Introducing.. TROPIKAI

There is nothing better than a fresh start, and with that fresh start for Spring I can now welcome you the new collection TROPIKAI. The name of the collection was actually suggested by a friend (thank you chelsea) after releasing some styles. I share some of these amazing styles below. 

None the less, this collection goes against all the rules. No one bikini is the same, each offering their own personality. The idea behind the collection was to indulge in a bikini a day for a tropical getaway.  As always, my inspiration comes from providing fashion in the simplicity of a bikini, its wearable swimwear ready for you. #livinlifeinabikini

The High Neck Society

Mikai has become the foundation of a High Neck Bikini Society.
It all started with the Front Row Bikini Top. That little black bikini with a mesh insert allowing a woman to
  cover up, while not actually covering up. 

From this bikini, we have created more high neck show stopping bikini tops.
The special thing about the bikini top is its versatile use, the whole bikini goes beyond the beach.
It goes to the festival, to the Sunday drinks, to your holidays and with high pant/high skirt looks.

(The Official Front Row Bikini)

(The RiRi Bikini)

(The Giselle Bikini)

Join the High Neck Society at Mikai by shopping online now.
www.mikai.com.au

Let us know your High Neck Bikini Crush and where we should take it next!

5 ways to keep a bikini body in winter

It is probably the most challenging time of the year for a woman... the battle between winter comfort, baggy clothes and less beach trips that mean we can eat, and eat, and eat and not worry too much about the bikini body. Winter ends though, every year and there is nothing worse than not being prepared for that first hot day come summer!

Tip 1: Sleep in your gym clothes

Okay it sounds a little strange, but it's logical. If you get up in the morning to go to gym then you definitely need to start sleeping in your gym clothes (maybe put a onesie over the top so you feel like your in more bed time attire ;) ) but seriously. I set my alarm for 5:25 and I am out of there by 5:30am because I am already dressed, I don't have to strip in the freezing cold or think about what to wear and I GO because I feel like I've wasted sleeping in gym clothes if I don't! 

Tip 2: Eat the damn brownie

It is winter after all! you don't need to have a six pack, but eat the damn brownie when you want the damn brownie! but don't forget to eat your chicken and vegetables too. All it really is, is about portions! so eat the brownie but keep your portion small and balance your meals... lets not eat KFC every day of the week of you can kiss that kini bod goodbye! 

Tip 3: Go for more walks

Weekends seem boring in winter because you cant go to the beach and instead you go out for food more and to the movies (which normally involves more food) but why don't you change up your beach trips with beach walks. It keeps you fit and you catch up with friends at the same time!

Tip 4: Work harder in the gym

Since you are preparing your body for summer why not go that little bit harder? Find a motivation picture, set it as your goal, set the time limit and how your going to get there and just work dam HARDER! harder than last year, harder than the year before that! ACHIEVE your dream body with going harder!

Tip 5: Love what you see

Look in the mirror, every day. Love it, love the extra skin, love the way you are. If you love your body all of the other tips will be done at ease. If you do it with pressure and not love yourself through the process then you will never be happy. 

This is me, right now. I love my bikini body all year round. I might not be the skinniest person in the room, nor fit everyone's idealistic bikini body. However I still work hard, eat good when I want and eat bad when I want. I live my life! and this winter... I am keepin' my bikini body!

Much Love, Mikhailla x

Mikai vs. Everyday Knicker Interview

Earlier this week I was asked by "Every Knicker" to do a little interview with them, they questioned me about my brand Mikai Swimwear and about my knicker's! The knicker interview will be up later this week on their website http://everydayknicker.com/ which you should check out! It has some fun never before seen images as well!

I wanted to share with you the interview conducted with me about my brand with you all, so I have copied it here below for you to read a little bit more about Mikai Swimwear and how it came to be. 

EVERYDAYKNICKER – Hey Mikhailla thanks for hanging out with us! Give us a brief history of your label?

 Mikai Swimwear is an Australian Swimwear label, developed in late 2013 for the typical girl that is Livin’ her life in a Bikini.

EVERYDAYKNICKER – How did your label come about?

Mikai simply started on my purchase on my 200^th Bikini. I figured I loved swimwear, I was always looking for new pairs, buying new pairs and really I was any swim stores best customer.  It was when I started working with swimwear more closely and a professional who developed a large Australian surf brand that I realized creating a swim label didn’t have to be such a distant dream. I spoke to anyone and everyone experienced in the industry, gained as much knowledge as I could, researched what I didn’t know,  Googled what I wondered and when I finally thought I knew what I was doing, I made it happen.

