Trips to the beach, late night walks, real talks - friendship is full of love. With the support of her buddies Kono and Ama, model, designer, and family gal Frankie Belle has taken up her mother&rsquo;s former passion for swimwear, creating a range of stylish swimwear and dazzling bikinis for the fashion focused and eco conscious next gen.

Photography by Laurie Lynn Stark
Styled by <text class="_textbox_1titd_17" direction="ltr" height="7.79899978637695" lengthadjust="spacingAndGlyphs" textlength="102.599182128906" x="221.451416015625" y="-53.5" data-test="textbox">Marissa Baklyan</text>

PHILIPPE COMBRES: At just 15 years old, you embarked on your journey by starting your own company, DIPPED IN BLUE. How did you conceive the idea of creating a swimsuit brand?
FRANKIE BELLE: The idea of creating a swimsuit brand had always been a dream of mine, and it was natural because of all the inspirational people I was surrounded by. Growing up, I was drawn to the water. I spent all my time at the beach in Malibu with my best friend, Kono, and we were always obsessed with bikinis and swimwear. I found inspiration in old magazines, my friends, and movies. For as long as I can remember I was naturally driven to design for myself and was always inspired by everything around me. I feel so blessed to be able to share such a passion for Dipped in Blue with my best friend, we made our dream come to life and have created a space where we can work alongside our other friends &ndash; like Flora who we grew up with and who shoots most of our campaigns and videos.

PC: Could you elucidate the concept of DIPPED IN BLUE? Can you share a bit about its style?
FB: Dipped in Blue represents femininity first and of course, it&rsquo;s so much about Kono and my personal style - very young and free energy. Like me, it definitely has its moments of craziness while then being super chic &amp; minimal at the same time. I really appreciate the vibe of the 90s &ndash; it just symbolized a time when you could express yourself however you wanted, and I love that.

PC: Did your parents provide assistance, and does having the name 'Stark' confer advantages when entering the fashion world?
FB: Since I grew up at my family&rsquo;s factory &ndash; I was exposed to all aspects of design, production &amp; the business so I definitely had an advantage of understanding it all firsthand. My parents truly believed that all of us including myself and brother &amp; sister should have an opinion in the Chrome Hearts business so that gave me a very good foundation for starting my own line.

PC: With California culture and 1990s-inspired fashion in your DNA, how has it influenced your design?
FB: We love the chic minimalism of the 90&rsquo;s and the California culture, especially beach culture, was really all about freedom at that time. I find a lot of inspiration from photos of my mom during that era and it shows up a lot in the designs we create as well as in our photoshoots &amp; creative.

PC: How would you describe your unique style?
FB: It&rsquo;s so hard to put a label on it because I don&rsquo;t overthink my style &ndash; I just wear what feels good to me and sometimes that means being totally covered up &amp; cozy and sometimes it&rsquo;s next to nothing. I think my sister, Jojo, influences my style a lot &ndash; she&rsquo;s my fave and I love everything about her. She&rsquo;s taught me to just do what makes me feel beautiful. I love playing with patterns, textures, layers, and funky hats, especially in winter. I&rsquo;ve been obsessed with this hat she gave me with lil cat ears &ndash; makes me feel so cute!

PC: What serves as your main inspiration?
FB: Both my parents &ndash; With my mom, I&rsquo;ve just been inspired by her for as long as I can remember. Everyday there is something new, she's a powerful beautiful boss ass woman. When she was younger, she had a bathing suit line. I steal her clothes all the time and I remember looking in her bathing suit drawer and finding the cutest lil bottoms I ever saw. When coming out with my own line I made a version of these 80s-styled bottoms, and it became one of our best sellers. When I started talking about Dipped in Blue, it never came up that she had her own line of bikinis! I only later found out the bottoms I stole from her drawer were the ones she made from her line, so she has always been my main inspiration before I even knew!&nbsp;
My dad is just a forever inspiration in my life. I&rsquo;m so lucky to be able to have him guide me and teach me. He's the most interesting person to talk to &amp; he has such a special way of putting everything in perspective for me. He's really taught me that nothing is more important that staying true to me. I love his brain. He&rsquo;s my idol.

