There’s a specific term for women who make their money designing and Insta-showcasing swimwear: “Bum-preneurs”.
They’re the Australian women who are dipping a toe into the global swimwear industry, which is reportedly worth around $23 billion, and coming out beaming.
Kendall Layt from New South Wales is just one sparkling example. Her line KOKOH Bikini made $100,000 in its first year and globetrotting is now her every day life.
Karina Irby from Port Macquarie is another. The 26-year-old spent hours learning how to make swimwear and founded her own label Moana Bikini. The brand has over 400,000 followers on Instagram and business is booming.
Check out the Instagram feed and you’ll see Karina’s perky bottom, toned tummy and perfectly tanned torso unapologetically parading around idyllic beaches, crystal clear oceans and beautifully serene landscapes.
Yet, these women have been slammed online as “ridiculous”. Someone comments, “No great skill required” and then there’s the spiteful swipe, “it will end in tears when things head south in the autumn.” Jealous much?
Interestingly, Karina Irby says, “It’s not just a bikini, it’s a lifestyle.” And that’s the very core of the problem that many have with these women. This is why some are so quick to tut, roll their eyes and scoff at their success…
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Plenty of bitterness in the comments section too, by the looks.
So these women are lucky enough (or work damn hard enough) to have a body that doubles as a showcase for their own self built brand. Really, is it so different to employing models to do the same thing?
"they’re living the daily dream of a constant photoshoot too. They’re not buying a bikini for a two-week holiday; their life is a beach-dwelling fantasy"
I would bet there's a whole bunch of reality in-between those instagram posts. Perhaps part of it is that people don't see just how hard they do work and have worked to get where they are. Your use of the term "bum-preneurs" doesn't help. It reduces their hard work and determination to make it in the industry to nothing except flashing their bums on social media.