This week on the FASHION CRIMES PODCAST - new to our Designer Spotlight series: Hila Weinberg, creator of @biliblond swimwear. Hila is the owner and head designer behind the label BILIBLOND. BILIBLOND’s vision is to make women feel beautiful and comfortable when they are most exposed. Hila creates swimwear for the real woman, styles that sculpt and flatter a range of body types. As a native of the Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv, Hila and her design team draw huge inspiration from the city’s ethnic mixture and its warm and sunny climate. “We make luxury, high-quality swimwear that shapes, tones, and compliments your body without compromising on our edgy look.” You are going to LOVE this body-positive conversation with your favorite personal stylist, the hostess with the mostest, and the ONLY Holly you need to know: @hollykatzstyling. Be sure to watch the video of the interview on our youtube channel here!   About Hila and the beginnings of Biliblond: After the birth of her second child, Hila Weinberg was looking for swim styles that would suit her as a mom, but she still wanted to look and feel cool.  Like many women, she had a new body to navigate after pregnancy. Many of her body areas had changed, and she found she needed more support in the bust, the stomach… you know, everywhere!   When it came to a swimsuit, she wanted something that looked great, accentuated the curves of her new shape, but wasn’t matronly. And, she was not willing to compromise on design.     So, like many entrepreneurs, she founded her business by fulfilling a need in the marketplace – primarily her own! She soon found she was not the only woman who was looking for quality fabrics, fit and style when it came to women’s swimsuits.  “Sometimes you are lucky to find the right niche. You think you are creating for yourself, to solve your own problem. But then I found a whole segment of women who couldn’t find the right swimsuits, especially online. They were just like me!”  - Hila Weinberg Hila thinks of her design like it is architecture – she loves angles and straight cuts. Although our bodies very fluid and round, the goal of architecture is to frame things. Her designs are cut to frame as well, in a way that is very flattering to the body, with shapes that frame the curves.   And when it comes to fabric for her designs, Hila looks for sustainable recycled fabrics. She works with several companies that make recycled fabrics, and always looks for a fabric that is heavier than the usual swimsuit fabric.    Sometimes she will use double the fabric, although that is often more expensive, but it really does the job. Hila tells us that there is so much technology now for swimsuit fabric, she can use a wide variety to support her designs and her customer’s body shape.    So, what about fit? What sizes does she design for? Of course, Biliblond designs the usual sizes, but Hila found that she can easily adapt her designs to fit today’s women in larger sizes, too.    “I never want someone to be embarrassed, to feel badly, when they shop for my product and can’t find their size. We create styles for every size.” – Hila Weinberg   Biliblond’s suits run in the price range of $100-200. Hila stresses that when she younger, and without a lot of money, that was the goal she set in her mind for spending on fashion. She still feels you can have nice style in that price range. It is important to her to give this access to more women.    Biliblond designs are created in Tel Aviv, Israel, where Hila is from.  The factory she uses is in the north of Israel, and while she says it is not a very big village, it is like a family to her. Even though her own business is not extremely large, the factory has great capacity, and they work together all year long.    They produce together all year long because it is important to Hila. She is their biggest customer, so she feels the need to take care of them and to make sure they have enough business to keep them in business.