Marylea Conrad knows the timeless allure of modesty. In a market saturated with exhibitionist swimwear, her designs herald the return of a sophisticated femininity. “Revealing” is the word often used to describe beachwear, but function and flirtation are the watchwords for Conrad’s inaugural line of beach apparel. Melia Conrad pieces (named after the designer’s oldest daughter), feature classic lines that channel classic retro-Hollywood glamour and flaunt a flattering ratio of skin to fabric. Conrad also knows that overexposure lacks charm, while comfort begets confidence.

    Skimpy, surfer-girl designs might pepper the beaches of Hawai‘i, but lack the wearability and elegance that gives a piece wider appeal and longevity in a wardrobe. The Melia Conrad line resurrects a sensuality in swimwear that does not rely on revealing cuts, but on graceful silhouettes and a distinctive palette of Island hues and patterns. ‘Melia’ is also the name of a Hawaiian flower, a nod to the line’s inspiring forces—paradise flora and fauna unmistakable for coming from anywhere else on earth.
 
    Inspired by the richness of Hawai‘i’s landscape and culture, Conrad aspired towards versatile designs that would address the vibrant character of the Hawai‘i market, always a dynamic blend of tourists and locals. The tourist market is drawn to bolder, vividly Hawaiian motifs, while the local market has a taste for more delicate florals and abstract prints. This dual-market situation is a challenge for designers, who need to tune into the divergent trends and adjust their work accordingly. “My designs need to complement both markets and find a balance that suits each,” says Conrad, who arrived from Australia four years ago. The designs also need to address the utility factor for beach garments, which are generally not “babied” and dry-cleaned but thrust into the elements with every wear. This involved making clever choices in straps and clips based on recommendations from surfers and water enthusiasts. Some designs feature removable straps and pads, additions that follow Conrad’s design credo: “innovation and embellishment.”

        To innovate, Conrad combined the higher-coverage cuts more popular in Australia with a unique digital printing process. Working with the technical and creative assistance of her animator father, prints are blown up and manipulated, then printed. The fabric-as-canvas idea maintains the painterly composition of Conrad’s custom images, and the digital process is eco-friendly in comparison to the harsh chemicals and dyes used in screen-printing most swimwear prints. To embellish, Conrad adds detail—often in the form of unique angles for the placement of straps against skin, or subtle nods to hula and surf culture.

    Conrad successfully addressed the many dimensions of swimwear by offering chic bikini designs and swimsuits in cottons and silks, and cover-ups doubling as day-to-evening sundresses. Conrad’s take on the tankini and boyshorts trends showcases her innovation—she’s added a more glamorous cut on the top that adds a soft mystique to such a sporty pairing. With a retro nod, Conrad has filled a niche in the swimwear market with her conservative-yet-saucy halters and maillots just snug enough to enhance a sexy curve. One signature piece, a maillot swimsuit with a gushing fuschia/plumeria print, is a ‘50s throwback suitable for a tropical Marilyn Monroe. The polka dot bikini gets a contemporary revision with a unique Y-shaped neckpiece, and a fern/maile (Hawaiian flowering vine) bikini gets beaded ties evoking pink coral. Even her abstract designs convey Hawaiian elements, a silk caftan cover-up transmitting a muted rainbow dreamscape.

    All pieces are natural fabrics imported from Italy, hand-picked for their smoothness and snagless quality. For Conrad, compromising on fabric selection or printing techniques is not an option. As a designer in Hawai‘i, the focus is on tropical temperatures, which require considerations of heat and movement in the body. The designs must have a fluidity with the figure to avoid chafing, and a texture amenable to heat and solar contact.
 
    Conrad’s design career burgeoned at the University of Technology in Sydney, and blossomed under the mentorship of designer Christopher Essex, who recently passed away. Essex was a leading light of fashion and costume design in Australia whose designs found their way into the closets of Tina Turner, Phyllis Diller and other stars who loved his sense of functional glamour. The influence of Christian Lacroix designs also earned a place in Conrad’s heart as she shares his approach to fashion and the female form as a canvas for expression rather than a “thing to be dressed.” Conrad’s career is also nourished by the love of her immediate ‘ohana in Hawai‘i: her husband, brother, and daughters Melia and Kiele. “My daughters’ beauty and their floral names continue to inspire and strengthen my bond with these Islands,” says Conrad, joyfully noting that 2007 began with the birth of her clothing line and ended in December with the birth of Kiele.

    Following last year’s successful launch, there are exciting plans for the next line. True to her nature as a swimwear designer who does not reveal too much, Conrad gives few clues about what’s next. “Expect to see a bit of a metamorphosis of the line from Spring and Summer into a Fall and Winter line,” she smiles.

    Conrad’s presence on the design scene in Hawai‘i is a reminder that sophistication has always been about managing the boundary between sensual revelation and overexposure. The designer hopes that in years to come, when you spot a design that flatters the female form with a classic sauciness, you might say, “That’s a Melia Conrad.”

@@@@

www.meliaconrad.com
Melia Conrad designs are currently available at: The Cosmopolitan Sun Shop (Hawaii Kai), MisFortune (Ward Centre, Honolulu), The Butik (Honolulu) and Allure (Ward Center and Waikiki).