Mina™ Swimwear by Laura M. Mackay: Rethinking Luxury Swimwear Through Function

Photo Credit: Blushpix, CEO Elizabeth Trujillo

Swimwear sits at the intersection of fashion and function. It is expected to look polished while performing under physical stress, to move with the body while holding its shape, and to withstand water, sun, and repetition. Yet much of the market still treats swimsuits as either lifestyle accessories or technical gear, rarely both. For swimmers who spend real time in the water, that divide is hard to ignore.

Laura M. Mackay, Founder & CEO of Mina™ swimwear, encountered that divide firsthand, not in a design studio, but in a department store.

A daily swimmer who had taken on Lake Tahoe and circled Mackinac Island, Mackay needed a swimsuit that could handle real movement: dives, flip turns, long sessions in open water. What she found instead was a familiar split. On one side, expensive suits designed to be worn poolside. On the other hand, purely athletic options in basic black are built for function but little else. Nothing seemed to bridge the two.

That gap sits within a broader shift in the swimwear market. Globally, the category was valued at $21.22 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $30.59 billion by 2032. In the United States, steady summer demand and cruise tourism continue to support growth, while interest in higher-quality and performance-oriented swimwear has increased. Still, growth at the macro level doesn’t automatically translate into better options for people who actually swim.

The Bootstrap Reality

Starting Mina™ swimwear meant ignoring much of the standard startup playbook. Like roughly 75% of small business founders, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mackay used personal savings to get started. Unlike many, she chose to keep it that way.

“I watched peers leave corporate jobs, raise money, and swap one boss for a board,” she says. “That never made sense to me.”

Staying self-funded wasn’t a short-term compromise. It was a deliberate constraint. And in fashion, constraints add up quickly. Unlike service-based businesses, apparel requires upfront investment across design, pattern-making, sampling, manufacturing, inventory, and marketing before a single sale is made.

Mackay underestimated the timeline. What she initially thought would take a year stretched into four. Much of that time was spent working with consultants to resolve fit and construction issues that only became apparent through repeated testing in the water. Progress was slow and often invisible.

To manage risk, she worked on Mina around a full-time job, using evenings, weekends, and paid time off to meet with manufacturers. She set a hard limit on how much of her savings she was willing to spend. That line forced difficult decisions but also kept the project from overtaking her financial life.

The result wasn’t rapid growth or splashy launches. It was a slower, more controlled build shaped by use, durability, and the realities of movement in water.

A Market That Doesn’t Quite Fit

While performance swimwear brands dominate competitive swimming with chlorine-resistant, hydrodynamic designs, and luxury labels focus on poolside aesthetics, few companies bridge the gap between the two.

“Athletic swimwear is designed specifically for performance and durability in water-based activities,” notes industry analysis. “Unlike regular swimwear, it prioritizes a secure and streamlined fit to reduce drag.” But walk into a high-end department store, and these performance features are largely absent from the luxury section.

Mackay, who holds a background in product design from Google and Intuit, saw this not as an oversight but as a solvable problem. Her approach: treat luxury swimwear the way she would any tech product, with user testing, iterative design, and systematic problem-solving.

Testing at the Deep End

Photo Credit: Blushpix, CEO Elizabeth Trujillo

Mackay’s design process resembled an extended science experiment. She purchased suits from competitors and wore them during daily ocean and pool swims, logging what worked and what failed. She invited women with different body types to test prototypes throughout development, constantly gathering feedback.

The discoveries were telling. Back straps positioned toward the outer edges of the shoulders slipped during activity, a common design flaw in fashion-forward suits. Strategic mesh placement, borrowed from figure skating competition outfits, could provide both support and visual interest. Cut-outs positioned correctly allowed suits to feel like two-pieces while maintaining one-piece functionality.

These weren’t revolutionary innovations individually, but their combination in a luxury context was uncommon. As one swimwear expert notes, “many active women share frustration in a lack of options when it comes to suits that are long-lasting and designed to perform without compromising on flattering, feminine style.”

What Makes a Good Athletic Swimsuit?

For swimmers seeking swimwear that balances performance and aesthetics, here are several key considerations:

• Strap placement matters more than you think. Wide straps positioned closer to the neck provide better stability during movement than thin straps at the shoulder’s outer edge. Adjustable options allow for customization as the fabric stretches over time.
• Fabric composition tells the story. Quality athletic swimwear uses polyester or nylon blends that resist chlorine, dry quickly, and offer UV protection. The interior lining should feel substantial, not thin or scratchy; this affects both comfort and how well the suit maintains its shape.
• The fit should feel almost compressive when dry. Swimwear stretches when wet, so a snug fit on land prevents mid-activity wardrobe malfunctions. If it barely holds when dry, it will let go when wet.
• Strategic mesh placement serves function, not just fashion. Well-designed mesh panels provide support at stress points rather than existing purely for decoration. Check that reinforcement exists where the body needs it most.
• Test basic movements before committing. Raise your arms overhead, twist gently, and squat down. The suit should stay in place without excessive shifting. For swimmers planning flip turns or dives, one-piece designs with racerback or crossback straps offer the most security.

The growing intersection between performance and luxury in swimwear suggests the market is evolving to meet changing consumer needs. Laura M. Mackay’s journey from identifying a gap to spending four years developing a solution reflects both the complexity of bridging these categories and the determination required to build something outside traditional funding models.

For swimmers navigating this space, the key is identifying what matters most: the frequency of your swims, the environments you swim in, and whether versatility between athletic performance and aesthetic appeal is worth a premium. When evaluating any athletic-luxury swimsuit, focus on tangible features, fabric durability, construction quality, how straps are engineered, and where support is placed rather than marketing language.

As brands like Mina™ swimwear enter the market and established players respond to demand, consumers who clearly understand their own priorities and are willing to invest in quality pieces that serve multiple purposes will find more options available. The shift toward swimwear that performs as well as it looks benefits anyone who refuses to choose between function and style.