Spotted!: Nicole Richie wore a sequined  Halston kimono to the debut of her House of Harlow 1960 holiday-pop-up shop at Fred Segal in Los Angeles on November 19, 2011. She paired the dress with Norah snakeskin pumps, complimented the ensemble with chunky rings, bracelets and necklaces, and topped it all off with a pop of red from the croc Olivia clutch, all from House of Harlow 1960. Score the Halston kimono click here and check out House of Harlow 1960 at hoh1960.com.

D'amore on her Patio overlooking the city. StyleSeenDaily.com

I recently sat down with the stunning Caroline D’Amore to talk about her most recent undertaking, D’Amore Swim. No stranger to the Fashion industry, Caroline has done her fair share of swimwear and lingerie modeling. Posing for such names as La Perla, and Agent Provacateur, it was only a matter of time before this multifaceted girl garnered all the creativity and knowledge of the industry to start up, and design her own line.

Inspiration Board. StyleSeenDaily.com

After an initial attempt at a swimwear line almost three years ago, Caroline D’amore felt like her voice wasn’t being heard.  “We did a bunch of big fashion shows, they were very glitzy, they had a lot of money, but the passion of the actual swimsuit wasn’t there, and I just wasn’t into that.  I wanted a quality product if my name was going to be on it.”  No doubt that her passion for designing was burning greater then ever, the Malibu native teamed up with friend and business partner Ryan Horne to create the rocker, edgy chic line, that is D’amore Swim.

“Its a really small company, very hands on.  I design everything, and everything is made here in LA.  Ryan’s Aunt is our sample maker, my sister runs around and help’s us out, all hands on.”  As soon as we walked into her penthouse downtown, it was all very apparent,  Caroline really is that hands on with her company.

"I know what I want to wear, I know what Girls my age want to wear"

Rolls of fabrics line the back wall, Inspiration boards hang everywhere you look, and an entire back panel is filled with samples of the swim suits, which she happily presented to me. “The new collection is something I’ve never seen anybody do, or even have anything similar to. We call it the ‘leather and lace’ collection, because I’m a Gemini, one minute I’m this girl (at this point, she flips her hair and reveals the shaved underside of her long locks) and the next day I’m this girl.” (very feminine without the edge)

Taking inspiration from her own wardrobe, she designed pieces that would fit her personal lifestyle, while on and even off the beach. The collection consists of overlaying fabrics, to create a shimmering contrast.  “I wanted them to have a shine that wasn’t cheesy.” Denim materials, with hand made appliqués, faux leathers with studs and grommets, and the most amazing part is that they are all 100% swimmable. The attention paid to every detail in an effort to provide comfort and durability is notable, from decorative accessories right down to the soft hand of the inner linings chosen.

damoreswim.com

damoreswim.com

Running a full on operation of this caliber is straining in itself, but the talented, Caroline D’amore somehow finds a way to manage the swimsuit line, acting, and her first great passion, DJ’ing. “Its cool because I can design all day, and then run to the club and play music all night long—I don’t sleep much.”  You can see the influence that music plays when designing her line in the chic rocker tones, and dazzling glamour every piece has to offer.  Passionate for music, she grew up around some of the greatest DJ’s including DJAM who so sadly lost his life not very long ago. He, it would seem from the photo below from her personal collection, was a great inspiration and friend.

Caroline’s pieces are so versatile, and on point with her lifestyle, that she seamlessly merges them with her own clothes, as seen on the Japanese cover of her album and during many of her public appearances. With only a short two years designing and creating, Caroline’s success in the industry is commendable. Instantly selling out from boutiques like ‘DASH‘  Los Angeles’ ‘Fred Segal‘, and being featured on Jordana Brewster‘s cover of Maxim Magazine, D’amore Swim is on the cusp of exploding and becoming a swimwear phenomenon. Nothing like a little leather and lace to spice up an already scorching summer!

You can Follow Caroline D’amore @carolinedamore

Check out DamoreSwim.com for more information

RELATED:

Malibu Native, DJ, Bikini Designer,Model AND Style Seen Daily friend Caroline D’Amore founded “D’Amore Swim” with Ryan Horne.  This busy style setter calls her line motorcycle vintage.

Caroline explains, “It’s girly vintage and rocker chic.”  We have the first look at D’Amore’s first campaign shoot here. Caroline is the perfect bikini model and I am in love with the black one piece with studs — what a statement that swimsuit makes!

Congrats Caroline on this amazing Spring 2011 line.  The swimsuits are available at a variety of high end stores like Barney’s, Fred Segal and Planet Blue.  Check out the first lookbook here…

For more information, visit D’Amore Swim.

The official Fashions Night Out Shirt, Available at the Phillip Lim Store on Robertson Blvd in LA. CA. Photo by Norman Jean Roy.

Thursday, September 10, 2009: Vogue and the Council of Fashion and Design are hosting Fashion’s Night Out, a global event urging consumers to shop to save the economy and the fashion industry.  It also kicks off the first day of New York Fashion Week.  If you are in New York, stores will be hosting events and having huge sales all over the city.  And here on the other side of the coast, Los Angeles is also stepping up.  And we have some major tips on where you might want to consider shopping at to take advantage of the H-U-G-E discounts (we’re talking up to 75% off) and limited edition finds…

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