EVERYDAYKNICKER - What is the story behind the name Mikai Swimwear?

The name quite simply originates from my name Mikhailla. I was always nicknamed “Miki” or “Miki G” more commonly… I wanted a name that would be recognized as my own label, but without being to familiar with my own name… so I called it Mikai, most people pronounce it as “Mik-eye”, but it is actually pronounced “Mik-ayyyyy”.

EVERYDAYKNICKER –  What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone starting their own label or brand in any industry?

If you have a gut instinct that this is what you are meant to be doing, if you well and truly feel it in your soul then you are on the right path. I must admit, sometimes I wasn’t sure… but whenever I doubted myself, it was like I would get rewarded? I would get a sale, or some amazing opportunity and I knew that was life’s way of saying “ you are right where you are meant to be” and I think a quote always resonated with me “Don’t do what has been done”. It is so easy to look at another company doing something similar to you and to think you should do what they are doing to get to the top… but you need to remember, a copy will never be as good as an original. Listen to your gut, do what you want to do… not what you think you should be doing, or what everyone else thinks you should be doing. You’re the creator, breed difference.

EVERYDAYKNICKER -  Who is the most famous person to wear your label?

I have a fair few of large social media personalities that have worn my label now, I consider them to be famous in the social eye I suppose, but not anyone like Angelina Jolie or Kim Kardashian yet…

EVERYDAYKNICKER – How did you approach your collections such as the Mikai Signature or Toddler Swim?

 Literally, when I design a collection…I have no idea what I am doing.
I just draw, I create or find prints I like and I put it all together… it just happens, all so fast even though it can take a while the last process is so quick that I don’t even know how I made it work! Haha… still not sure if I do :P

EVERYDAYKNICKER –  What is involved in a typical first hour of your day?

 I always wake up to my alarm around 5:40am and eat a banana, prepared my EHPLABS bcaa’s and head to the gym. It’s the only time of the day where I feel like I am truly doing something for myself.

EVERYDAYKNICKER –  What 5 things that make your working day easier?

1/ a list

2/ crossing things off that list... haha

3/ Talking to my partner, he always knows the right things to say

4/ My mum, I am so blessed she looks after all my dispatch

5/ and my friends, I think I have my sanity and a normal social life thanks to them!

EVERYDAYKNICKER –  Where will your label be in 5 years and do you plan on making lingerie?

At this stage lingerie isn’t on the cards for Mikai. In 5 years, if I am well an truly speaking from my gut instinct (since I’m a gut instinct kinda person ) I see myself living in this beautiful home across from the beach with the sand as my backyard. I see myself still very much working, because I love it. I see Mikai being featured on the big catwalks. I have high hopes for Mikai Swimwear, I put a lot of work into it is like my baby, and I want to see it grow and thrive. I see Mikai becoming something bigger than I could have ever dreamed.

EVERYDAYKNICKER – What’s the best $100 you’ve ever spent?

Oooo that is a hard one, but I think any plane ticket, that takes me to a tropical location (in this case, north queensland) for under $100 is always money well spent.

Before our readers die (we hope they don’t) what is…

1 book they should read -  ‘The Secret’ and ‘The Starch Solution’

1 city they should visit – Byron Bay

1 movie they should watch – ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’

1 album they should listen to – I can't really say! I love anything that is in the now!

1 garment they should own – A Bikini, from www.mikai.com.au

What does MIKAI actually do?

The 5 Major Responsibilities of a Swim Designer/Business Owner:

Someone asked me the other day.... "So what do you actually do?, what do you do for Mikai if you don't make the swimwear?"

It made me think... well what do I do? I don't make the swimwear so I don't really do much at all.... haha ;)...

1. The Design Phase
Making a swimsuit idea come to life isn't as easy as it sounds...
It all starts with that little drawing, then create the pattern and material sourcing. Each one of those little phases in themselves require so much time and effort. It can take me almost 4 weeks to put together one style and around 3 months for a full collection.

2. The Shooting Phase

I become a photographer for my brand shots. It allows me to get the exact looks I am after. It works for me, and my friends who are mostly the models! It is a long day, but I always try to make it as fun as possible. Oh, and when no models are available, I happen to become a model too!

