Not everyone feels comfortable with all of the exposure today’s swimsuits offer - it can be hard to feel confident in your own skin when the majority of it is being revealed. Even though I feel confident in my body, I can’t help but feel risqué in my usual bathing suit if I’m babysitting toddlers at the public pool, or at a family gathering in the summer. Not to mention that my friends and I consistently end up purchasing the same new style or pattern of suit every season.
When I first stumbled upon Kortni Jeane on Instagram, I thought it was too good to be true. Fun designs, unique patterns and colors, a less revealing style and made in USA? Sign me up. The best part was that the girls in all of the photos seemed truly confident and comfortable in their swimsuits -- or "swimmers," as Kortni Jeane refers to them!
Kortni Jeane rocking her swimsuit line.
At only 23, Kortni Jeane Niccoli has made a name for herself. I was so captivated by the success of her entrepreneurial endeavor that I had to find out more. I’m sure you’ll quickly discover as I did, that Kortni is a genuine, hardworking woman who is passionate about her company!
Check out more of Kortni Jeane on Instagram here.
What gave you the inspiration to start Kortni Jeane? Was there a moment or a specific experience that drove you to start your company?
"Growing up, it seemed that in my little town everyone wore the same swimsuit, so if you ever went to a party or to the lake, you weren’t the only one wearing that particular swimsuit. I started to make my own swimsuits, and as soon as I started to wear those, I had friends, family members and even strangers asking me to make them one. It was a hobby through college, as I had plans to pursue other things, but it wasn’t until I graduated that I had so much encouragement and support to make a swimsuit line that I decided to start a real business selling my designs."
How did the company get on it’s feet? How long did it take for your brand to really get going?
"Kortni Jeane has been in business about a year and a half, and it’s grown way faster than I could have ever imagined. My main source of getting things going has been through Instagram, where I do pretty much all my marketing."
How often do you come out with more colors and patterns? Is it hard to keep up with the demand?
"One of my main goals with Kortni Jeane is to keep my swimmers as unique as possible. One of the ways I do this is by offering a limited amount in each color and pattern, so once it sells out it’s gone, and I can introduce new options. We have about a one month turnover time, meaning new releases become available about every month, so if you fall in love with something you better snatch it up quick! Because of our quick growth that I definitely wasn't prepared for, it has been really hard to keep up with demand, but with an awesome team behind me, we are doing our best to provide our product the best we can to our customers."
Where do you see the brand moving in the future?
"We hope to wholesale in the near future so customers can touch, feel and try on our product. We know swimmers are one of the hardest items to purchase, so we want the Kortni Jeane experience to be even better by providing places to really get to know the product quality before you purchase. Of course, we want to continue to provide the best product to our customers and are always striving to better the quality, service, and experience through our brand."
"My dream is to make every woman feel comfortable and confident in a swimmer, no matter when the last time they put a swimmer on was and no matter the body type. With unlimited options, we want our customers to be able to create a combo unique to them and perfect for their body type without having to pay for a custom suit."
