Do you dream of living your life in a bikini, on the beach, with an ice-cream cone {or drink, you choose} in your hand? Well, that was the reality every summer of our Hoboken Girl{s} of the week, and they eventually decided to make a career out of their love for bikinis.
Introducing Lauren and Rachel, co-founders and designers of Lo and Rae Swimwear, a locally-launched swimsuit line. These Jersey girls are super inspiring to women everywhere as entrepreneurs {yes, they’re doing it full time!}, and not to mention, their bikinis are oh so pretty {warning, you may convince yourself you need a new bikini STAT after reading}.
How it Started
This dynamic duo has been best friends since high school and spent every summer at the Jersey Shore together, so it’s no surprise that they created their very own swimsuit line together. After graduating college in 2015 {Rachel from FIT and Lauren from Villanova University}, they finally decided to make their dreams a reality. After two years of designing, researching, and saving every penny they could for their line, they launched Lo and Rae Swimwear, a swimsuit company with classic, stylish, high-quality {but affordable} bikinis that they felt were missing from the market.
Where Inspiration + Motivation Comes From:
Our biggest source of inspiration comes from the colors, textures and silhouettes we experience in our daily lives. We like using this kind of inspiration to stray from the market’s over-done trends and instead create classics with a unique and fun twist. We have always been motivated by the examples of hard work we grew up seeing in our parents, and are fortunate to have had their constant support each step of the way.
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Goals for This Year:
We are passionate about living a positive and healthy lifestyle, both in our own lives and through Lo and Rae Swimwear, by creating swimsuits that empower all women to feel confident and beautiful. We are really excited to complete our first official year in business, while focusing on designing our next line and further developing our brand through growing our social media accounts and expanding our in-store presence.
A Typical Day in Their Lives:
We start each morning with a workout, either at the gym or on a power walk around Hoboken, followed by a very large coffee. We normally spend the next few hours at a café working on research, planning up-coming events, answering emails and doing the mundane tasks that come with running a business.
The second half of our day is spent in the office {aka our apartment in the Jersey City Heights}, packaging up orders, contacting bloggers and influencers, reaching out to boutiques, and brainstorming future designs and campaigns through mood boards and sketches. A few days a week are dedicated to traveling, heading to boutiques along the coast to meet with buyers for the upcoming swim season.
How a Day Off Goes:
Most obviously, the beach is our favorite place to be during our summer days off. We love to be outdoors, so walking around and exploring new places in Jersey City and Hoboken {most often food places, as we love to eat} is always our go-to. We love to shop, catch up with friends and family, try out new workout classes, or spend the night with some Halo Top ice cream, a good movie and a DIY craft.
Highs + Lows of the Job:
Working with our best friend toward something we both personally feel so passionate about is definitely the best part of our job. We love being able to make our own schedule, work from anywhere, and express our creativity and love for fashion every day.
While owning our own company is great, there are definitely difficulties. Considering the marketing, finance, design and customer service departments consist solely of us two… things can get a bit overwhelming. Living and working in the same location is also difficult, intensifying the need for organization and scheduling our work days so we don’t go crazy!
Most Rewarding Part of the Job + Highlight of the Career so Far:
The most rewarding part of our job is hearing positive feedback from customers; there is nothing we love more than seeing a woman post a photo looking amazing in our bikinis or getting a message from someone telling us how much she loves her suit.
A highlight in our career was being able to sell our swimwear in Kyle by Alene Too boutiques [Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for you Bravo-loving gals] across the country, just weeks after launching our business. Getting the exposure to be in stores in Southampton, Manhattan, Beverly Hills and Boca Raton was surreal.
Advice for Someone Trying to Pursue the Same Career Path:
If you have a passion that you will regret not pursuing, then take the risk and put everything you have into it – you’ll never succeed if you don’t try to begin with. Don’t assume that everything will run perfectly as planned, we can almost guarantee you it won’t. Instead, face each issue with a calm head and curious mind, learning how to handle anything that comes your way and never making the same mistake twice.
Most importantly, don’t lose focus as to what your goals were in the beginning. Opportunities may arise that can make you more money or change your ideas, and while it is good to be flexible and evolving, never lose sight of the main foundations that you valued at the beginning of your journey.
Learn About Which Podcasts Are Worth Listening to in 2018 here.
Hoboken + Jersey City Favorites:
Food:
Our favorite spot is Renato’s in Jersey City; it is easily missed being located behind the pizza joint Pizza Master’s and is an Italian food hidden gem. We also love Cellar 335 in Jersey City for awesome tapas and drinks and Sushi Lounge in Hoboken.
Shopping:
Peper and Parlor in Hoboken for clothing and Love Locked in Jersey City for cute accessories and jewelry.
Fitness:
We both have memberships at Retro Fitness in Hoboken.
Going Out With Friends:
We love listening to the live music at Fox and Crow in Jersey City {after indulging in an amazing burger of course}, 10th and Willow in Hoboken, and Low Fidelity Bar which just opened in Jersey City Heights and has awesome cocktails.
Outdoor Fun:
When the weather is nice, we are constantly taking walks along the river in Hoboken and soaking in the great Manhattan views! We also love getting food and drinks at Pier 13 in Hoboken, or on the rooftop of Porta in Jersey City.
What They Would Like to See Come to Town {Hoboken or JC}:
Other than a brick and mortar Lo and Rae Swimwear shop {hehe}… a coffee delivery service for those long days working out of an apartment when you really just need a large cold brew.
Such inspiring ladies bringing style to the beach. Make sure to check out their line here!
Want to be featured or nominate someone as an upcoming Hoboken Girl of the Week?
Email hello@hobokengirl.com about your/her story!
