IN FOCUS:
TORI
PRAVER
Model (a former Guess girl!) turned swimwear designer
TORI PRAVER has a knack for creating anything beach inspired—she grew up
(and was discovered) in Hawaii, after all. Here, The Stylish spends a sun-soaked
day at the beach with her, and she lets us
in on what inspires her eponymous line.
Video Transcription
[intro music]
Tori Praver: When I started the line it was only me. Me and my pencil and paper, and it was really scary and very risky. I invested everything into that. I kind of just had to do it, there was no turning back.
I am Tori Praver. I'm a model and a swimwear designer, and this is "In Focus" with TheStylish!
I was discovered in a Costco with my mom. I was 12 years old and we lived in Maui, Hawaii. It was a little scary for me, because I was just an island girl from the beach. I went to New York when I was 13 and I didn't enjoy it. And so, I went back home to Hawaii and kind of just had my normal childhood back. I played soccer, went back to high school, went to prom.
I think one of the biggest things that I did was probably Sports Illustrated, in the beginning, which was huge, a total dream come true, I couldn't believe it.
The beach culture and the surfing and all of that was just second nature to me. I had a collection of bikinis and I loved that, and it was a little passion of mine to collect them.
I really needed that beach culture and that lifestyle back, and I just started designing and drawing and coming up with ideas, and it just kind of all worked. It just happened organically.
I really design for myself, and what I like to do at the beach, and being able to surf in suits, but also to get a nice tan in your bikini. I think that it's a little bit of everything, honestly.
The ruching is kind of my signature. I just incorporated that into my suits, and it really makes a big difference as far as fit and the way that suits form to your body.
There is such a difference between being a model and a designer. There is so much more thought and work in being a designer. Designing never ends, it is just a year round, daily thing.
Every collection, every piece I design, I learn something. There is always things you can make better and continue to learn and grow from all of that.
And I am in the ocean and not the beach. It's the happiest place on earth. It's like my home.
It is actually really interesting for me. I remember the first time I had to book a model to wear my suits. It was like, "Oh, whoa! This different and fun." I'm like, "I never thought I would be doing this."
But as far as fashion itself, I'm so inspired by what I would see in my modeling career -- going to Paris and Milan and all of that -- that was something that I think was a real advantage for me.
I didn't go to design school but I really was inspired by seeing these amazing, talented designers and being able to use that.
