Hyla & Adrien are two Toronto babes who have completely taken the swimwear space by storm.
The two launched their swimwear line, 437 Swimwear a year ago, and their trends have caught on like wildfire. From their super soft fabrics to their flattering cuts, it seems that their suits are constantly in high demand. They wrap each purchase in an adorable box topped with candy and personalized note. We stopped by their showroom which soars high above the Bisha Hotel to learn more.
Make sure to check Notable’s Instagram page for an exclusive give-away!
Tell us what inspired 437 Swimwear.
Adrien and I met in first year at Queen’s University in the Commerce program. We launched 437 SWIMWEAR a year ago as soon as we graduated. After an inspiring trip to the Amalfi Coast we knew that this was exactly what we wanted to do. When figuring out what designs we wanted to launch, we looked at our bodies and thought, what would flatter a non-model 5’3 body type? We found out that the designs we came out with for ourselves are extremely flattering on most body types. We know that wearing a bikini is probably one of the most vulnerable things a girl can wear, so it’s extremely important that the suit she wears makes her feel her most confident self.
What do you think is your most (CultWorthy) product?
Definitely the Aubrey bottoms. They are our most popular product and we believe it’s because of it’s high waist design, which allows girls to feel the most confident, especially after having burgers by the pool. We made sure that the fuller stomach coverage did not take away from the curve-hugging aesthetic of the brand. We kept it a very sexy piece as it’s super cheeky and a high cut on the leg, but allows you to be comfortable.
What is your favourite Canadian brand?
We’re obsessed with Nudestix and the sisters behind the brand! They came by our showroom to try on some suits a couple weeks ago and they are the sweetest girls!
Tell us about your office and process?
Our office is our showroom, its downtown Toronto and browsing appointments can be made through our website. We currently have a team of 6, and when hiring we did not ask for resumes. We asked them who their favourite artists were (hoping for Hip Hop lovers like Adrien and I), we asked them if they like to eat a lot (because we do), and then we asked them about their work ethic and experience.
We sketch and design all of our suits and send our technical packages to our manufacturers, either in NYC or China and then they send us samples. After the samples process we place our order and then start focusing on shooting and marketing that collection.
You have a plate of pastries in your showroom. And tell your fans to “feed their curves” What does body positivity mean to your brand?
We are so not about girls dieting before their trips! We rather they be their healthiest self and find a bikini that hugs them in the right places and makes them feel extremely confident. We love curves at 437, and we believe that girls need to eat in order to feed those curves. So we are very playful with the candy and pasties so girls never feel like we are the brand that advocates for skinny girls in bikinis. Us, the founders, LOVE to eat so we hope the girls who love our brand love burgers just as much as we do.
If you could choose any celeb to be a product ambassador for your brand, who would it be, and why?
Winnie Harlow — we love her confidence and how she embraces every single inch of her body — the way every woman should. She’s praised our brand on her IG story recently, however we’d LOVE to see her in one of our suits. She’s one of our idols.
What makes 437 different from your competitors?
We believe that the cuts and fabrics of our suits really allow a woman to feel her most confident self. Our cuts cinch the waist, showcase the hips, and elongate the legs. When she’s in a bikini, a women is at her most vulnerable state, so we really focus on ensuring that she feels her most confident during that time.
Secondly, we really take the time to connect with our customers, whether from the handwritten note in each order to our in-house customer service. We treat every customer like they are one of our best friends and ensure we do everything we can to make sure she’s obsessed with her order and her experience with 437.
Tell us about a design or business decision that sucked?
We recently decided to try out a manufacturer in NYC for a capsule collection. They work with Coach, Yeezy, Kate Spade, etc. and we saw many of those clients when we visited their office in Manhattan. After a bunch of perfected samples, we placed our deposit for a large order. Weeks later we tried getting in touch to see the progress and all of their lines were disconnected. Concerned, we got our best friend Matt who lives in NYC to go visit their office. He called us and said the space was vacant and that they owe the landlords $70,000. To sum things up, we have not received this order and have lots tens of thousands of dollars. Yes we can get legal involved, but at the moment our customers are our priority so we’re working hard on ensuring our other manufacturers are sending us our other orders ASAP. These unfortunate events happen frequently to us, but we learn so much from each one of them. At some point we just laugh and move on.
Give us one tip to feeling confident in a bikini.
Find a suit that works best for your body. But as a rule of thumb, place the sides of your bottoms on the smallest part of your waist. And if you can, get your hands on a high waist bikini, there’s no going back after you own a high waist bikini. It’s a go-to.
Real tans or spray tans?
Skin health is so important to us, which is why spray tans are key. Especially for the face. Keep that away from the sun so you don’t damage your skin and get wrinkles. A natural tan from the sun is great, but baking for hours day after day, isn’t the best idea overtime.
Tell us a 437 secret.
The Aubrey set is named after Drake. The entire summer that we launched 437 we were listing to the album Views on repeat since it just came out, so we had to thank him somehow.
What is next for 437?
Keep launching new collections with very distinct vibes to each. We will be heading back to Asia for a supplier and sourcing trip in November and will be working on some exciting new things there!
We plan to have our debut at Miami Swim Week in 2019 and have began thinking of our SS 2020 collection already.