3. The Marketing Phase

I am ready to sell! Not before I get an "action plan" ready thought. I set myself goals, how I am going to reach my intended audience, listing my strategies, setting the price points and how I am really getting my product out there which leads into the next phase.

4. The Advertising Phase

Different from the market plan phase because this involves another expense, the expense of negotiating with potential advertisers. The people who have a similar target market, represent the lifestyle and all round correspond with my brand that allow me to reach a wider audience. 

5. The Final Phase

The final phase doesn't feel so final because it is a continual phase. The orders come through, then they are packaged and ready to ship. This relationship doesn't end there though... The intent is to be long-term, so now the cycle begins again. 

All in all, I think the one part I don't do for Mikai (manufacturing) makes up for all the other parts I do DO! It is truly a full time job, presence is required, planning is required and so is action. It isn't easy, but you can ask anyone running a business and their response will be the same. Nothing is easy. 

Hope this tell's you a little more about what I do for Mikai.

Much Love,

Mikhailla xx 

Bikini Secrets With Katya

As we supply bikini's all over the globe, we have bikini body babes supplying their secrets to help you keep Livin' Life in a Bikini. We chat with Katya Henry (@katyaelisehenry on instagram) who is a future personal trainer and model providing us with an inspiring social media page to motivate everyone! Katya Pictured below in our "front row" bikini set. 

We have a couple of little questions girls want to know about your bikini body secrets:

1. We just got to know, how tall you are first?

I am 5'2 108 lbs (49 Kg), I'm petite!

2. What do your average daily food menu options look like?

My average daily food menu options are, for example, breakfast I'll have a few hard boiled eggs and some oatmeal, maybe a banana, what ever fills me up. Or I'll just make bacon and eggs with a yogurt. For lunch I always have left over chicken breast and veggies maybe a sweet potato or just a turkey sandwich (these are just a few options off the top of my head). For dinner it's always always always a meat. Fish, steak, chicken, pork, what ever it may be. With a side of veggies (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc) and a carb. Rice, potato, whole wheat pasta, the list goes on. For snacks its always either avocado or fruit, maybe cottage cheese. It sounds like a diet honestly, but it's just what I crave. I prefer healthy food any day. In my opinion, the best way to eat is NOT to diet, but to just know what is healthy and what is not. Don't get me wrong, I have cheat meals here and there. I love me some pizza and ice cream :p 

3. Let me just ask, how many times do you train your booty & legs a week and what are your favourite booty building exercises?

I train legs and booty every 2 days, so some weeks its 3 days, some weeks its 2 days! My favorite booty building exercises are squats, lunges, or plyo jumps. 

4. What’s the one food you have to stop yourself from eating because once you start you just don’t want to stop! And how do you beat the cravings? If you’re a lucky one who isn’t drawn to the occasional treat then I am very jealous of your tolerance!

Oh my god, HOT CHEETOS! I will eat an entire bag. Once I start, I definitely won't stop! As far as cravings, I honestly do not stop myself. I don't worry about what I eat as long as it's in moderation, and if i'm eating healthy over all and go to the gym consistently, everything is all good. But the thing about me is that I prefer salty over sweet. 

5. How do you motivate yourself to maintain a healthy lifestyle and up-keep your body?

I motivate myself to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep up the consistent gym schedule is by seeing results. Another thing, is my Instagram followers, and the emails I get from people telling me that my gym picture I posted earlier that day got them to the gym. Nothing makes me happier than motivating people and helping others. 

6. What is your opinion on booty enhancements/implants that are becoming common nowadays?

I have extremely strong opinions on fake things in general. But I won't judge. If it makes you happy and makes you feel good, then have at it. It's just not for me. 

7. Amongst growing a booty, is it important to wear flattering styles that enhance it? We like to think our bikinis provide an enhancement to a person’s natural shape without being too cheeky of course, how did you find our bikini’s? .
Yes absolutely, It is very important to wear flattering styles. Your bikinis make it easy for that! Scrunch butt backs on bikinis are my favorite, not too much cheek but just the right amount. 

Bikini Secrets with Brigitte

As we supply bikini's all over the globe, we have bikini body babes supplying their secrets to help you keep Livin' Life in a Bikini. We chat with Brigitte Saunders (@brigxx on instagram) who is a pilates instructor and qualified personal trainer along with providing an inviting social media page to motivate everyone!