PC: Is love a significant source of inspiration for your creative process?
FB: Love is definitely a significant source of inspiration. I love my people and my people are the ones that inspire me forever &amp; always. I am inspired by the beauty in each and every conversation I have, the beauty in the trees, the beauty in my friends, my boyfriend Ryland n the beauty in everyday life. Love is all around and I don't think I would be as creative without it. I LOVE LOVE.

PC: Do you have a favorite love story, novel, film, or song? If so, what makes it special to you?
FB: One of my favorite love stories is about my grandparents. Their young love turned into forever love. They met when they were just 16 years old. They fell in love with each other every day, and their relationship taught me the true meaning of love. They were not just my grandparents; they were my best friends.

PC: What is the nature of your relationship with your twin brother, Kristian? Do you have the opportunity to see each other daily?
FB: Kj is my best friend. I really don't know what I would do without him. We're so different but so similar at the same time, he just gets me. We were inseparable when we were younger. We live in different places now, but it feels like we're always connected no matter what.

I am inspired by the beauty in each and every conversation I have, the beauty in the trees, the beauty in my friends, my boyfriend Ryland n the beauty in everyday life. Love is all around and I don't think I would be as creative without it. I LOVE LOVE.

PC: Like your family, do you share a special affection for St Barth? What draws you to the island, and could you mention your favorite places and activities there?
FB: St. Barth holds a special place in my heart. It's like a second home to me, a place where I feel happiest and freest. I love watching the sunset at Gouvenor, sitting on the dock at Corossol, and having a poke bowl. My favorite spot is behind the rocks at shell beach where I like to read, have wine, and design. It's where I feel the most creative, inspired, and calm in my lil spot.

PC: Now that supermodels and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa are wearing your creations, how does this resonate with you as a designer?
FB: Seeing supermodels and celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa wearing my creations is an incredible feeling. I'm proud to have these beautiful women appreciate my designs, it's truly amazing and a dream come true. I want all women to feel as sexy and confident as I do when wearing Dipped in Blue.

PC: As a swimwear brand, do you think about ocean preservation and plastic pollution as an important mission? Your family have been involved in activations to raise funds for the environment and the oceans in St Barth. Tell us a bit more?
FB: Ocean preservation and minimizing plastic pollution are essential missions for us as a swimwear brand. My family has been involved in activations to raise funds for the environment and the oceans in St. Barth. We are committed to making a positive impact and contributing to the preservation of our beautiful natural surroundings. Sustainability and doing things in way that has very low impact on the environment is part of our conversation at Dipped in Blue every day whether it&rsquo;s in the materials we use or the packaging for shipping or props for shoots &ndash; everything needs to be reusable and friendly to the environment.

PC: What are your aspirations for the future?
FB: As for my aspirations for the future, they revolve around creating and designing. I want to continue evolving as a designer, exploring new ideas, and expanding the reach of Dipped in Blue. I'm studying design in school right now. Studying has also been such a dream; it's helped me meet other creative forces and has given me so much knowledge in the business world. I am an owner of Chrome Hearts alongside my fam, and I&rsquo;ve designed with Chrome for as long as I can remember. I will forever continue to work beside my family and create on my own and with them.

HAIR &amp; MAKEUP: Daniel Kolaric
ART DIRECTOR &amp; CASTING: Jenny Mannerheim
PHOTO ASSISTANT &amp; VIDEOGRAPHER: Pablo Gonzalez&nbsp;
PRODUCTION &amp; STYLING ASSISTANT: Fanny Gogniat
<text class="_textbox_1titd_17" direction="ltr" height="3.7750244140625" lengthadjust="spacingAndGlyphs" textlength="49.6700019836426" x="61.0799980163574" y="-709.5" data-test="textbox">PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: </text><text class="_textbox_1titd_17" direction="ltr" height="4.52398681640625" lengthadjust="spacingAndGlyphs" textlength="36.6000061035156" x="112.672393798828" y="-709.5" data-test="textbox">Melina Scordia</text>
SPECIAL THANKS: Stephanie Reynolds

Frankie Belle Stark: Love Like An Ocean

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