello will tie the theme into the brand’s website, which will also get a candy-colored makeover starting Tuesday at noon when its newest collection of optimistic, colorful swimwear launches.
The new products include an assortment of the brand’s classic bikinis, offered in 10 bright colors with color-contrasting bindings. Each shade is inspired by candy and dessert — think Taffy, Jelly Beans, Sherbet, Orange Dream, Banana Cream, and even a mystery flavor.
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There’s Cherry Mint, a heather gray swimsuit with red binding, and Popsicle, a Fourth of July-inspired baby blue with red binding.
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“It was really important to me that we had a ton of different colors for different girls — the sporty girl, the girly girl, a more neutral girl. I wanted to make sure everyone was covered,” she said. The suits come in Nick, Lumina and Diana tops, with Divine, Dove and cheeky Full Moon bottoms.
“There’s different coverage and support options, without over-designing and overdoing it with add-ons. The idea itself was wanting it to feel simplistic, using our special, butter-soft swim fabric and leaning into the storytelling of touch and taste,” she said. Each piece, sized XS to XXL, is priced at $80, or available as four-flavor buildable Sweet Shop packs for $200.
“Originally, I was inspired by and thinking about underwear packs we used to get when we were younger and how there would be different colorways within them. I was staring at an old ad for something like that, but I’ve always loved color play within swim and am constantly trying to think of different ways to bring fun into the swimwear industry and do something that feels a little different, rather than your traditional ‘bikini on the beach’ moment,” Aiello told WWD.
She added that’s where the collection’s packaging — matching colorful, flavor-inspired packs — came into play.
“I really wanted every customer to be able to get a special package versus every other drop we, or other brands, do; it’s only the influencers who are getting these amazing packages. It was super important to me that our customer was actually the one that got to experience this and be able to do unboxings and show off their packages,” she said.
To further immerse the Frankies Bikinis customer into the confection-inspired experience, the Sweet Shop pop-up, located at 251 Elizabeth Street, will not only have the new swim styles for sale, but also feature special giveaways, exclusive merchandise and sweet treats and candy with every purchase.
“Retail is a powerful channel for Frankies with the three stores we power across NYC, L.A. and Miami acquiring thousands of new customers each month. We’re excited to help Frankies continue to build community and connect with new and existing customers with this Sweet Shop pop-up,” Amish Tolia, chief executive officer and cofounder at Leap (Frankies Bikinis retail platform partner), told WWD.
Aiello said she sees the potential for retail expansion. “You’ll definitely see us hyper-focused on that throughout the next couple years,” she said, hinting at plans for a flagship coming soon. “There’s lots of love going into each store location that we’re working on and making sure everything feels like a specialty experience for the customer so they can make a special day-trip out of whichever Frankies store they’re going to,” Aiello said.