We have a couple of little questions girls want to know about your bikini body secrets:

1.   What is your go-to snack when you are on the go?
   My current go to snack on the go is Granny Smith apples, We have them for our clients at Pilates but I seem to always be grabbing them on the go! They are great for energy.
2. What is your number one fat burning exercise?Burpee's I love them, I do burpee's EVERY day! They are my go to fat burning exercise! They get the heart rate pumping!
3. What is the one food you have a weakness for, and what is your advice towards foods that leave you wanting more?Chocolate. I am addicted, my #1 trick is not to buy it (so it's not tempting) because if it's in the house I'll eat an entire block. Of course I'll treat myself but it's always good to set yourself a limit, buy a smaller amount or a healthier alternative (dark chocolate/raw chocolate)
4.  How do you motivate yourself to maintain a healthy lifestyle and upkeep your figure?
   I work in the industry so I'm always training/on my feet running around! I make sure I get a workout in every day even a 20 minute run/walk or a 30 minute circuit or just a Pilates class, you feel better when you are healthy & active, that itself is my motivation to keep up the lifestyle! The figure is just a bonus for all my hard work! You get out what you put in! It's hard work but it's all worth it:)
5.  What diet’s have you tried? Any big no-no’s when it comes to choosing a “diet ” ?
   I don't believe in the term diet, I believe in lifestyle, choices, discipline, everything in moderation as long as you are exercising daily, everyone can spare 30 minutes of 24 hours to be active... Diets are temporary, everyone should focus on a long term lifestyle of healthy eating and becoming more active! It's not rocket science, you will live longer and be happier! 

South Beach Sands Collection

Good Morning, Just wanted to introduce my new collection in full swing! Each style boasts something different from the other. While our whole target ranges around the girl who is "livin life in a bikini" being young, fun, confident & minimalistic we are also now spreading our wings and reaching out to the beach babes that wear swimwear into festivals, photoshoots & whatever else floats their boat.

Our Collection name is South Beach Sands this came about from my collection style names, which kinda were just beach & fun based, I always find naming styles the hardest part, but once you got all the style names the collection name can be easily pieced together 99% of the time! I also added the Signature Collection into this range which are the styles for festival, photoshoots & ready-to-wear etc, that specific range has two featured styles for the beginning and will be adding more over the period to see how you all like it...As always our swimwear is 100% Australian made, I like to be involved in the process 100% and having it made in Australia allows this for me at ease, our swimwear also faces a price increase due to the super soft new material & print inclusions, but I guarantee you won't notice the price increase when you put on that swimsuit & admire it!.... anyways enough talking and I will introduce each style :)

WILD & FREE

 CALIFORNA GIRL

 MIDNIGHT MUSE

FRONT ROW

WANDERLUST

 RUN THE WORLD

LOVE YOU MORE

xxx Mikhailla xxx

Collection In Progress

The last month has been a little crazy, between my normal job, getting back into the swing of university after the semester break has now ended and trying to prepare a new collection... I can tell you now, I am half way through! ;)

My designs are finally coming together, I am sharing with you some of the new designs... only a couple of the key styles, of course I will save the rest probably for the release date in September! but I just wanted to share the progression behind the new collection, and I must just put it out there.... The material is so damm soft, beautiful & light weight! I really can say this will be my best collection yet!

The styles featured here above are some of the prints which will be apart of a more beach directed range, as always encompassing a sense of vibrant fashion in trending seasonal colours for the Spring/Summer period while providing unique designs! Our bottoms are cut traditionally the same as always, as we have found the design shape of our bottoms to provide comfort & grab to your bottom in a way that "enhances" that booty! Our tops are still associated with a fixed padding system providing support, lift & comfort for the lazy beach lady to that active one ;)

And these two lovely styles above feature as apart of a new premium range we are launching at Mikai Swimwear. This range provides ultimately bikini's for festivals, photo shoots...maybe the beach if your daring! but they are little more edgy & fashion forward providing something "different". I recently wore the black one you see above on my stay at The Soul, Gold Coast on the weekend. I wore it in the spa and honestly felt perfect for the occasion! It's definitely one of my favourites in our new collection, I love what it does for the body! 

