The mother of two children who quietly launched the Tropic of C earlier this year called the brand “the third child.”
As Instagram and its dominant influencers continue to dominate the fashion industry, certain social media-driven market trends have emerged. Not only has tourism influencers launched clothing brands in groups (swimming suits for ladies is one of the most popular categories), this highly acclaimed sponsored vacation has been a retailer who wants to build online audiences and promote seasonal products. Proved to be an increasingly profitable marketing plan.

In many of these cases, the personality behind the brand is to use their social capital as a built-in customer base and to develop a label vision in their personal aesthetics and the comments they receive from their fans every day. However, some of the celebrities on social media are industry veterans who have decades of experience in the ultimate venture into the entrepreneurial world. Candice Swanepoel, who has been a fashion brand for 15 years, is mainly attributed to her work as a long-term Victorian secret angel model, belonging to the latter camp, and in 2018 she decided to take risks (pun) to start her own swimming company called Tropic Of C.
“This has been [at work] for a few years; I am waiting for the right moment,” Swanepoel explained in a recent New York vacation series news bulletin. “It took me a while to find a team because you ended up working closely for a long time – I attended a lot of meetings. When Victoria’s secret stopped swimming, I went.”

Unlike many trend-driven Instagram-friendly swimwear, the Tropic of C introduces a rigorously edited collection of classics in soft and neutral tones. This close-fitting bodysuit style – like the brand’s signature one-piece suit “The C” – when the wearer is not hanging around the pool, means wearing high-rise jeans or long skirts. Or spend a day on the beach. Swanepoel said: “When I am on vacation or when I am packing, the skirt that can be put on the swimsuit is very good – you can still feel fashionable and elegant.”
The Resort 2019 series has just made its debut on the Internet, and Swanepoel pointed out that her company has been trying to find the best fabrics (including Italian knitwear and durable, environmentally friendly recycled nylon) from the start. “I really focus on the quality of the suit; I don’t want to create something, just throw it out,” she said. “This is all I want to wear. I tend to stick to an aesthetic that I like, and I think the body looks good. Many parts are highly tailored – the neckline is very flattering – and there is one more A little ballet inspiration. “Prices range from a maximum of $80 to a single piece of $180. Most splitters are designed to mix and match.
The emphasis on production played an important role in the suit that ultimately fits – although not surprisingly, Swanepoel is the main fit model. (“This is my control freak,” she said with a smile.) “I know there are different bodies, but if the fabric is of good quality and has good stretchability, it can be shaped into many different shapes.” Before going into production, she and her team tested each style to ensure that the fabric fits the body and that they are able to spend the day. “Even if you don’t see a lot of padded or cup structures – that’s why I’m so crazy about fabrics – [top] still makes you happy.”

In the few months since Swanepoel founded the Tropic of C, she relied on direct feedback from social media to understand what customers want most—and likes to let shoppers interact with her products, not just Instagram. Although this 30-year-old model has inserted dozens of designer items on her social media for many years, promoting her own creation is a completely different field.