I haven't finished the rest of the designs, and am still perfecting ones that you see above... but I can't wait to get the proper photo shoot done with our model & show you exactly what you can get at Mikai this Spring. I guarantee you we have stepped up our game! and guess what...were gunna keep doing just that each release ;) 

x x M

www.mikai.com.au

Livin' Life in a Bikini

Welcome To Spring/Summer 15

Mikai is all about "Livin' Life in a Bikini" and I ask you to do exactly that as soon as the sunshine turns the heat up enough to enjoy a day at the beach, pool, backyard, boat or wherever the sunshine takes you.

I wanted to take the time to introduce some of the prints coming to our Spring collection. I hope to launch this collection beginning of September as the temperature begins to rise in beautiful Australia! In the mean time I will be designing more prints & styles to add to our Spring & then Summer collection!

These beautiful prints will be featured in the Spring Collection, designed exclusively in America with a designer we are working closely with and we will be using new techniques to our designs such as creating reversibles, mesh inclusions, print-mismatch and the all important unique styles/strapping systems! All of our manufacturing is done RIGHT HERE in Australia! Alot of people didn't know that, so we wanted to let you know that everything is AUSTRALIAN MADE which we highly support! I cannot wait to show you all that I have been working on because a lot of time, effort, time, effort, timee... haha I could go on but a lot goes into making one simple design and it wouldn't be possible without the continual support of Mikai lovers purchasing from www.mikai.com.au and the team working closely to make this all possible, so thank you!

I wanted to also let you know we will be introducing a premium range! This range will feature prints designed from complete scratch by myself! This is a very exciting thing! Whilst all the prints featured in my collections are exclusive, prints designed from scratch mean that no one ever or anywhere in the world can physically replicate them without breaching copyright laws! The premium range will hopefully feature in the upcoming Spring Collection as well!

I would love to know any names you think are suitable for my upcoming collection and I hope this gives more in sight to the behind the scenes of my world... after all your reading all things mikai! So don't forget to follow my journey on the below links!

xx Mik

www.mikai.com.au
info@mikai.com.au
allthingsmikai.blogspot.com.au
(Instagram) @mikaiswimwear
www.facebook.com/mikaiswimwear

Who is Mikai?

You actually have already probably seen me. I don't stray too far from my bikini brands instagram page @mikaiswimwear. I try to appear here and there, but my amazing models do a good job on their own!

I am Mikhailla, Mikai was formed as a bit of a nickname. Everyone used to call me Miki but lets face it I wasn't going to start a brand name as "Miki" so I just gave it it's own little edge...well actually just an extra letter. I am just 20 years old right now! Actually as of today!

When I was 16 I launched my first business venture starting an online clothing store selling other Australian clothing brands. This was a really hard market to break into, especially as an inexperienced 16 year old but you have to start somewhere! I took that as my learning curve - understanding what to do and how to manage a business. As expected it failed because I wasn't passionate about selling OTHER peoples designs. I wanted my own designs, I wanted recognition, not to help "other" brands gain recognition (Selfish hey? Maybe a Gemini thing - haha!) I then sold that business for the price I paid for me to start it so that was a bonus!

At the same time of my failed business venture I got a job in a marketing business, inexperienced again but I believe that people will hire you for what you can show them, not what is written on that resume because I didn't even show them a resume prior or during my interview! I still work here today because I absoutley love it. I can thank my placement in this job for inspiring me with all of my other endeavours. 

On the side of this I was employed (as a second job) to nationally manage a promotional agency in Australia - big step for me and I wasn't experienced AGAIN but this person had faith in me, more than I had in myself and I guess perhaps I was just determined, more than the person that would have been experienced. This was a great opportunity and learning curve which helped me to gain more knowledge in the field I was already interested in. 

At this point I decided I was doing too much, a university student studying marketing, a fashion agent and then national manager for a promotional agency. It was crazy! I gave up the national manager job to continue pursuing my own dream of having my own swimwear line, which was inspired by my job working in marketing alongside other Australian brands - one to which has a strong swimwear line!

After 3 months of painful researching and failures it eventually all came together releasing my first tester collection in April 2013, then my first official collection in August 2013 which sold wonderfully throughout the spring/summer period of it's release. I consider myself lucky because I not only have the benefits of working with other brands, but due to the people who surround me in the fashion industry they constantly inspire me, they keep me in trends and this in turn allows me to create price-point affordable swimwear consistent with the surrounding market and my own niche. 

xx Mikhailla xx